Home ministry official meets Kuki leaders to outline Manipur’s roadmap to peace

Imphal: A top out functionary place affairs ministry (MHA) met representatives of the Federation of civic smart set (FOCS) on Wednesday morning in Imphal’s Babupara to chalk out a roadmap to restore peace in Manipur. This comes a day after home ministry met leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) and other Kuki bodies, including the committee on tribal unity (COTU).The KZC and COTU are Kuki bodies, while FOCS is a Meitei body.“A.K. Mishra, advisor to the ministry of home affairs (North East) assured us a roadmap to restore peace in Manipur had been prepared and was already being implemented. The peace initiative has entered its first phase with the roadmap’s implementation, FOCS president-in-charge B.M. Yaima Shah said.Also Read: Govt resumes bus, helicopter services in Manipur under strict security measuresShah added that regarding the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militants, Mishra clarified that although the agreement has lapsed, it has not been abrogated and will be revisited and revised in due course.“Mishra also said that the Manipur government’s initiative to partially reopen NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) for free movement was a symbolic attempt. The government will take stricter measures to ensure unrestricted movement on highways,” said Shah.During the three-hour meeting with Kuki body leaders at deputy commissioner’s office in Churachandpur on Tuesday, various issues were discussed, including the recent Kangpokpi incident, where an individual was killed and several others were injured while protesting against union home minister Amit Shah’s directive on free movement along the national highway.Other topics that were discussed included demand for a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory, cessation of hostilities, and related concerns.Also Read: 1 dead as fresh wave of violence engulfs strife-torn Manipur“Our leaders stood firm on our stance, and so did the representatives from the MHA. As a result, no concrete decisions could be reached. The meeting was adjourned for further discussions in the future,” a statement issued by the KZC said.Meanwhile, a video of Kuki youths attacking security forces on Tuesday night at the Kangpokpi headquarters was shared on social media. Another video of an ambulance belonging to a central security force forcibly blocked by Kuki youths also surfaced online.The Manipur police have not issued any reports regarding stringent action against the protesters involved in the incident.At least one person was killed and dozens injured on March 8, after the Manipur government resumed the Manipur State Transport (MST) bus and helicopter services under strict security measures to ensure safe public transportation in the state.According to officials, protesters in the Kuki-dominated district held demonstrations at different places and attempted to stop a state transport bus, which was travelling from Imphal to Senapati district as part of the administration’s efforts to ensure free movement of civilians across ethnic strongholds. The protesters set private vehicles ablaze, blocked highways, pelted stones and even fired at security personnel, prompting them to use force, they added.Also Read: Total shutdown paralyses life in Kuki dominated districts of ManipurFollowing this, an indefinite total shutdown was imposed by the KZC from Saturday midnight against the Centre’s directive for free movement along all roads in Manipur.On Tuesday, only 241 vehicles, and one vehicle carrying essential items, were able to move along NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar via Dimapur) and NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) respectively, the Manipur police control room reported.Also, over 500 vehicles, including passenger vehicles, were stranded along both the national highways due to total shutdown imposed by the Kuki bodies like KZC, since Saturday midnight.NH-2 passed through Kangpokpi district, a Kuki dominated area.Last month, the Centre imposed the President’s rule in Manipur, days after chief minister N Biren Singh resigned following a rebellion by some ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators against Singh. A month before Singh’s resignation, the Centre had appointed former home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the governor.