Manipur Clashes Have Derailed Peace Talks With Insurgent Groups: Report

The recent Manipur clashes have derailed peace talks between the 24 Kuki-Zomi insurgent groups that were headed towards conclusion. 

According to The Indian Express report, the clashes have now thrown a “spanner in the talks with the groups after having agreed to a political settlement within the state of Manipur now digging their heels in and demanding a separate administration”.

It stated the demand officially resurfaced with 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs in Manipur submitting a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

“Now, the SOO groups are poised to begin talks with the Centre once again, but with a changed position,” it said.

The report quoting sources said “it was understandable that Kukis would harden their stance following the recent violence  as they now feel insecure under a Meitei-dominated government”.

It also said that the disproportionate casualties suffered by the Kukis [in comparison to Meiteis] in the violence has exacerbated this insecurity.

“Still we are hopeful of reaching a deal with the Kukis. They have been more accommodating of Centre’s vision for Manipur compared to Nagas. Thankfully, the words used by agitating Kuki leaders are still ‘separate administration’ and not ‘separate state’. We are sure once peace is established in Manipur and Kukis begin to feel more secure, they will come around to accepting the solution. It may take some time now, but it will happen,” the report quoting a government source said.

“The peace talks had settled upon the module of providing ‘territorial councils’ to the tribes of Manipur. The Kuki groups had asked that the 10 hill districts, dominated by Kuki-Zomi and Naga tribes — be divided into two territorial councils — one for the Nagas and the other for the Kuki-Zomi groups,” it said.

It added the Biren Singh-led government had proposed that there be 10 territorial councils — one for every district. 

The Centre had proposed a division of 2-2-1, a proposition that was backed by the Zomi insurgent groups, it said.

“But that is no longer what we are seeking. It is not possible for us to live with the Meiteis any longer, so we want a separate administration,’’ said the report quoted KNO leader as having said.

“We hope that the Centre will address the deep fault lines that have existed in Manipur, to the detriment of tribals. A line has to be drawn – and that line is the hill-valley divide, physically and politically. The Kukis who have been driven out of the valley will never go back.  When Rajnath Singh was home minister, the Centre had convinced us to drop the demand of a separate state. We obliged, to ensure peace in the region, with the condition that certain safeguards were put into place such as the 6th Schedule, protection of our land etc. But before the settlement has taken place, the Meiteis have made it very clear to us that they don’t want us. We are now saying, never again,’’ he was quoted as having said.