IMPHAL : Where the government has failed, people have stepped in to speak up for peace and reconciliation.In what is being seen as a long-standing need for Manipur, the first major attempt at ethnic reconciliation was made on Wednesday in the strife-torn State.
Civil society groups and thinking heads from three major communities Meiteis (Manipuris), Nagas and Kukis got together to find a way out of the ethnic violence that has erupted. Amid renewed suspicion and mistrust at each other, the Nagas and the Meiteis, who are in the centre of the conflict, came together for the first time since the outbreak of the violence by sharing the dais at the “all communities get together meeting for peaceful co-existence” in Imphal. They appealed to the protestors to lift the blockade and counter-blockade and urged the State government to talk to all stakeholders to resolve the deadlock.
“The market (in Imphal) is a mirror of our society. Let us speak only good things and get involved for improving the situation,” said activist Irom Sharmila, who belongs to the Meitei community. This was her maiden appearance at a public meeting since she had ended her epic hunger strike in August.
Nimthouja Lancha, another Meitei leader, observed that the root cause of the all-pervasive suspicion was people’s ignorance about one another’s history and culture. “Each community must try and understand the other. We feel that the history and cultures of each community should be included in our academic curricula. Ignorance often makes a community treat others as strangers,” he said.
Romeo Bungdon, a Naga and leader of the All Manipur Tribal Unity, said people should bury the hatchet and move on. “We can achieve peace only through negotiations by involving all stakeholders. The government has to take the initiative to bring them under one platform,” he said.
Prof Rose Mangshi, a social activist, said the situation has worsened due to communication gap among the communities. “We appeal to both sides to withdraw the blockades. We all should sit together and try and find a solution. When we do so, we will achieve it,” said Mangshi, who belongs to the Kuki community.
On the political front, a BJP MLA resigned alleging that the Centre was playing politics over the situation in Manipur. The lawmaker, Joy Kishan, later joined the Congress.
The Kukis are caught in the conflict between the Nagas and the Meiteis.
The United Naga Council, which enforced an indefinite blockade on two National Highways since November 1, alleged that by upgrading “Nagas’ ancestral homeland” Sadar Hills to a full-fledged district, the Okram Ibobi Singh government was trying to keep the Kukis in good humour.