GUWAHATI: In a bid to restore peace in strife-torn Manipur, the Centre has convened a meeting with the state’s Meitei, Kuki and Naga legislators in New Delhi on October 15.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is organising the meeting. Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to attend it.
This will be the first such meeting since the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis broke out on May 3 last year which left around 250 people dead and some 60,000 others displaced.
Some of the MLAs, who will attend the meeting, welcomed the initiative. “I received an invite over the phone to attend the meeting. I was told it is part of a peace initiative, and the time and venue of it will be intimated later,” a Meitei legislator told TNIE requesting anonymity.
“There will be legislators from Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities and the state’s different regions will be well represented. We were asked to sit together. It has been a year and a half since we did not meet,” he said, adding, “I am looking forward to it. Any good step is welcome.”
Two Naga legislators spoke on record, appreciating the Centre’s move.
“I don’t know the exact agenda as of now. But from day one, we have been trying to explore all means for bringing peace,” said Awangbow Newmai, a Naga minister.
Fellow Naga legislator L Dikho, who will also attend the meeting, said, “Unless all communities are involved, it is difficult...I will attend it and see how best we can take up the initiative.”
The Kuki-Zo community has 10 legislators, including seven from the BJP. The MHA approached some of them. It remains to be seen if they will attend the meeting.
“Normally, ahead of any such important meeting, the leaders of our various civil society organisations are consulted and a collective decision is taken. In this case, I am not aware of anything like this. One or two legislators, who are outside the state, may attend the meeting in individual capacity,” a Kuki leader said.