Kuki Members Protest Inclusion Into Manipur Peace Committee Featuring CM And His Supporters

Many Kuki representatives have decided to boycott the peace committee constituted by the Centre in Manipur, the Hindu has reported.

This decision comes after they found out that the panel includes Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his supporters, and their consent was not taken before making them a part of it.

To hold talks, they demanded that the Centre first make the situation conducive for them.

In an attempt to initiate a peace-making process among various ethnic groups on 10 June, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced a 51-member committee in Manipur.

Governor Anusuiya Uikey will chair the panel, and it includes Singh.

Some members of the panel have come forward to speak out against their inclusion without prior consent.

One such member, KKI Inpi Manipur (KIM) president Ajang Khongsai, has stated that he won't be able to sit with the Manipur government for peace talks.

As per Khongsai, the inclusion of COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity — a civil society group in Imphal) in the panel, who had already declared war against Kukis, makes it impossible for them to hold any talks with the Manipur government.

J Lhungdim, a retired Indian Defence Accounts Service official, stated that his name was included in the panel without his consent.

He was surprised that after serving the government for 37 years, he has been referred to as a foreigner by the Chief Minister.

Lhungdim, who retired in 2020, was sent to Russia in 2016 to secure an arms deal.

Nando Luwang, the President of the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), was caught off guard after discovering that his name was included in the peace panel. Despite the surprise, he considers the move as a positive step in the right direction.

Ratan Thiyam, an eminent theatre artiste, features on the peace panel. During a protest in Imphal on 10 June, he had challenged the Prime Minister on his silence.

The ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities has led to over 100 lives lost since 3 May. The violence has displaced more than 50,000 people and left over 4,000 weapons from police armouries looted and snatched.

The peace panel will work towards facilitating peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties and groups to ensure long-lasting peace in the region, the Home Ministry has said.