AIZAWL, Dec 13: Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha MP, Richard Vanlalhmangaiha, has called on the Centre to mediate a dialogue between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur to address the ongoing ethnic violence. Speaking during the winter session of Parliament, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) MP emphasized that a lasting resolution to the 19-month-long conflict in Manipur must come through dialogue rather than relying solely on security forces.
The ethnic violence in Manipur has claimed over 250 lives and displaced more than 50,000 people. Since the conflict erupted in May 2023, numerous homes and over 300 churches have been destroyed or burned down, leaving a trail of devastation across the state. Vanlalhmangaiha urged the central government to play an active role as a facilitator and bring the leaders of the warring communities to the negotiation table.
He suggested that under the chairmanship of the Centre, the leaders should discuss critical issues such as the imposition of President’s Rule, separate administration, changes in leadership, ceasefire, and compensation for those affected by the violence. The MP stressed that simply deploying more security forces would not resolve the underlying issues, calling for a more inclusive and dialogue-driven approach to bring about peace in the region.
