IMPHAL, April 4: Representatives of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities will participate in the first-ever tripartite meeting with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on Saturday. Officials and community leaders confirmed the development on Friday.
This high-level dialogue marks the first formal tripartite engagement since ethnic violence erupted between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo-Hmar groups nearly 23 months ago. The conflict stemmed from the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and has since escalated into a prolonged and deadly crisis.
While Manipur government officials acknowledged the scheduled meeting, they refrained from disclosing its detailed agenda. However, it was revealed that A.K. Mishra, MHA Advisor for the Northeast region, extended invitations to representatives from both communities. Mishra previously held separate meetings with Meitei and Kuki-Zo organisations in Manipur last month in preparation for the talks.
Attempts to convene such a meeting last year failed as Kuki-Zo tribal organisations declined to sit with Meitei leaders. This weekend’s meeting thus represents a significant thaw in relations and a potential breakthrough in peace efforts.
Earlier this year, on January 17, leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a coalition of 13 tribal organisations, met with senior MHA officials in New Delhi. The four-member KZC delegation, led by Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet, met A.K. Mishra and Rajesh Kamble, Joint Director at the MHA. The discussions’ contents were not disclosed publicly.
The Kuki-Zo Council and ten tribal MLAs have persistently demanded a separate administration for tribal-dominated areas in Manipur, akin to Union Territory status. In contrast, Meitei organisations have called for stringent action against insurgents, curbing drug trafficking, checking illegal immigration from Myanmar, and implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The violence has displaced over 60,000 people, many of whom have remained in relief camps across various districts for nearly two years.
