IMPHAL, June 26: Amid prolonged ethnic tensions in Manipur, the World Meitei Council (WMC) has issued a fervent appeal to Meetei and Kuki legislators to take bold, immediate steps towards peace and reconciliation. In a statement released after a meeting of its Central Executive Committee, the council stressed that elected representatives must rise above party lines and assume moral leadership to resolve the ongoing conflict, now entering its third year.
The WMC expressed frustration at the lack of meaningful progress despite various efforts, pointing specifically to the Union government’s failure to implement a decisive peace roadmap. It also criticized recent remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as indicative of the Centre’s limited will to bring about resolution.
“Someone must take the first courageous step in the right direction,” the WMC stated, adding that the burden of suffering continues to fall on innocent civilians. Acknowledging that “mistakes have occurred on both sides,” the council emphasized the urgent need for reconciliation, trust-building, and empathy between the Meetei and Kuki communities.
The statement also included several urgent appeals:
- Reopen Imphal International Airport to all communities without fear or discrimination. The WMC called on the Meetei community to take moral responsibility in ensuring safety and dignity for all arrivals. It cited a recent gesture by COCOMI, which welcomed victims from both communities after the Ahmedabad air crash, as a “symbolic but important act of healing.”
- Ensure safe, unrestricted access to national highways. Highlighting the continuing risks faced by travelers, the WMC urged all communities to work together to keep the roads free from violence and intimidation.
In its concluding appeal, the council urged MLAs from both Meetei and Kuki communities to act with urgency and courage: “The people are watching. Lead us forward. The civil society will follow.”
The WMC maintained that the future of Manipur does not lie in external intervention but in the hands of its own leaders—those elected to protect and unite its diverse communities.
