Manipur CM visits Naga, Kuki villages

In a bid to remove the trust deficit between the Kuki and Tangkhul communities, Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited various villages of both the tribes in conflict in Ukhrul district on Friday as part of the trust-building mission.
Singh said that every community has both good and bad elements, but every common citizen and every innocent child longs for peace and a peaceful life.
During a heartfelt exchange with a woman who broke down in tears at Thawai (Kuki) village, the chief minister said, “I am a human being. My heart was truly touched. I also felt the same pain and anguish.”
“Therefore, there is no other option left other than dialogue for the restoration of peace,” he added. He said with a heavy heart that violence would gravely affect generations of children.
While conveying the message of living together in harmony, he said that despite the prevailing sorrow and regret, “we should think of the future generations and for this, elders like us should control our minds.”
The chief minister assured the villagers that he will look into resuming normal classes for the schools.
He urged all to live in harmony considering the future of the children.
During his maiden visit to Ukhrul, the chief minister also made a stop at Sharkaphung, a Tangkhul (Naga) village where he was accorded a warm welcome by the village chief, elders, women and other residents.
Singh interacted with the villagers and enquired about their well-being. While interacting with the village chief, he emphasized on initiating dialogue to end any conflict.
“Even World War II came to an end through continuous dialogue despite the atomic bombings,” he said and asked, “why we should not live in harmony this time through dialogue by forgetting the past nightmares.”
The local MLA should initiate the dialogue as these villagers are his people, he added.
Calling for a peace dialogue, the chief minister expressed that a dialogue must be initiated when everybody’s mind is calm and cool.
He also expressed apprehension about the unpredictability of children’s future if violence continues.
While responding to villagers’ complaints over the bad communication, the chief minister assured construction of a bridge at Sharkaphung village connecting other parts of the district.
He then directed the chief engineer of state PWD, who was also a part of the entourage, to look into the matter and to ensure taking up the works within the current year through various other sources.
Earlier on his way to Ukhrul district headquarters, Singh also made a stop at Shangkai village, Shokvao village and Ramva along the Imphal-Ukhrul road.
At Shangkai village, he interacted with the villagers during which women of the village raised concerns about the lack of potable water in the village and requested his intervention.
The chief minister assured them that he would take up the issue on priority and work toward a solution immediately after returning to Imphal.
The chief minister also stopped at Shokvao village where villagers presented him with a traditional shawl and expressed their happiness over his visit. They also shared their concerns regarding the development works undertaken by the government in the village.
At Ramva village, he was accorded a warm welcome from elders, women and school-going children. The villagers urged the chief minister to develop and upgrade the local roads. The chief minister assured them of inclusive development across the state.
On his way to Ukhrul district headquarters, the chief minister was greeted by officials of the NHIDCL led by its executive director MS Deol.
Deol briefed the chief minister on the progress of the Imphal–Ukhrul-Jessami road construction project undertaken by NHIDCL and apprised him of the challenges being faced on the ground. The CM assured that these challenges would be resolved after discussions with the chief secretary and other officials.
At Ukhrul district headquarters, the chief minister was accorded a rousing reception by the district administration, people of Ukhrul, civil society organizations (CSOs) and various village authorities at the mini secretariat.
He, along with deputy chief minister Losii Dilkho, tourism minister Khuraijam Loken Singh, several MLAs and chief secretary Dr PK Goel subsequently inspected the preparations for the upcoming Shirui Lily Festival 2026 at Shirui village.