In a first, Meitei MLA visits Kuki villages, interacts with IDPs

A sitting BJP MLA from the Meitei community, on Monday, took a significant step toward reconciling members of two conflict-scarred communities in Manipur.
Since the unfolding of the violent crisis in May 2023, claiming more than 260 lives, the Meitei and Kuki have not ventured into each other’s territories. It would be perhaps the first instance of a political leader from either community in conflict to break the ice since ethnic violence broke out.
MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh, former Speaker and minister in the N Biren Singh led BJP’s coalition government, today ventured to Kuki villages besides visiting a relief camp in Kamjong district where internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the same tribe were taking shelter since the unfolding of the ongoing crisis.
Singh visited Kuki villages in Litan area of Ukhrul district followed by interaction with the IDPs sheltered at a relief camp at Litan Sareikhong, a Tangkhul village in Kamjong district.
Singh was accompanied by Hopingson A Shimray, BJP candidate from Phungyar assembly constituency in the last assembly election, Mark Luithing, former caretaker chairman of the Ukhrul Autonomous District Council (ADC), and BJP workers and leaders from Ukhrul and Phungyar constituencies.
Along with his entourages, the MLA interacted with members of the Kuki community at Litan and visited the IDP Relief Camp at Litan Sareikhong.
During the interactions, the MLA expressed his worries while asserting that the state’s progress has been severely hit by the ongoing conflict and restrictions on movement.
While not only hampering many developmental activities, the growth of our future has been affected,” he reportedly said.
He also expressed his concern for the younger generation, saying “Why should we not think about the younger generation?”
He then said that with Christmas approaching, all should pray for the return of peace in the state.
He also called to forgive and forget one another and strive to bring peace and equal development to the state. The MLA further extended his gratitude to the members of the Tangkhul community for their efforts in trying to bridge the gap between the various communities in Manipur during the challenging time.
On the way to the relief camp, the MLA and his entourages also interacted with women vendors and shared tea at a tea stall run by a Kuki family at Litan.
At the relief camp where 505 IDPs from different Kuki villages were taking shelter, the MLA interacted with the inmates and heard their plights while languishing in the relief camp for such a long time. IDP Nehpu Khongsai of S Bongjang village expressed his gratitude to the MLA for visiting the camp and providing financial assistance as a Christmas gift.
Stating that he along with his family has been languishing in the relief camp for almost three years, he appealed to the government to speed up the efforts to resolve the crisis.
“We are weary and long for normalcy to return so that we can go back home at the earliest,” he reportedly cried.
The MLA asserted that the return of peace should be the primary focus of all communities, while adding that any form of conflict should not be allowed to hinder a region’s progress and development.
He reportedly asserted that conflict exists in every part of the world, but “no conflict should prevent us from visiting each other’s villages”.
The MLA urged the elders to take the role of mediators to sort out the differences saying that “we should not allow this conflict to affect the future of our children”.
BJP Manipur Pradesh vice president and a leader from the Naga, Hopingson Shimray, appreciated the MLA for mustering the courage to visit Kuki villages and step into a Kuki relief camp.
He said that the MLA’s visit was at a time “when everyone today is reluctant to venture into another community’s area”.
The ethnic violence displaced more than 62,000 people, both Meiteis and Kuki-Zos. Despite the ongoing rehabilitation programme, more than 55,000 people continue to live in relief camps.