Dialogue : First step towards normalcy :: Time for Delhi to act
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 05, 2024 -

Dialogue. This is obviously the first step towards resolving the current impasse and put Manipur on the track of normalcy.

And it is along this line that Chief Minister N Biren reportedly approached Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma to initiate a dialogue but this comes with a lot of extra baggages - questions which can be raised and already the World Meetei Council (WMC) has questioned the wisdom of approaching the Chief Minister of Mizoram.

A neutral person or more importantly a person seen to be neutral should be the ideal person to broker peace between the two warring communities is the loud but unsaid line of thought echoed by the WMC and there are reasons for this.

It is no secret that the people of Mizoram share filial ties with the Kuki-Zo people of Manipur and parts of Manipur were very much a part of Greater Mizoram, a proposal which was put up when the Mizo Accord of 1986 was signed between New Delhi and the Mizo National Front under the late Laldenga.

That this was shot down by New Delhi is history now, but to entertain the idea of letting a person not less than the Chief Minister of Mizoram to broker a dialogue between the two warring communities will certainly raise eye brows and this is exactly the reaction of the WMC to the proposal.

It may perhaps serve the interests of both the warring communities, if someone, who does not seem to have a stake in the stand off but is concerned, can be approached, such as the Chief Minister of Assam or say a prominent personality from Tripura.

How about approaching a prominent Naga personality, either from Manipur or Nagaland to reach out to either side ?

A thought that comes to mind, but it should be clear that initiatives taken up by voluntary organisations earlier have been silenced.

It was not so long back that some prominent Meitei personalities who took part in a peace initiative organised by the All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) at Guwahati had to come out with the necessary public clarifications, to explain their personal stand on the ongoing ethnic violence.

Similarly, the Hmar Inpui, Jiribam too was severely castigated by the Hmar Inpui, general headquarters for inking a peace pact with Meitei organisations just some days back.

A clear indication that efforts to take up any initiative to bring the two warring communities will meet with stiff resistance from either side and this is where the State Government will need to proceed cautiously and with proper understanding of the issue and the different pressure groups.

Ultimately New Delhi is best placed to initiate the dialogue process.

Let the Centre appoint the man or men of its choice, a person or persons who it deems to be acceptable to either side and whose credential should be above board.

The only question is whether New Delhi is ready or willing to take the initiative. One wished that Chief Minister N Biren is placed in a position wherein he can place the case of Manipur effectively before the Central leaders so that the first step wards normalcy can be taken.

The ‘state of war’ has already completed 14 months and has now stepped into the 15th month and if this does not warrant the attention of the Centre, then one wonders what will make Delhi wake up to the reality of the human tragedy that has been ongoing for nearly 15 months now.

15 months means one year and three months.

Imphal should admit that the Prime Minister referring to Manipur thrice, once during the Independence Day speech back in 2023 and twice in Parliament, had nothing of substance to take Manipur to the path of normalcy.

What were the points discussed during the meeting between the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister after the CM’s conclave just some days back ? Or were the questions raised by the Congress on why nothing was said from the side of the PMO and no photos of the meeting were released, of any substance ?

Only the Chief Minister and the PMO will have the right answer, but it should say something significant that even after more than 14 months of Manipur going up in flames, the question of whether the Chief Minister of Manipur did meet the Prime Minister or not, should figure so prominently.