Is Centre’s Manipur Peace Committee a non-starter? Prominent theatre personality Ratan Thiyam too pulls out

It seems that the Centre’s 51-member Manipur Peace Committee set up as one of its key initiatives to restore peace in Manipur has flopped even before it started.

After the three leading civil society organisations – COCOMI, Kuki Inpi and ITLF representing the hills and the valley (meaning the opposition to the Peace panel is from all communities), opposed the panel and pulled out of it, renowned playwright and eminent theatre director from Manipur, Ratan Thiyam has criticised the Centre for its inaction and pulled out of the 51-member Peace Committee constituted by the Home Ministry. He said that the ball lies in the Centre’s court and there is nothing that a Peace Committee can do unless the Centre intervenes.

Speaking exclusively to Northeast Live, Thiyam said that he decided to pull out of the Peace Committee because he feels the Committee can do nothing at this point. It is the Centre and Centre alone who should intervene and do what needs to be done to stop the violence in the state.

“So much violence is going on, not a single word from the Prime Minister. What we need is political will, political power and intervention from the Centre. What will a Peace Committee do? So many people are dying. Situation is alarming. I have never seen a situation like this before. Does not matter if the Hon’ble Home Minister stayed in the state. What we need is a package of human peace. We need the Centre’s intervention to stop the violence. Government knows best what needs to be done”, Thiyam who also led a rally demanding peace in his state said.

The leading personality of Manipur further raised apprehensions about the assurances given by Chief Minister N Biren Singh. “What is the guarantee that the 4,000 houses that the CM said would be built, won’t be burnt down again?” Thyiam asked.

The Centre’s Peace Committee headed by Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and has CM Biren Singh as a member, has faced stiff opposition as soon as it was announced on June 11.

The Kuki Inpi opposed the inclusion of its President as a member of the 51-member Peace Committee without “prior and proper consultation and information”. “Any call for peace or therefore any effort to ensure lasting peace needs to be focussed on the right approach with the proactive involvement of all stakeholders on a proper table. Any blatant bull-dozing and authoritative and arbitrary direction such as this one can only hamper the Peace Process,” the organisation had said.

COCOMI, an apex body of valley based civil society organisations, decided to pull out of the peace committee. COCOMI coordinator Jeetendra Ningomba who was appointed as a member of the peace committee, stepped down on grounds that the government of India has not taken any visible action against alleged narco-terrorists and illegal immigrants.

Another Kuki CSO, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), has also expressed its displeasure at having CM N Biren Singh as a member of the committee as well as COCOMI, a Meitei organisation.

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