20 Manipur MLAs Including 6 Kuki Zo MLAs Attend Crucial Manipur Peace. Here Is What Happened in the Meet

Today’s meeting attended by 20 Manipur MLAs in New Delhi was nothing short of a breakthrough. The two-hour long meeting initiated by the Union Home Ministry today brought around 10 Meitei legislators and 6 Kuki-Zo legislators face to face for the first time in 16 months or for that matter for the first time since the blistering ethnic feud broke out on May 3 last year.

There were about 4 Naga MLAs too in the meeting in the national capital’s Khan Market area in South Delhi.

Apart from senior MHA officials present, the meeting was attended by Dr Sambit Patra, BJP Lok Sabha MP and the party’s coordinator for the Northeast. This indicates that the meeting has the full sanction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sources privy to the meeting said it was held in a very cordial atmosphere and that everyone extended pleasantries.

Just before going in to the meeting venue, a senior Kuki legislator had told Northeast Live that they would place their demand for a separate administration. But whether or not the Kuki MLAs placed this demand in front of all those present is not immediately known. The Kuki MLAs were under sort of pressure from groups including the Settlement of Order (SoO) groups to raise the demand for a separate administration during the meeting.

MHA is likely to hold more meetings with MLAs and the MHA is also understood to be considering a proposal to hold meetings with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from Manipur.

One will have to wait and watch whether today’s meeting brings positive tidings in Manipur in the days ahead.

Also read: Centre working silently on trying to resolve the 16 month long ethnic riots in Manipur?

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