Manipur has been gripped by a serious conflict over the last 24 months. In a significant move toward resolving the ethnic conflict that has gripped Manipur since May 2023, the central government convened a meeting on Saturday with representatives of the Meitei and Kuki communities.

Held in New Delhi, the talks aimed to bridge trust, foster cooperation, and chart a roadmap to restore peace in the violence-scarred state, where around 260 lives have been lost and thousands displaced.

The meeting, facilitated by interlocutors including retired Intelligence Bureau special director A.K. Mishra, saw a six-member Meitei delegation from groups like the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) and a nine-member Kuki contingent.

Sources say the discussions zeroed in on maintaining law and order while pushing for reconciliation between the Imphal valley-based Meiteis and the hill-dwelling Kukis. This joint session follows separate engagements with both communities, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah revealed during a Lok Sabha debate on Thursday, where he announced plans for such a unified dialogue.

Shah, addressing the House, reiterated the government’s resolve to end the violence that erupted after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ protesting a court order on Meitei ST status. While noting no deaths in the past four months—a sign of partial control—he stressed that peace remains elusive with displaced people still in relief camps.

President’s rule, imposed on February 13 after CM N. Biren Singh’s resignation, has put the state assembly in suspended animation, with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a Shah confidant, spearheading peace efforts. Saturday’s talks mark a critical step toward healing Manipur’s wounds.