Dec 31, 2024 10:47 PM IST
Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been split by ethnic clashes between Meitei community, which is in majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who are dominant in hill districts. The violence has claimed at least 260 lives and rendered about 50,000 people homeless.
Imphal Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh’s apology on Tuesday over the ethnic strife in the state evoked mixed reactions, with Meitei groups welcoming it as a “positive step” and Kuki outfits maintaining it “remains short of taking full responsibility” for the violence.
“I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise,” Biren Singh said while addressing a press conference in Imphal.
Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been split by ethnic clashes between Meitei community, which is in majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who are dominant in hill districts. The violence has claimed at least 260 lives and rendered about 50,000 people homeless.
“This is a positive step from the chief minister. Countless lives have been lost. The violence has been ongoing for the last 20 months. It is high time peace must return to the state,” Khuraijam Athouba, spokesperson of COCOMI, a joint body of Meitei civil society, said.
“As the head of the state, he is responsible for everything that happens, so maybe this is why he held the press conference and apologised… The state has been trying to contain the violence but some forces in the hills are not allowing this to happen,” the spokesperson added.
Ph Nando Luwang, head of the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), another Meitei group, said the CM’s apology should be seen as an “initiative towards peace”.
“While the state government has repeatedly appealed to the Kuki-Zo community for peace, such appeals have often been followed by instances of violence. The apology should be seen as an initiative towards peace but the government should enforce the rule of law if appeals are ignored.”
He added that central leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah should “issue similar apologies and take collective steps to restore peace in the state.”
Kuki bodies, however, demanded Singh should step down as the CM taking “full responsibility” for the violence.
“It’s about time Biren Singh apologised to the people of Manipur for all the violence and killings. He is unable to bring about law and order in the state and he should take full responsibility for all the violence. And for this he should step down from the CM chair. He should stop discriminating against the Kuki-Zo people if he really wants to bring about peace in Manipur,” Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Churachandpur-based umbrella group of tribal bodies, said.
“So much blood has been shed and the divide is too deep now for reconciliation. A political solution is the only solution, a separate administration is the only way out. The sooner the government gives us a political solution the sooner peace would prevail,” the ITLF spokesperson added.
Ng Lun Kipgen, spokesperson of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), another Kuki body, termed the CM’s apology “a means to absolve himself of the political mess he made and an appeal towards his own base constituents.”
“Biren Singh’s apology remains short of taking responsibility over the mass genocide against a particular minority community within the state he espoused to be the CM. Therefore, the Kuki-Zo community cannot adhere his sincerity over the apology he so blatantly made on the national media,” Kipgen added.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the CM took 19 months to apologise, adding it was not enough.
He also slammed PM Modi for not visiting Manipur. “Why can’t the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there?… The people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect.”
(With inputs from Delhi bureau)
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