Meiteis, Kukis must talk heart to heart: Rajnath

November 01, 2023 15:50

Rajnath Singh in Tipa, Mizoram

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday made a fervent appeal to the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to sit together and have a heart-to-heart conversation to end the trust deficit between the two sides.

In an address at an election rally in this southern-most part of Mizoram bordering Myanmar, Singh said violence is no solution to any problem and the two communities in Manipur must talk to each other to improve the situation in the troubled state.

"The Northeast has been peaceful in the last nine years. However, we have witnessed violence in Manipur and it is painful for us," Singh said.

"Violence is no solution to any problem. What we need is heart-to-heart conversation. I appeal to both the communities to sit together and end trust deficit," Singh added.

Manipur had been witnessing large-scale violence in the last few months because of hostilities between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

More than 180 people have lost their lives since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

The senior BJP leader said, "I want to categorically say that it (violence) did not take place because of any political party. It happened because of certain situations."

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