Sources said the meeting emphasised the need to maintain law and order and defuse simmering tensions between the communities. Discussions also centred around restoring trust and stability in the violence-hit region.
A six-member Meitei delegation comprising representatives from the All-Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) participated in the talks. The Kuki side was represented by a seven-member delegation. The Centre was represented by its mediators, including A.K. Mishra, a retired Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau.
However, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei civil society body, rejected the talks, calling them a “facade of peace talks” staged by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). COCOMI accused the Centre of projecting a misleading narrative by portraying the crisis as a mere ethnic conflict, ignoring its deeper political and structural dimensions. It described the talks as a “stage-managed spectacle” and declined to participate.
Ten Kuki-Zo tribal MLAs – including seven from the ruling BJP – and leading tribal organisations have consistently demanded a separate administration or Union Territory status for the Kuki-Zo tribals.
Tensions in the state remain high. On March 8, violence erupted in Kangpokpi and other districts as Kuki-Zo tribal groups protested the resumption of bus services between Imphal and the hill districts.
