Manipur CM Biren Singh denies Mizoram CM Lalduhoma's appointment as interlocutor

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stated on Monday that Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has not been appointed as an interlocutor for peace talks amidst the ethnic violence in Manipur. 

Addressing the Manipur assembly, Singh clarified that reports in some media outlets and on social media about Lalduhoma mediating in the Manipur ethnic crisis were inaccurate. 

He explained that during a casual interaction at a NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on July 27, he had simply requested Lalduhoma to visit Manipur. 

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This conversation was misinterpreted, leading to false reports. Singh emphasised that only the Prime Minister's Office or the Ministry of Home Affairs has the authority to appoint an interlocutor, and no such steps have been taken or discussed. 

Meanwhile, an official from the Mizoram Chief Minister’s Office mentioned that Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 1, urging him to engage in talks with Manipur's tribal leaders to address the ongoing ethnic crisis. 

The tribal leaders of Manipur, who share ethnic, cultural, and traditional similarities with the Mizos of Mizoram, have previously held discussions in Aizawl with both the current Chief Minister Lalduhoma and former Chief Minister Zoramthanga regarding the ethnic violence and the tribals' sufferings.