Meitei MLA visits Kuki relief camp in Manipur, calls for peace ahead of Christmas

In what is being seen as a rare gesture since the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur in 2023, a Meitei MLA visited a Kuki relief camp in Imphal West on December 8 and interacted with the inmates, appealing for peace and coexistence.

BJP legislator Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who represents the Singjamei constituency, reached the relief camp at Litan Sareikhong and met several displaced Kuki families currently living there after being uprooted during last year’s clashes.

“With Christmas approaching, we should all strive for the return of peace in the state,” Singh told the camp inmates. “There are conflicts almost everywhere in the world. But we have to learn to live with differences. There should not be any hindrance in visiting each other’s villages.”

The MLA stressed that the prolonged conflict should not affect the future of children. “Yes, we are divided—those from the Hills and those from the Valley—but we must think about our children’s future,” he said.

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The visit comes amid continuing displacement across the state, with over 260 people killed and thousands still sheltering in relief camps since violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023.

BJP state vice-president H Shirmay, who belongs to the Naga community and visited alongside the MLA, said the initiative was part of a larger attempt to restore peace and “bring back the previous love that existed between communities.”

“We have been talking many times on how to work together. He (Khemchand Singh) said peace has to be a top priority,” Shirmay said.

Residents in the camp expressed their longing to return to their original homes. A senior inmate urged the government to take concrete steps to ensure safe rehabilitation.

The state has been under President’s Rule since February after Chief Minister N Biren Singh stepped aside, facing criticism over his handling of the crisis.

The MLA’s visit has generated cautious optimism among sections of both communities, though sustained political engagement and rehabilitation efforts will be key to any long-term peace process.