High-Stakes Negotiations in Manipur: Ministry of Home Affairs Grapples with Meitei Social Organization as Proposed Public Meeting Looms
CONFLICT
Imphal: The delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), led by former Intelligence Bureau Special Director AK Mishra, that arrived on Monday engaged in a second round of negotiation with the Meitei social organization, Arambai Tenggol (AT) to dissuade them from going ahead with their proposed meeting with the Meitei legislators of the state on Wednesday 24 January at Kangla.
The AT is reportedly proceeding with its planned public meeting at Kangla Fort on Wednesday, insisting that Meitei Legislators attend or risk being labeled as enemies of the community.
The MHA team, comprised AK Mishra, the interlocutor of the Naga peace talks and the Suspension of Operation pact with the Kuki groups and SIB Joint Directors Mandeep Singh Tuli and Rajesh Kumble, arrived in Imphal on a chartered Indian Air Force flight from Delhi on Monday and immediately had the first round of meeting with AT.
While the details of the inconclusive meetings remain undisclosed, AT’s leader, Korounganba Khuman, shared demands raised with the MHA team on his Facebook.
The demands, supportably aimed to address the violence in the state include implementing NRC with 1951 as the base year, revoking the Suspension of Operation agreement with Kuki militants, relocating all Myanmarese refugees to Mizoram, implementing border fencing, replacing Assam Rifles with other Central forces, and delisting Kukis from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
Sources suggest that the team’s presence is in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive to assess the situation in Manipur, prompted by recent violent incidents in Moreh as well as AT’s proposed meeting with the Meitei legislators on 24 January.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of unrest, the state government has implemented preventive security measures, tightening security around Kangla Fort, and declaring curfew in all valley districts of Manipur.