Kuki MLAs, civil society groups decide against dialogue with Manipur’s Biren Singh Government

At least eight tribal MLAs from Manipur and various civil society organisations decided not to engage in any dialogue with the N. Biren Singh’s Government.

At least eight tribal MLAs from Manipur and various civil society organisations decided not to engage in any dialogue with the N. Biren Singh’s Government running the northeastern State which was recently rocked by ethnic violence, according to a statement issued by them.

Several civil society entities belonging to Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar ethnic groups in Manipur and the tribal legislators from there, including BJP MLAs, held a meeting in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl on May 17 to discuss the tension in the neighbouring State.

"The meeting resolved [the community would] stand unitedly to face the present crisis and not to engage in any dialogue or talk with the present Manipur government," the statement said.

During the meeting, it was decided to hold consultations on a wider scale so as to arrive at a common political agenda with other groups, it said.

A separate administration in the form of a Union Territory for the Kuki-dominated districts or other political safeguard was widely deliberated during the meeting, a leader of a tribal group, who participated in the discussion, told PTI.

Ten Kuki MLAs, including seven from the BJP, had on May 12 urged the Centre to create a separate administration for the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar community in the wake of the violent clashes between the majority Meiteis and the tribals in Manipur.

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