Meitei, Kuki groups in first joint peace talks

Representatives of Manipur’s warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities held their first joint meeting in nearly two years on Saturday, engaging in peace talks mediated by the central government.

The five-hour meeting, chaired by ministry of home affairs’s (MHA) advisor for the northeast AK Mishra in the national capital, aimed to find a resolution to the ethnic conflict that has plagued the state since May 2023.

The talks, which also involved Intelligence Bureau officials, the Manipur chief secretary, and a senior state police officer, marked a crucial step towards reconciliation between the groups.

The conflict, rooted in long-standing issues of land rights, political representation, and cultural identity, has claimed nearly 250 lives and displaced thousands over the past 23 months.

According to officials familiar with the meeting, the MHA put forward six key points as a resolution, taking into account the views and concerns of both communities. These points included appealing to people to refrain from attacking the other community, welcoming government steps to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons, addressing long-term and contentious issues through consultation with the communities, prioritising development activities in neglected areas, and urging cooperation to normalise traffic on national and state highways.

While the Meitei representatives reportedly gave their consent to the resolution, the Kuki-Zo groups did not sign the six-point plan. Notwithstanding the lack of consensus on the resolution, officials emphasised that the meeting itself was a significant step forward, as it marked the first time the two groups had agreed to sit together and discuss peace since the violence erupted.

“The fact that both groups agreed to sit together in the same room for the meeting and jointly talk about peace after 23 months is a big development,” a senior official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The dialogue process has started. Such meetings will be held.” a second official added.

The meeting brought together eight Kuki-Zo representatives from tribal bodies such as the Kuki-Zo Council, Hmar Inpi, Zomi Council, and the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), and six Meitei representatives from the Federation of Civil Society Organisations and the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation.

The joint talks come after several failed attempts by the government to bring the two groups together. In October 2024, an MHA-convened meeting of Meitei and Kuki-Zo MLAs in New Delhi saw the Kuki-Zo legislators refuse to sit for a discussion with their Meitei counterparts, forcing officials to hold separate meetings in the same building.

Manipur has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023, when clashes between the dominant Meitei community, primarily residing in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki tribes, inhabiting the surrounding hills, escalated. The unrest led to the imposition of President’s Rule in the state on March 14, 2025, following the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh.

Recent efforts by the central government to restore normalcy, including a directive for unrestricted movement along Manipur’s highways from March 8, have been met with resistance from Kuki groups. The killing of a Kuki protestor during demonstrations against the free movement order on March 10 triggered an indefinite shutdown in Kuki-dominated areas, further heightening tensions.

Representatives of both Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups present at the meeting declined to comment, with a Kuki-Zo council leader based in Manipur stating that they would address the press only after informing their people about the developments in the talks.