Talked with KZC to build trust: Y Khemchand

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 22: Chief Minister Y Khemchand has stated that he talked with the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) to build trust among different communities and restore peace in the State, and it was a ‘good beginning’.
After returning from Guwahati where he held a meeting with KZC members on March 21, the Chief Minister today inspected the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Khuman Lampak.
Replying to a flurry of questions raised by media persons at the ISBT, Khemchand stated that the most fundamental prerequisite for rehabilitation of IDPs at ‘proper places’ is building trust between the two communities.
As such the first and foremost duty of the Government is bridging the trust deficit between the communities, resettlement of IDPs and restoration of peace in the State, the Chief Minister asserted.
All IDPs want to resettle at their original places but it is not feasible for all IDPs to be protected by security forces all the time, he said, citing the case of Moreh.
It is paramount to bridge the trust deficit and create a sense of security among all the communities, he said.
It is essential to restore mutual trust between the communities. Until and unless there is mutual trust, people who fled from the valley to the hills and vice versa feel insecure to go back to their original places, he said.
Saying that he talked with the KZC leaders to bridge the trust deficit and create a healthy relationship between the hill people and plain people, Khemchand elaborated that the meeting was held at Guwahati after KZC leaders conveyed their reluctance to come to Imphal under the prevailing situation.
Since the violent crisis erupted on May 3, 2023, it was the first time the State Government and the KZC held a meeting. The fact that the KZC accepted the Government’s invitation for the meeting was a good beginning, he said.
Pointing out that the State Government issued a statement on December 18, 2024  whereby it was declared that there was no organisation called Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) nor was it recognised by the Government, and the Government has not yet issued any new statement withdrawing the earlier statement, media persons asked how Khemchand held a formal meeting with KZC leaders.
The Chief Minister only replied that his meeting with KZC leaders was driven by an intention to restore mutual trust and foster peace in the State.
The Government has been talking with CSOs of both the hills and the valley including COCOMI. The crisis is now almost three years old and it’s not the time for confrontation, the Chief Minister asserted.
If there must be genuine peace in Manipur, everyone must shed all ill will, forget the past and let bygones be bygones, he said.
Emphasising the importance of first creating mutual trust, Khemchand asked whether any IDP from Moreh can go back and resettle there.
At the moment, Kukis feel insecure to come to Imphal and Meiteis don’t feel safe to go to hills. This feeling of insecurity stems from the absence of trust between the two countries. The meeting held at Guwahati with KZC was aimed at bridging this trust deficit, Khemchand said.
On being asked whether the KZC raised any demands during the meeting at Guwahati and what was the Chief Minister’s response, Khemchand maintained that the KZC leaders did not raise any specific demand.
“Nonetheless, they did raise certain points but I did not give any commitment”, he said.  
Khemchand said that the meeting focused on paving way for restoration of peace, bridging trust deficit and resettlement of IDPs.
On being asked about a press release issued by KZC today which asked for a political solution and protection of the buffer zones, Khemchand recalled that the Prime Minister assured on the floor of the Parliament that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected.
“When the Prime Minister of India has assured to keep the territorial integrity of Manipur intact, I, as the State’s Chief Minister, need not make any further comment”, he said.
As stated earlier, there is no such thing as ‘buffer zone’ within the territory of Manipur. It is harmless if some other terms like ‘sensitive zone’ are used, said the Chief Minister.
“Perhaps they (KZC) were  using the term buffer zone from their perspective”, he said.
Till date, there is a trust deficit between the hill people and plain people. The Government has been working to bridge this trust deficit. As the trust deficit has not been fully bridged yet, security forces have been loosely monitoring movement between the two sides, he continued.
On being asked about the closure of Imphal-Ukhrul road and the escalating tension between Kukis and Tangkhuls in the Litan area, the Chief Minister claimed that the Imphal-Ukhrul road is now fully open.
Following concerted efforts with MLAs/Ministers of both Naga and Kuki communities, there has been no untoward incident in the aftermath of the killing of two persons and abduction of 31 people on Imphal-Ukhrul road, Khemchand claimed.
Noting that some armed groups have been operating in the hill areas, the Chief Minister stated that the Government has initiated strong security measures to check unlawful activities of these armed groups.
Informing that security operations are being planned at those places from where exchange of firing were reported, Khemchand maintained that the matter is a very sensitive one and he would not like to talk much on the matter.
To another query regarding when all communities will be able to move freely on National Highways, the Chief Minister claimed that the National Highways are now open and people have been travelling on the highways.
“No one is checking vehicles or passengers on the National Highways. Some of my friends have been travelling to Dimapur on the National Highway”, he said.
But the number of people travelling on the highway is still small and this is because of the trust deficit between the two communities, he added.
On being asked about COCOMI’s words of remonstration against the meeting held with KZC at Guwahati, Khemchand asserted that the Government of Manipur is not under COCOMI.
To another query if there was any harm for the Chief Minister to go to Churachandpur and talk with KZC leaders instead of going to Guwahati, Khemchand said that he has been working to that effect.
Reminding that he went to Jiribam and talked with leaders of both Meitei and Hmar communities, Khemchand said that he has been trying to talk with both Paite and Kuki people.
It will be hard to heal the hurt sentiments of the two communities in a short time. Nonetheless, the Government has been working step by step to make the communities give up ill will against each other, the Chief Minister said.
He said that Manipur belongs to 36 communities and all the communities need to have a conviction that they are all Manipur and must stand together for the integrity of the State.
The ISBT which remained defunct for a long time was recommissioned after it was re-constructed under Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla during the President’s Rule, the Chief Minister said.
He said that he was inspecting the bus terminus along with PWD engineers to assess the requirements needed for its development  with modern facilities.  
A well-equipped ISBT with modern facilities will help in bringing inclusive growth and sustainable development in the State, Khemchand said.
He highlighted the need to develop the ISBT’s drainage system.
During his inspection of the ISBT, the Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Thangjam Arunkumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Anurag Bajpai,  Transport Director Khumanthem Diana and PWD Chief Engineer Ch Bishwachandra.