‘Forgive and forget': Manipur CM after meeting tribal body

Manipur chief minister Y Khemchand Singh on Sunday urged different communities to move beyond the ethnic strife that has roiled the state and to rebuild trust, a day after holding the first meeting between the state government and the apex Kuki-Zo body since the conflict began three years ago.

- Thomas Ngangom

Singh thanked the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) for accepting the invitation for the talks, which were held in Guwahati, and described the meeting as the first step towards rebuilding trust among the warring groups.

“We held the talks with the objective of bringing peace. My appeal to alll is to restore peace and proceed with the concept of ‘forgive and forget’. My approach is bringing peace and building trust. There was no demand or commitment,” he said.

He added that the government hopes to invite the KZC for the next round of talks, if necessary, in Imphal. “Any step towards restoring peace in Manipur cannot be achieved ina single meeting. Itwill take time to regain trust among the warring communities, and the trust deficit between the two communities has been reducing, which is a positive step towards reconciliation,” he said.