Manipur: For the first time since ethnic violence engulfed Manipur in May 2023, a Meitei MLA and former Rural Development minister, Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Monday travelled to two Kuki villages in hill districts in a confidence building measure and to break the ice.
Traveling to Litan, a Kuki hamlet in Ukhrul district, bordering Myanmar, the BJP leader interacted with Kuki villagers and inquired about their life and hardship faced in the past two and half years.
Manipur has been rocked by Meitei-Kuki ethnic conflict with the violence claiming over 250 innocent lives and rendered thousands homeless. Over one lakh internally displaced people are still languishing in various relief camps across the state.
He visited a Kuki relief camp at Litan Sareikhong Baptist Church and interacted with Kuki inmates who fled their homes during the violence. “With the coming of Christmas, we all should pray for the return of peace in the state,” Yumnam said.
Yumnam, a sportsman-turned-politician and the founder of Assam Taekwando Association in the neighbouring state, had also earlier served as the Speaker of Manipur assembly.
He consoled the villagers and told them that the return of peace should be the primary target of all communities residing in the state.
Yumnam reminded the 173 Kuki inmates at the relief camp that conflict exist in every parts of the world, but it should not be allowed to hinder progress and development of the state.
“There are conflicts among different countries, there are conflicts among different communities, across the world. But, we should learn to live in harmony despite the existing differences. There should not be any hindrance in visiting each other’s villages,” Yumnam added.
He said, “We should not allow this conflict affect the future of our children. We, the elders, may have differences, but we should think about our children’s future.”
As a rural development minister, Yumnam brought a package for construction of 7000 houses from the centre for the internally displaced persons. He had also earlier organised a relief camp for internally displaced persons of Meitei community at Manipur College in Imphal for over seven months. He helped the inmates to return back to their houses in Serou and Sugunu villages.
Hopingson Shimray, state BJP vice president and prominent Tangkhul Naga leader who accompanied Yumnam during the journey said that it was a remarkable gesture by Yumnam to travel to Kuki villages in hills when everyone today are reluctant to venture to another community’s area. He said that Yumnam is the first BJP Meitei MLA to step into a Kuki relief camp.
Another Tangkhul Naga leader, Mark Luithing, former ADC chairman, said that Yumnam is the first leader to start people to people contact after May 2023 violence. He said Yumnam also visited Chassad Kuki village in Kamjong district, also bordering Myanmar.
