Imphal | Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand on Friday said the trust deficit between communities remains the “root cause” of the state’s prolonged crisis and stressed the need to identify and take legal action against those seeking to undermine peace.

“There are people who don’t want peace. We have to identify them as soon as possible. As far as the law is concerned, we have to book them,” Khemchand said while speaking at a guest lecture on “Manipur Situation: Prevailing Trust Deficit and the Path Towards Trust Building” in Imphal.

The programme was organised by the Assam Rifles in collaboration with Manipur University and the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS).

Khemchand said rebuilding trust would require sustained interaction and dialogue among communities. Recalling his visits to Jiribam in February and March this year, he said representatives of three communities had met, sat together and shared a meal before returning home safely.

“There must be a starting point. People need to come forward and begin talking to one another. If we do not talk, we cannot understand each other’s pain or begin to close the trust gap,” he said. However, the Chief Minister said the fragile sense of normalcy was disrupted the following day when bomb blasts occurred at Tronglaobi, killing two students.

“Bomb blasts tore through the quiet – two students lost their lives, and the same terrible fear returned. My heart still aches remembering that moment,” he said. Khemchand said forces seeking to perpetuate violence within society must be identified and stopped, while asserting that people across communities want peace.

“Every community wants peace,” he said.

The Chief Minister also thanked state and central security forces for their role in protecting civilians during the prolonged conflict. He said around 270 people had lost their lives in the violence, while security forces had prevented further casualties.

“It is true that around 270 people lost their precious lives, and I am profoundly sorry for each one. At the same time, we must recognise that more than 7,000 Kuki lives were saved, and over 47,000 Meitei lives were protected,” he said.

Calling for a collective effort to restore normalcy, Khemchand said communities, civil society organisations, political leaders and security agencies all had a role to play in rebuilding confidence. “Each citizen shares the responsibility to restore peace by working to rebuild trust between communities. Only then can our state heal,” he said.

Khemchand also recalled his interactions with internally displaced persons (IDPs), saying families from different communities shared the same basic desire to return to their homes safely. During a visit to Litan, he recalled meeting Kuki IDPs who repeatedly asked when they would be able to return home.

According to the Chief Minister, the question reflected the pain and uncertainty faced by displaced families regardless of their community. He stressed that while vigilance and enforcement of law would remain necessary, the larger objective should be peace, reconciliation and a secure future for the younger generation.

Author Sudeep Chakravarti, whose works include The Eastern Gate, was the guest speaker at the programme. The lecture was organised under an existing memorandum of understanding between the Assam Rifles and MSFDS aimed at promoting dialogue and understanding on key regional issues.