IMPHAL | Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday called for greater unity and reconciliation among the state’s communities, saying peace remains the foundation for Manipur’s development, as he welcomed the safe release of 14 Kuki youths who were recently held captive.

During a visit to Kangpokpi district, the chief minister met the released youths and interacted with residents of Taphou Kuki village. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the shared identity of the state’s diverse communities and urged people to look beyond ethnic divisions.

“Whether it is Kuki, Naga, Meitei or any other community, we are all citizens of India. Secondly, we are all Manipuri,” Khemchand said, adding that people from different communities should work together for a peaceful and prosperous Manipur.

The chief minister also referred to his recent meeting with representatives of the United Naga Council (UNC) in Senapati district and expressed gratitude for the organisation’s role in facilitating the safe release of the youths through dialogue and peace initiatives.

He noted that the youths had returned unharmed and described their safe return as a positive step towards restoring trust and normalcy in the state.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to peace, Khemchand said it was the responsibility of the administration to create conditions in which all communities could coexist harmoniously. He stressed that development and progress would remain difficult to achieve in the absence of lasting peace.

At Kangpokpi headquarters, the chief minister also met church leaders and appealed to them to play an active role in strengthening peace-building efforts. Calling for reconciliation, he urged people to move beyond past grievances and work together in the interests of future generations.

He further said that he had been encouraging Meitei youths to reject violence and hoped that leaders of other communities would make similar efforts to promote harmony and mutual understanding.

The church leaders later submitted a memorandum outlining issues and concerns faced by local communities.

Later in the day, Khemchand visited Namdilong in Imphal West district, where he met women from the Liangmei Naga community and listened to their grievances.

The visit comes amid ongoing efforts by the state government and civil society groups to rebuild trust and foster dialogue among communities following more than three years of ethnic tensions and unrest in Manipur.

 Efforts by the Manipur government to persuade the United Naga Council (UNC) to withdraw its indefinite economic blockade along National Highway-2 failed on Wednesday, with talks between Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand and the apex Naga body ending without a breakthrough.

The meeting, held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Complex in Senapati district, lasted for about an hour and focused on the ongoing blockade and the killing of six Liangmai Naga men, an incident that has sparked widespread protests across Naga-inhabited areas of the state.

Government representatives urged the UNC to lift the blockade in view of its impact on the movement of essential commodities and public convenience. However, the council maintained that the agitation would continue until its key demands are addressed.

The UNC has also refused to claim the bodies of the six victims, which remain at the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal, insisting that justice must be delivered before any further steps are taken.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, UNC president Ng Lorho described the discussions as “fruitful and meaningful” but said no agreement had been reached. He indicated that the organisation could intensify its agitation if the government fails to act on its demands.

The council’s four-point charter includes the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, the arrest of all those allegedly involved in the abduction and killing of the six Naga civilians, including the chief of Leilon Vaiphei village, the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen from office, and the declaration of the Kuki National Front-President Group (KNF-P) as a terrorist organisation.

The crisis stems from the abduction of six Liangmai Naga men from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district on May 13. Their bodies were recovered nearly a month later on June 10, triggering public outrage and protests in several Naga-majority districts.

The indefinite blockade on NH-2, one of Manipur’s principal supply routes linking the state with neighbouring regions, has raised concerns over the movement of goods and essential supplies.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Independent MLA J. Kumo Sha, BJP MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh and NPP MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan as part of the government’s efforts to find a resolution to the impasse.