India

Manipur Chief Minister Urges National Unity, Criticizes Community‑Focused Governance

By PTI

At a National Unity Day event in Imphal on Saturday, Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh said that community‑centric ideas cannot create a peaceful atmosphere or economic progress in the state. He urged the strengthening of unity across the country, citing the Union government’s observance of October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who integrated more than 560 princely states into India after independence. Singh praised Patel’s efforts to strengthen national unity and the nation’s integrity. He added that a state cannot be governed by prioritising the interest of only one community.

The remarks come amid an ethnic conflict in Manipur that began in May 2023 between the valley‑based Meitei and hill‑based Kuki communities, which has claimed at least 306 lives and left many missing. Clashes between Kukis and Nagas have also resulted in about 50 deaths since February. On Saturday, a coalition of Meitei groups staged a large rally in Imphal demanding protection for indigenous people and the termination of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with militant groups, a demand supported by several Naga organisations. Naga civil bodies marched in Chandel and Senapati districts in support of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity in Imphal. The rallies followed an ambush by militants that killed three of 14 Meitei men, prompting protests across the state.