Imphal East (Manipur) [India], May 3 (ANI): As Manipur completes two years of ongoing unrest, the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FCSO) on Saturday hosted a peace event, calling for reconciliation and unity among the state’s diverse communities.
The event was organised at Yumnam Khunou Community Hall, Imphal East, under the theme ‘Bridging Divides for a Shared Future.’
Speaking at the event, Dr Abdul Hakim Saha, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Dhanamanjuri University, made an emotional appeal for peace and cooperation.
“We love peace. I appeal to all the communities of Manipur that we have to love each other and have peace among each other,” he told ANI.
He emphasised the need to uphold the rule of law and urged both the state and central government to intensify efforts for peace-building and urged people to forgive past grievances and look ahead.
“The government of India and Manipur are peacemakers, and we have to cooperate with the laws of the land. We have to work for development and peace. We have to work for development and peace. Peace is always welcomed by all the communities in our state. Let us forgive each other for what happened. We have to think about reuniting ourselves. We also request the government to work for bringing peace. We want to unite all Manipuris.”
Haopu Kom, President, Kom Tribe Organisation – Valley (KTO-V), also spoke to ANI and said, “Unity is very important for us. Until and unless we are united, we will face dangers. We need to unite to safeguard our land. Some people have sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Only understanding between us will bring solutions.”
“There are 26 indigenous tribes living in Manipur. If there is unity, it will be easy to establish peace here. After peace is established, development will also take place here…If the Central government is interested, peace will be established here…If peace and unity come, every problem will be solved easily,” he said.
The event, attended by civil society members, scholars, and community leaders, comes as Manipur continues to grapple with ethnic tensions and violence that erupted two years ago.
Many shops and markets in Imphal remained closed, and security forces were seen vigilant as the state marked two years of the ongoing ethnic crisis in the state.
Similarly, normal life came to a standstill in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Saturday as the Joint Student Body (JSB) called for a total shutdown.
Shops, markets, and educational institutions remained closed, and the roads appeared deserted during the bandh.
On the other hand, a press note from Manipur police on Friday said that the situation in the state had been tense but under control in the last 24 hours.
Search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During the operation, several arms were recovered, and an illegal arms smuggler was also detained, as mentioned in the press note.
Apart from this, the movement of 346 and 158 vehicles carrying essential items along NH-2 and NH-37, respectively, has been ensured. Strict security measures are taken in all vulnerable locations, and a security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches to ensure the free and safe movement of the vehicles, added the press note.
The ethnic conflict, which began in May 2023, resulted in dozens of deaths and the displacement of thousands of people, deepening communal fault lines in the northeastern state.
Later, following the prolonged conflict in the state, the President’s rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025. This action followed the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. (ANI)
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