Even as the violence between the Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo community prevails for over six months now in Manipur, and fear and anxiety continue to grip among the people. Since both the warring communities are facing difficulties to come together to a dialogue table at this moment towards making a sort of a “joint declaration” to halt violence, the United Naga Council (UNC) Peace Committee feels that, somehow someone, either Meitei community or Kuki-Zo community, must show magnanimity by unilaterally declaring to halt violence.
In this regard, the Naga peace committee “fervently appeals” to both the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities that one must be brave enough to be magnanimous and unilaterally declare “ceasefire”.
Informing this to Newmai News Network in Imphal, the Naga peace committee members said that such unilateral declaration for “ceasefire” is actually an act of bravery and magnanimity, and not otherwise. “If one community unilaterally declares ‘ceasefire’, the other will follow suit,” the UNC Peace Committee expressed hope. “The act of the one who first declares ‘ceasefire’ will be considered as a historic move and be remembered for generations to come”, the Naga peace committee added.
The United Naga Council (UNC) Peace Committee members also said they had met leaders of the Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo community separately. Specifics which transpired in the meetings were not disclosed. However, the Naga peace committee has been persuading both the warring communities for peace to prevail.
Earlier in September, the Naga peace committee had urged both the state government and the central government to “tirelessly work without fear and favour to ensure the rule of law”. The UNC Peace Committee had also urged both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities through various media platforms to refrain from further engaging in “hostile acts and to hold an immediate ceasefire from intermittent firing”.
The UNC Peace Committee said it “strongly believes” that, to any conflict, there should be a solution anywhere and everywhere.