Manipur Leader Pushes Dialogue for Ethnic Harmony and Trust

Amid Manipur's simmering ethnic conflicts, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh made a compelling case for dialogue as the cornerstone of rebuilding trust on Thursday. 'Look at Jiribam – communities once at odds are now living in peace through conversation,' he noted during visits to affected areas. Singh's proactive diplomacy took him to Kangchup Chingkhong, where he listened to displaced persons' concerns and vowed secure repatriation with enhanced protection. Plans for permanent security outposts were highlighted as a key safeguard. Financial support for reconstructing razed homes is set to increase, with special attention to ethnic violence victims' complaints. Earlier, at Imphal College, he handed out aid to 754 displaced students, part of a broader rehabilitation drive. Compassion extended to hospital bedsides: Singh consoled Tangkhul Nagas hurt in an Ukhrul ambush and Chiru Nagas from a Noney attack, assuring the state would foot all treatment bills. Infrastructure investments signal long-term peace-building – Rs 1.2 crore for road upgrades between villages and Rs 1.94 crore for water projects. As Manipur navigates its divides, the CM's message is clear: dialogue, not division, paves the way forward.