Imphal - A recent incident of gunfire in Manipur's Churachandpur district resulted in the death of one individual on Monday. Police authorities confirmed the fatality, identifying the victim as 22-year-old N Muansang, a village defense volunteer. Meanwhile, both the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities announced their decision to abstain from joining the peace committee established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Despite the ongoing violence, Chief Minister N Biren Singh appealed for calm, acknowledging the hardships faced by the people in the state. However, the Kuki-Zomi and Meitei groups expressed their lack of trust in the leadership and their unwillingness to participate in the peace committee's discussions.

The newly formed 'Core Committee on Separate Administration,' which comprises Kuki-Zomi community MLAs and tribal organizations such as the Kuki Inpi Manipur, the Zomi Council, and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, issued a directive rejecting participation in the peace committee. In a statement, they argued that discussing peace amidst persistent violence, exploitation, and oppression would be futile, and they criticized the inclusion of N Biren Singh, whom they hold responsible for the violence, as a member of the peace committee.

Similarly, the Kuki Inpi Manipur, whose president was appointed as a committee member, expressed a lack of hope and confidence in the peace committee due to the involvement of CM N Biren Singh. The COCOMI, an umbrella organization of Meitei civil society groups, also voiced its dissatisfaction with the committee's composition, citing the ongoing attacks by well-equipped "narco-terrorists" as a reason for not joining at the present time.

These developments occurred following a meeting between North East Democratic Alliance convener and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and leaders of two rebel groups, the Kuki National Organisation and the United People's Front, under the Suspension of Operations agreement. While the meeting was described as positive, KNO spokesperson Seilen Haokip noted a lack of coordination between the talks and the ground reality, as incidents of violence continued despite agreements reached.