The chief minister of Manipur, a northeastern state in India, issued an apology on Tuesday for months of ethnic violence that have claimed at least 250 lives and drawn criticism toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal administration. The unrest, which erupted in May 2023, has displaced 60,000 residents and deepened divisions between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki population in the state of 3.2 million people. Many individuals from both groups have abandoned ethnically mixed areas despite ongoing peace efforts.

The violence was triggered by a court directive for the state government to consider extending the special economic privileges and reservations in jobs and education, currently available to the Kuki people, to the Meitei community as well.

"This has been an incredibly unfortunate year," Chief Minister Biren Singh said during a press briefing in Imphal, the state capital. "I want to express my deepest apologies to the people of Manipur for the events that have unfolded. Many have lost loved ones, and countless others have been forced to leave their homes. I deeply regret this and offer my sincere apology."

While sporadic violence and killings persist, Singh noted that peace initiatives had gained momentum in recent months and expressed hope that normalcy would return in the coming year.

The conflict in Manipur is rooted in a struggle for land, jobs, and political influence between the two largest ethnic groups. The situation is further exacerbated by the widespread availability of weapons, including automatic rifles looted from police armories or smuggled across the border from Myanmar.

The Kuki community has accused Singh, a Meitei and member of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of enabling attacks against them and has demanded his resignation. Singh has denied these allegations, and Modi’s federal government has rejected opposition claims of inaction, emphasizing the deployment of tens of thousands of security personnel and asserting that the situation is improving.