New Delhi, 15 Oct

Aiming to bring a lasting peace in strife-torn Manipur, MLAs belonging to the Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities met here on Tuesday for the first time since ethnic violence broke out in the State 17 months ago, sources said.

The meeting was called by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in an attempt to iron out differences between the Meitei and Kuki communities, and find an amicable solution to the ongoing conflict.

Those who attended the meeting included state Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Tongbram Robindro, Th. Basantakumar Singh from the Meitei side and Kuki MLAs Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen (both state ministers).

The Naga community was represented by MLAs Ram Muivah, Awangbow Newmai and L Dikho, the sources said. Home ministry's interlocutor AK Mishra and other senior officials were present at the meeting. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh did not attend the meeting.

The deliberations come nearly a month after Shah said resolving the situation in Manipur requires dialogue between the Kukis and Meiteis, and that the Centre is in discussion with both the groups.

On 17 June, a similar statement was given by the home minister when he reviewed the security situation in the northeastern state. A statement from the ministry had said Shah had underscored the importance of a coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing conflict in Manipur and added that the "MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide at the earliest".

All the Naga, Kuki and Meitei MLAs and ministers likely to attend the meet were invited by the MHA through letters and telephone calls, the sources said.

Ten Kuki MLAs, including seven from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have not attended the Assembly sessions held in between.

According to the wishes of the Kukis, the MLAs from the community have even pressed their demand for separate administrations or a Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur.

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on 3 May last year after a tribal solidarity march was taken out in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Since then, more than 220 people, including members of both the Kuki and Meitei communities as well as security personnel, have been killed in the violence.