Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh calls for united state as only path forward

Guwahati: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said that a united Manipur is the only way forward for all communities inhabited in the state. He said that Manipur’s identity and territorial integrity have been preserved through the ages by collective sacrifices of all its 36 communities.

Singh attended the inauguration-cum-reception programme of the newly constructed Girls’ Hostel of the Mission Blind School at Laiching Heikakpokpi in Tengnoupal, a tribal dominated district.

He urged everyone to love the state built by our forefathers.


Referring to the diverse communities residing around Heikakpokpi, the Chief Minister stressed that the State could progress only through unity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. Drawing a comparison with Singapore, he said that development is possible only when people rise above community divisions and work together with a shared identity.

Singh said that violence can never provide a solution and urged all sections of society to resolve differences through dialogue. He said that the state’s economy has been hit hard due to the current crisis.

The Chief Minister noted that signs of normalcy have begun to emerge after more than three years of conflict and called upon everyone to safeguard the ongoing peace process for the benefit of future generations. He said that many Kukis have started travelling to Imphal to board flights and many groups have met him to discuss peace.

The Chief Minister announced that the State Government would upgrade the Mission Blind school from the existing Class VIII to Class X to ensure that visually impaired students need not shift to other institutions to continue their education. He directed the Director of Social Welfare to expedite the proposal.

The programme also featured cultural performances by the Maring, Kom and Tarao tribals, along with performances by students at the Mission Blind School. On the occasion, organisers and local representatives submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking government intervention on various developmental issues.

More than 260 people were killed, over 1,500 injured, and more than 60,000 displaced after ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023. The violence erupted after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.