Manipur: Armed groups clash; Naga forum calls for peace

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

armed groups in Manipur's Bishnupur-Churachandpur border areas on Friday. A senior police officer, who did not want to be named, told ET, «The incident took place near the Phougakchao Ikhai village.» Meanwhile, a 30-member civil bodies team from Nagaland, supported by Nagaland Joint Christian Forum, visited the state.

The group comprises representatives from the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and Fellowship of Naga Baptist Churches Kohima. The team expressed its commitment to ending the cycle of violence and offered friendship, empathy, and solidarity to the people of Manipur.

Rev Wati Aier of the FNR expressed deep concern, stating that throughout shared history, violence had only perpetuated further violence, leading to increased human suffering, pain, and the erosion of interpersonal and societal bonds. Aier urged the people of Manipur to seize the opportunity to give peace a chance and courageously break the cycle of violence.

He said people of Nagaland can offer a neutral location in either Kohima or Dimapur, where like-minded individuals can meet and discuss ways to restore peace in Manipur. A senior government officer said, «The state government has engaged some Naga leaders to talk to Kuki leaders and hope for a positive outcome.» Since May 3, over 130 people have been killed in ethnic violence across Manipur.