Raj Kumar Meghen, former chairman of the United National Liberation Front, Manipur's oldest surviving insurgent group, has been in the national capital since July 3 to meet Manipuri civil society groups in his efforts to "bring peace" to the northeastern state, which has been witnessing an ethnic conflict for the past three years.
During a private interaction at the India International Centre, Meghen alias Sana Yaima said economic interdependence was a way out of the stalemate.
"All along the existence of Manipur as a part of India, since 1949, governments in Delhi or Manipur have not evolved any policy on how the communities in Manipur should be integrated into interdependent coexistence — for which the most important thing is to develop an interdependent economy with the hills and the valley," Meghen said.
The conflict that began between Meiteis in the valley and Kuki-Zos in the hills in 2023 after a now-rescinded court order to give Scheduled Tribe status to Meiteis has now drawn in the Nagas as well. Armed Kuki groups demanding separation from Manipur have clashed with both Meiteis and Nagas, and the state remains divided by buffer zones managed by central forces.
In the polarised atmosphere, Meghen, whom many Manipuris address as Pabung (father figure), sees himself as someone who can interact with all communities. The 82-year-old leader is a Meitei from the erstwhile royal family of the state, who was released from jail in 2019 after more than nine years and has led a quiet life since.
"Skilled labourers can go from the valley to the hills where they can work together on land.... Whether it is in horticulture, in livestock, in tourism, those centres will become a place where new relationships are created," he said.
Meghen did not reveal which groups he had met, but confirmed that he had met the Meitei outfits in Delhi and was scheduled to meet Naga organisations. He was waiting for a response from the Kuki groups that had been contacted.
"...I will tell them (Kuki groups) what I feel we should do together. I will tell them that interdependent co-existence is the only path for survival. So basically you are trying to create a coalition eventually, starting informally and then eventually formalising something where all communities, Meitei, Kuki, Nagas can come together and dwell on all these issues — from non-state actors to illegal immigrants, all of this."
On Kuki demands for separation, Meghen said: "This is what the Kukis want, to be officially recognised as a state. I think the government of India will not do that (carve out a new unit from Manipur)."