In an effort to address the escalating violence and find a resolution to the tribal demands in Manipur, leaders of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) are set to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi today. The meeting comes after Shah extended an invitation to the tribal leaders for discussions.
After receiving the invitation, the ITLF leaders had an extensive deliberation on Sunday to consider the significance of the opportunity. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, known as a respected figure among the Zo ethnic tribes in the region, played a crucial role in advising the leaders to accept the invitation. Zoramthanga emphasized the importance of engaging in face-to-face talks with the Home Minister to directly present their concerns.
The ITLF delegation left Manipur for New Delhi on Sunday, and the meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday. The tribal leaders will have the chance to present their grievances and seek a resolution to the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, the region continues to witness violence, with reports of six people being killed in a recent clash between the Meitei and Kuki groups. Security sources suspect that the attacks were carried out using a significant cache of looted automatic and semi-automatic weapons, as well as mortars, taken from the 2nd India Reserve Battalion HQ in Bishnupur district on Thursday.
The situation remains tense, and the talks between the ITLF delegation and Amit Shah hold hope for finding a path toward peace and resolution for the long-standing tribal demands in Manipur.
