Imphal/Churachandpur: A fractured state tried to talk to itself. For the first time since ethnic violence tore Manipur apart in May 2023, chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh addressed on Thursday displaced Meitei and Kuki-Zo families together – on a shared platform, if only virtually – pairing cash relief with an appeal to rebuild trust.The outreach, anchored at a relief camp in Langol of Imphal West district, connected displaced Meitei families in the valley with Kuki-Zo inmates of camps in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi via video link. Direct benefit transfers were credited during the meet.Each displaced person received Rs 2,420 for essentials. Families whose homes were burnt are being paid Rs 1 lakh in instalments, officials said.More than 260 people have been killed and over 60,000 displaced since clashes erupted between Meitei and Kuki communities in 2023. Since then, movement has been sharply curtailed – valley residents rarely enter Kuki-majority hills, and Kukis rarely travel into Imphal.Singh said resettlement had begun in peripheral areas, but restoring homes in sensitive zones remained difficult. “Resettling IDPs (internally displaced persons) to their original places is a priority, though challenges remain. While tensions have eased, mistrust continues,” he said, urging social groups and families to help bridge the divide.It was a modest step – checks and promises – but the first time the state tried to stitch two wounded communities into the same conversation. Voices from camps cut through the screen. A young Kuki woman from Kangpokpi asked for access to jobs and higher education. A Meitei woman broke down, pleading to return home after three years in a camp. Another Kuki-Zo inmate flagged the struggle to reach hospitals.The CM promised security for Kuki-Zo patients visiting Imphal and special plans for about 6,000 displaced students whose schooling has been disrupted. “I’m no god, but I will not let your tears go in vain,” Singh said.
