Manipur needs community-led peace mission to restore harmony, says MP
A two-day North East Peace Dialogue in Tezpur resulted in the Tezpur Declaration to address regional conflict.
A Member of Parliament recently visited Imphal to convey support for peace and reconciliation in Manipur following the violence that broke out in May 2023. According to ThePrint, the MP met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to discuss restoring normalcy in the state.
During the visit, a two-day North East Peace Dialogue was organised in collaboration with the North East Peace Foundation for Sustainable Futures and Tezpur University. The event was attended by public representatives, security experts, academicians, and religious leaders to deliberate on conflict resolution and inclusive governance.
The dialogue resulted in the Tezpur Declaration on October 3, which called for confidence-building measures to restore public trust in government agencies. The statement also emphasised institutional capacity-building and the development of a comprehensive peace plan.
The MP noted that while the Bodoland Happiness Mission in Assam helped over 26 communities live peacefully after decades of conflict, a similar model might not work in Manipur. Instead, the MP suggested that a 'Manipur Happiness Mission' emerging from local aspirations would be more effective.
The MP stated that sustainable peace cannot be imposed exclusively from above and must be cultivated within communities and everyday human relationships. The intervention should include inter-community dialogue, psychosocial healing, and peace education to strengthen trust.