Imphal, October 9: National People’s Party (NPP) president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday called for renewed dialogue and cooperation among Manipur’s communities, stressing that restoring peace and normalcy remains the top priority for his party.
Arriving at the Imphal airport as part of his three-day tour of Manipur and Nagaland, Sangma said his visit aims to “engage, observe and interact” with various stakeholders to understand the ground realities of the ongoing crisis. “The purpose is very simple. I have come to meet my party leaders and the people of Manipur to interact, engage, and see how we can take things forward and ensure that normalcy returns,” Sangma told reporters at Imphal Airport.
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The NPP chief is accompanied by Paknga Bage, General Secretary (Organisation), Saidul Khan, National Secretary, and Nickey Nongkhlaw, National President of the NPP’s youth wing. According to the party, Sangma’s itinerary includes meetings with representatives of various communities as well as displaced families affected by the unrest.
While acknowledging that some initiatives had yielded results, Sangma said more engagement is needed. “Some efforts have worked, some are still ongoing. But with more interaction, we believe peace will return gradually,” Sangma said, adding that democracy and a democratically elected government are vital to restoring confidence in the state.
He noted that the intensity of violence has reduced in recent months but cautioned that complete peace is yet to be achieved. “Democracy is very important. A large part of normalcy is to see a democratically elected government in place,” Sangma emphasised.
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When asked about the party’s electoral prospects, he said the focus was not on politics but on restoring peace. “The election is still some time away. What’s more important now is to ensure peace and normalcy return,” he said. On the pending by-elections, Sangma said the NPP was awaiting a response from the Election Commission and would brief the media once updates arrive. Currently, the NPP holds six seats in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, following the death of MLA N. Kayisii in January.
(Newmai News Network)