UKHRUL: The World Meetei Council (WMC) has reiterated its long-standing call for dialogue, understanding and compassion among the people of Manipur, while expressing deep concern over what it describes as an increasingly hostile narrative aimed at fragmenting the state.
In a press release, the WMC expressed distress over the growing number of voices advocating division, despite repeated appeals for negotiations among communities that have coexisted for generations. The council suggested that the prolonged silence of the Government of India has contributed to the situation, with some interpreting it as implicit encouragement to armed Kuki-Zo groups in their confrontation with Meetei militant forces. According to the WMC, this silence may have led certain groups to believe that their political objectives would eventually be fulfilled.
The council cautioned that history offers a clear warning that established realities cannot be overturned through deception, misinformation, force or violence. At the same time, it urged introspection within the Meetei community, calling for a critical examination of social values, behaviour and collective practices to avoid repeating mistakes that could undermine identity, moral foundations and the community’s future.
Describing the current unrest as the outcome of long-standing failures to learn from the past, the WMC said the crisis has been exacerbated by an inability particularly among the Meetei to adapt to changing times. It noted that clinging to outdated perspectives in a rapidly evolving 21st-century context has resulted in prolonged political and social uncertainty.
The council warned that such stagnation has emboldened forces seeking to weaken or dismantle Manipur, an ancient land and the 19th state of the Indian Union. These challenges, it said, are being pursued openly and without fear, possibly with the tacit backing of certain elements within the establishment. Nevertheless, the WMC asserted that a people with a long and resilient history should not be underestimated.
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Expressing confidence in Manipur’s resilience, the council said it believes the state will overcome the present crisis and reclaim its dignity and rightful place within the Indian Union.
Concluding its statement, the WMC appealed to all communities in Manipur—particularly the Kuki community to act responsibly and in the larger public interest. It emphasised that peaceful coexistence, sincere dialogue and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path forward for lasting peace in the state.