ASIA/INDIA - Prime Minister of Manipur resigns: Archbishop Neli wants "a clear orientation towards peace"

Imphal (Agenzia Fides) - "With the resignation of the Prime Minister, we find ourselves in a political stalemate and we must wait and see. The situation in which Manipur finds itself today is very complex and it is not easy to find a solution. It is necessary to continue efforts to activate a path of dialogue that involves all possible actors, at the local level, at the level of the central government, at the level of the representation of civil society and the communities in conflict", said Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, on the situation in the north-eastern Indian state, which is in a state of polarization between the two communities of the Meitei and Kuki-zo, who started an inter-ethnic conflict in May 2023. While on the ground the provisional solution was to divide the conflicting parties into isolated and strictly separate areas, "efforts to activate dialogue with a negotiating table and mediators," explains the Archbishop. Now the political earthquake is leading to a situation of uncertainty and stalemate: "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs Manipur, will have to find another politician to appoint as Prime Minister. In the meantime, the administration is temporarily subordinate to the central government in Delhi. Now we have to wait and see, and the situation will become even more complicated," notes Archbishop Neli. If the BJP fails to appoint a new Prime Minister due to internal disputes, the state parliament could be dissolved and new elections held. Biren Singh, a member of the BJP and Prime Minister of Manipur for two terms, resigned due to growing disagreements within his own party, mainly related to the handling of the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The political crisis in Manipur is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing ethnic violence, which continues to displace thousands of people in precarious conditions. After months of clashes, sporadic outbreaks of violence involving armed groups in both factions continue to occur despite the massive deployment of security forces sent by the central government.
The local Catholic community, which has believers in both the Meitei and Kuki communities, is calling for "a clear orientation towards peace," said Archbishop Neli, who, along with other religious leaders, is personally involved in organizations and forums ready to participate in any initiative for dialogue and mediation. "We are in the Jubilee Holy Year and the theme is hope: our hope is that a concrete step of reconciliation can take place this year," he concludes. "The most important thing is a common will. Let us pray and hope that the Lord will accompany us on this path of rapprochement and pacification." (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2025)

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reconciliation

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