Manipur CM, warring deputies to meet in person for 1st time in months in Delhi

Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and his warring deputies, Losii Dikho and Nemcha Kipgen, were expected to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday and meet in person for the first time in months at the instance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership. People aware of the matter said the three were called to Delhi.

Dikho and Kipgen, representing Nagas and Kukis in the ethnic violence-hit state, are not on speaking terms as sporadic violence between the two communities continues.

Last month, Naga lawmakers boycotted Manipur assembly proceedings, refusing to share space with Kipgen, who joined virtually as she is yet to visit Imphal amid the unresolved Kuki-Meitei conflict.

On September 1, Dikho and eight other Naga lawmakers wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking action against Kipgen and her husband, alleging that they were colluding with Kuki militants and hampering the peace process. The lawmakers have threatened to withdraw support from Manipur’s BJP-led coalition government.

The BJP ensured representation for all three major communities after the President’s Rule was lifted and a new government was formed this year. Meitei leader Singh was named the chief minister, with Kipgen and Dikho as his two deputies.

People aware of the matter, who asked not to be named, said the three could also meet Union home minister Amit Shah and other top BJP leaders.

There was no immediate response to HT’s requests for comments from the offices of Singh, Dikho and Kipgen.

One of the persons cited above said Dikho and Kipgen are likely to talk after arriving in Delhi. “There are three main issues. First is the problem between the Naga and Kuki MLAs [members of the legislative assembly], including the two deputy chief ministers. The second the NRC [National Register of Citizens] and Census,” said the person.

There have been tensions over demands to postpone the ongoing Census in the state until the NRC implementation, with 1951 as the base year.

The first phase of Census 2027 (House listing) in Manipur was scheduled from September 1 to September 30, before the self-enumeration facility from August 17 to August 31. There was growing opposition to Census-related activities in the state.

Kuki organisations have accused Meiteis of trying to label them all as undocumented immigrants. In neighbouring Assam, the NRC was updated in 2019 to identify undocumented immigrants who came to the state after 1971.

The NRC issue has been among the flashpoints in Manipur, which has been in the throes of protracted ethnic violence since 2023. The violence began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before involving almost every community. Naga and Kuki-Zo tensions escalated after May 13 twin ambushes left four people dead.

In August 2022, the Manipur assembly passed a unanimous resolution seeking an NRC before the Census, citing the demographic imbalance. In March 2024, the assembly reaffirmed the resolution.

The person cited noted that Census preparations have been put on hold due to the demand for an NRC exercise first. “There is also the renewal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact, which ended on September 30, 2026. The Naga MLAs have alleged that the SoO groups under deputy Kipgen’s husband are behind the Kuki-Naga violence,” said the person.

SoO is a tripartite ceasefire pact between the Union, Manipur governments, and Kuki-Zo groups to freeze the armed conflict and initiate dialogue

In an interview with HT last month, Kipgen denied the allegations against her and said she had been working to resolve the Naga-Kuki tension. Over 45 people have died in the Naga-Kuki violence since March.

The state government last month told the assembly that at least 306 people have been killed and 49 remain missing since ethnic violence began in 2023.