Manipur’s two deputy chief ministers, Losii Diko and Nemcha Kipgen, who represent the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities respectively, have emerged as key negotiators in the ongoing hostage crisis triggered by escalating Naga-Kuki clashes in the northeastern state, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday.
Working alongside church leaders, civil society organisations, the Indian Army, police and central intelligence agencies, the two leaders are engaging with their respective communities to secure the safe return of at least 20 abducted people, officials said.
Amid escalating tensions and the killing of three Kuki-Zo church leaders on Wednesday, village defence volunteers from both communities abducted members of each other’s community. While the 28 people, abducted on Wednesday and Thursday, which also included people from neutral communities, were released through hostage exchanges over the last 48 hours, the remaining 20 — 14 from the Kuki-Zo side and six from the Naga community — remain captive.
Talks initiated by both deputy CMs, the state home minister, police, and church leaders at various levels have yet to yield any fresh positive results, according to people in Manipur.
On Saturday, security forces started combing operations across Kangpokpi district to search for the six abducted Naga people, officials said.
Deputy CM Diko said, “Along with church leaders, we are trying to convince people on both sides that this is not the way to solve the crisis. Abducting people won’t help anyone. People who are abducted should be returned. I, being a Naga, also spoke to our community leaders. The response has been good. All 14 who were abducted are safe. No innocent life should be lost.”
While the 14 Kuki-Zo people were taken in Senapati (a Naga-dominated area), the abduction of the six Naga people happened in Kangpokpi (a Kuki-Zo-dominated area).
Three church leaders from the Kuki-Zo community were killed on Wednesday in an ambush by militant groups while returning to Kangpokpi from Churachandpur after a peace meeting. While police are yet to identify the group behind the killing, Kuki-Zo groups have accused NSCN-IM, a Tangkhul Naga group.
While Kipgen was unavailable for comments, people aware of the matter in said the Kuki-Zo leader, too, has been working with church leaders and police to convince village defence volunteers from her community to return the abducted Nagas. “The conflict between the Nagas and Kukis in the early ’90s was resolved with help from the church and IB personnel. We hope the present crisis resolves without further loss of lives,” a Kuki-Zo student leader said.
Manipur’s home minister, Govindas Konthoujam, who is also meeting church leaders from both communities to ensure the return of the 20 abducted persons, said, “This is a sensitive issue, so we have involved church leaders from both communities. We have urged people not to believe in any rumours that can lead to a law and order situation. The situation is sensitive, so our department is taking help from civil society organisations from both sides. We managed to release 28 people with help from different organisations. The teams are working to get the remaining abducted people home.”
The hostage crisis has become the first major test for the newly formed BJP-led government in Manipur, which was constituted earlier this year after nearly a year of President’s Rule. In an attempt to maintain ethnic balance, the Centre-backed arrangement brought together representatives from all three major communities — chief minister Yumnam Khemchand from the Meitei community, Diko representing the Nagas and Kipgen representing the Kuki-Zos.
