Manipur CM visits violence-hit Jiribam, says must rebuild concept of Manipuri ‘someone is trying to destroy’

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) visited Jiribam district and interacted with violence-scarred people from the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities as part of a peace-building mission.

The outreach at Jiribam, bordering southern Assam’s Barak Valley, was the first for the State’s Chief Minister since divisive ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, killing more than 260 people and displacing some 62,000 others.

Mr. Singh first met internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Meitei community staying at Jiribam Higher Secondary School and then interacted with Kuki-Zo-Hmar IDPs. He also visited Jairalpokpi, a Kuki-Zo-Hmar village that witnessed widespread violence and arson in 2023.

The visit forms part of the State government’s broader effort to foster dialogue and rebuild trust among affected communities, he said.

The Chief Minister urged inmates of the relief camps to work towards removing the trust deficit. “Jiribam is the gateway to Manipur and has the potential to become a business hub. For the business to flourish, peace has to come first,” he said.

“Let us consider the last two years were a nightmare, let us forget it and have the courage to move forward towards peace and development,” Mr. Singh said at a Hmar village.

“First, we are Indian, and then we are Manipuri. We can be Manipuri Naga, Manipuri Kuki, and Manipuri Meitei. We need to rebuild the concept of Manipuri someone is trying to destroy,” he said.

The Hmar villagers assured their support to his government and urged him to take care of the needs of the tribal village, particularly the school building.

The Chief Minister told the IDPs that their concerns are being addressed by the district authorities. He said the houses being constructed for homeless IDPs are expected to be completed by March.

Meanwhile, no untoward incident was reported from the Litan area of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, where an incident of assault on Saturday (February 7, 2026) led to a localised Kuki-Naga conflict. About 40 houses were torched over the next three days, forcing many villagers to flee to safer places.

Internet services, including broadband, continue to be suspended in the district.