Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh urges dialogue as sole route to lasting peace

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said dialogue is the only viable path to restoring lasting peace in the state, which has been plagued by ethnic violence. Speaking at a local television channel’s foundation‑day event in Imphal, Singh noted that his recent visit to Churachandpur showed the district returning to normal after the height of the crisis. He warned that a few vested interests benefit from continued unrest, vowed that "peace‑breakers" would be identified and dealt with, and highlighted the severe impact of the conflict on the state’s economy, revenue collection, and on vulnerable groups such as daily‑wage earners, students and the younger generation.

The chief minister also attended the funeral of former BJP MLA and tribal leader Vungzagin Valte, whose body was laid to rest in Churachandpur 134 days after he succumbed to injuries sustained in the May 2023 ethnic violence. Valte, a three‑time legislator from the Thanlon constituency, had been attacked during the unrest and later died in a private hospital in Gurugram.