Restoring confidence and trust among communities is crucial to achieving lasting peace and normalcy in Manipur, speakers said during a one-day academic discourse organised by the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) on July 28.
The programme, titled Reshaping the Political Upheaval in Manipur: Issues and Challenges, was held at the conference hall of the Manipur Institute of Management Studies. It brought together academicians, civil society representatives and students to deliberate on the state’s prolonged crisis and discuss possible pathways towards peace and reconciliation.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, FOCS spokesperson Puram Rakesh said the objective of the discourse was to identify practical approaches to reinforce the idea of unity and strengthen Manipur’s shared identity.
Rakesh said the conflict has affected people across the state for more than three years and warned that continued unrest would further hinder Manipur’s progress. He stressed the need to develop practical mechanisms to address the crisis without compromising the state’s core concerns.
Emphasising the importance of reconciliation, he said rebuilding trust among different communities remains the most critical step towards resolving the conflict. According to Rakesh, sustained outreach initiatives and dialogue between communities are essential to restoring confidence. He added that measures such as buffer zones and movement restrictions have significantly affected inter-community relations.
He said FOCS would continue facilitating engagement among community leaders, civil society organisations and policymakers to promote mutual understanding and advance peace-building efforts across the state.
Rakesh also noted that the resolutions emerging from the discourse would form the basis of the organisation’s future initiatives aimed at supporting reconciliation and long-term peace in Manipur.
The event featured presentations by resource persons who examined the historical, social and economic dimensions of the ongoing crisis, offering perspectives on the challenges facing the state and possible measures to address them.
