IMPHAL, Oct 16: Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam has called for dialogue and mutual understanding to resolve differences between communities, saying lasting peace cannot be achieved through security measures alone.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme on Thursday, Konthoujam stressed the need for communities to engage in negotiations and gradually rebuild trust.
“Peace is brought only through negotiations and not through the barrel of the gun. We must come to an understanding and engage in talks. We must gradually try to erase the trust deficit among us. Security alone cannot do it,” he said.
The minister urged people across Manipur to recognise their shared bonds and work together to resolve their differences. “All the residents of Manipur are brothers and sisters. We must come to the table and resolve our differences,” he added.
Konthoujam said the state government had made efforts to bring stakeholders together for discussions to address the prevailing differences. “The government has tried, and we have sat together for talks as well,” he said.
He also highlighted operational challenges faced by security forces, stating that improved communication facilities often enabled armed miscreants to flee villages before security personnel could reach them.
