Aizawl: Mizoram's sole Lok Sabha representative from Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) Richard Vanlalhmangaiha on Thursday urged the Centre to facilitate negotiations between the conflicting communities in Manipur.
According to a ZPM press release, Vanlalhmangaiha delivered this address in Parliament.
"The MP expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Centre for providing large amount of money for humanitarian assistance to the tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh as well as internally displaced people from Manipur who are the blood brothers of the people of Mizoram," the statement said.
In his Lok Sabha address, Vanlalhmangaiha highlighted the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur, which has resulted in over 200 casualties, displaced more than 50,000 people, and led to the destruction of over 300 Christian churches. "It is high time the central government takes concrete steps to end the horrific violence within its territory and find amicable solution," he said.
He emphasised that life, which is exclusively God's creation, deserves utmost respect, and warned of additional casualties without a resolution. He noted that while the Centre has deployed additional paramilitary forces, peace would remain elusive without reconciliation between the communities.
"I demand that the central government initiate dialogue with the two communities and bring them to a negotiating table for permanent peace in Manipur," he said.