Manipur CM to hold face-to-face talks with estranged deputies in Delhi

Manipur's Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is set to hold individual meetings with Deputy Chief Ministers Y. Nonavinakere Dikho and Oinam Kipgen in New Delhi, their first face-to-face interaction since the two deputies stopped communicating amid escalating communal violence. The meeting assumes significance given the deepening rift between the two deputies, who represent the Naga and Kuki communities respectively and have remained largely incommunicado as sporadic clashes between their respective ethnic groups continue to destabilize the state. The Delhi rendezvous comes as authorities grapple with controlling recurrent outbursts of violence that have displaced thousands and strained the administrative machinery in Manipur. Officials hope the in-person dialogue may facilitate better coordination between the two leaders and the chief minister's office in addressing the humanitarian crisis and restoring normalcy. The state government has faced mounting pressure to bridge the widening political and ethnic divide that has undermined its capacity to implement development initiatives and maintain law and order across Manipur.