Imphal: The 13th round of tripartite talks between the Centre, Manipur government, and the United Naga Council (UNC) concluded without a resolution on Thursday in Senapati.
The discussions, focused on the UNC’s demand to reverse the creation of seven new districts in Manipur in 2016, ended with an agreement to meet again in April 2025.
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The 2016 creation of the seven districts, notified on December 8 of that year, remains a point of contention.
A.K. Mishra, Advisor (Northeast) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, represented Centre, while the Manipur Chief Secretary led the state delegation. Ng. Lorho, president of the UNC, headed the 12-member UNC delegation.
The Manipur government is expected to present a proposal at the April talks.
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Meanwhile, opposition is growing to any potential rollback of district status. P. Somarendra, advisor to the JNGVO, strongly objected to any move to revoke Kakching’s district status.
He said that Kakching’s designation as a district, also achieved on December 8, 2016, was the result of sustained efforts and that reversing it would harm local development and governance.
Somarendra focused the long history of activism for Kakching’s district status, recalling significant protests before the 1983 district reorganization demanding its recognition.