Guwahati: The Manipur’s Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam, today stressed that dialogue and mutual understanding were essential to resolving differences between communities in the state, asserting that lasting peace could not be achieved through security measures alone.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme, Konthoujam called on communities to engage in negotiations and work towards rebuilding trust to address the prevailing differences.
“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 emphasised that people across Manipur shared common bonds and urged them to come together to resolve their differences peacefully. “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 and facilitate dialogue as part of its attempts to address the situation.
“The government has tried, and we have sat together for talks as well,” he said.
He also highlighted challenges faced by security forces during operations, noting that improved communication facilities often enabled armed miscreants to flee villages before personnel could reach the locations.