Protracted ethnic conflict has pushed Manipur into an abyss of hopelessness. The state, which shares long borders with troubled Myanmar, grappling with prolonged conflict is a grave strategic concern for India. Ironically, the state has failed to garner the national attention and support necessary to emerge from this crisis. Armed groups continuing to indulge in mindless violence, targeting unarmed civilians at their will speak volumes about persistence of critical gaps in internal security of the state despite deployment of central paramilitary forces and intensified security operations. For a prolonged period, gun culture and armed conflict denied Manipur the opportunity to realise its potential as a gateway to Southeast Asia and diminished its capacity to become a regional growth hub. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has wisely cautioned that Manipur cannot progress or achieve lasting peace as long as a gun culture exists. The Chief Minister sounded this caution during a visit to a designated camp in Kangpokpi district. The CoBRA unit of CRPF took over the camp during an operation carried out by the CoBRA unit, Manipur Police and other security agencies after the killing of three innocent firewood collectors in Imphal East district. The CoBRA unit finding 17 individuals impersonating registered militant cadres using false identities instead of 150 cadres of the militant outfit registered by the authorities as authorised occupants of the designated camp laid bare a glaring example of violation of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) by the militant outfit. The SoO requires registered cadres of the outfit to remain confined to the designated camp and, if the cadres are roaming freely, it exposes a critical gap in the enforcement of SoO clauses. The SoO with Kuki militant groups reportedly expired in early September but has not been renewed since then. While the demand for scrapping of SoO with Kuki militant groups raised by Meitei and Naga groups has grown louder, the Kuki-Zo groups have demanded renewal of the agreements. The central government keeping the issue in abeyance will only make it murkier. Routine extension will only render the SoO as an instrument to legitimise armed cadres brandishing illegal weapons in the public and also using those to target civilians and security forces. The objective behind a peace agreement to pause an armed conflict to create conducive situation for peace talks is lost if the cadres of any militant outfit engaged in ceasefire or SoO are not kept confined to a designated camp when the leaders are engaged in talks with the central and state governments. Allowing such a situation to persist amounts to exposing unarmed civilians becoming targets during an armed ethnic conflict situation. The security forces instilling a sense of security among all communities of the state remains crucial to garnering strong public support against gun culture in the state. Security forces have achieved commendable success in recovering a large quantity of illegal arms and ammunition, including those looted from state armouries during the peak of ethnic violence in the state. Yet, continued armed violence shows that there is no room for any complacency over the statistics of recoveries and apprehension until the last piece illegal weapon and ammunition is seized. Chief Minister Singh reiterating his appeal to the people to shun violence, surrender illegal arms and join hands in restoring peace and harmony in the state deserves to be echoed by all sections of the society, who must place Manipur’s long-term interest above narrow considerations. Accelerating development activities that generate jobs and economic opportunities remains the most pragmatic approach to reducing influence of the armed groups. Showcasing the pace of development in Assam — how signing of peace accords leading to nearly all, but one, insurgent groups returning to the mainstream has paved the way for big ticket investments, creation of jobs and livelihoods, boost in agricultural production, expansion of healthcare and educational opportunities, gradually unlocking the economic opportunities of the state — can go a long way in weaning youth away from militant activities. Restoration of peace in Manipur will allow the central and state governments to push connectivity projects in a big way so that markets become accessible and village youth can leverage various central and state government schemes and subsidies to set up food processing units to tap wider markets. The government, local administration and security forces reaching out to youth in the state to make them realise how mindless armed violence and insurgency have deprived of the economic and educational opportunities, robbed them of the best years of their lives will help mobilise strong opinion against gun culture. Different organisations imposing blockades and counter-blockades to press for their demands has stifled Manipur’s development. The state government’s move to constitute an integrity panel for 36 different communities is a constructive strategy to strengthen Manipur’s collective spirit for peace and harmony.