The United Peoples’ Front, UPF Manipur, today kicked off the observance of “National Reconciliation Month” in Imphal, which marked the start of a month-long programme dedicated to ensuring peace, unity, and social harmony among people. The inaugural function marked the beginning of activities that the organization has chalked out during this month and early January for strengthening community relations in the wake of the ongoing tensions affecting the Meitei communities.
Speaking during the inaugural function, UPF president Nongthombam Rupachandra said that this observance had been conceptualized with the idea of a reconciliatory effort at a juncture when social cohesion has been challenged in every possible way. He reportedly said the initiative aims to create an environment wherein people can reconnect, rebuild trust, and together work on strengthening the bonds shared between different communities. Speaking to the situation at hand, he observed that the program aims at addressing concerns arising within Meitei society and aims to bring in unity at a very testing time.
The United Peoples’ Front has lined up several outreach and community-oriented programs as part of the month-long observance. According to the organisation, teams and volunteers will conduct social service drives, interact with local populations, and hold public meetings at multiple locations in Manipur. Such meetings, according to the UPF, would provide a forum for discussions on community relations, common responsibilities, and the need for reconciliation across social and geographical divides. The UPF stated that these engagements are intended not only to foster a spirit of cooperation but also to encourage people to participate in efforts aimed at re-building unity at the grassroots level.
Besides programmes in Manipur, the United Peoples’ Front announced a broader outreach to Meitei settlements living elsewhere in the Northeast. UPF teams will start visiting Meitei inhabited areas of Assam, Tripura and other neighbouring areas from December 19 as part of the observation, said Nongthombam Rupachandra. The visits are proposed as interactive sessions and public meetings for strengthening the cultural and historical bonding among Meiteis living both within and outside Manipur. Such exposures, the organisation said, would help in understanding various problems faced by the Meitei communities settled elsewhere and find possibilities for better coordination and mutual cooperation.
Rupachandra said such interactions in the neighboring states would also help strengthen the larger message of reconciliation by taking the initiative beyond territorial boundaries. The UPF stated that the effort is envisioned to create a sense of collective belonging among the scattered groups of Meitei and reaffirm shared identity in the face of present uncertainties.
The observation of “National Reconciliation Month” will be wrapped up on January 9 with a state-level function coinciding with the death anniversary of Maharaj Gambhir Singh, which is a state holiday in Manipur. The closing ceremony is set to take place at the memorial site of Maharaj Gambhir Singh, a place symbolically associated with Manipur’s historical heritage. UPF said concluding the reconciliation programme on this date is meant to pay homage to the memory and contributions of Maharaj Gambhir Singh, while invoking his role in defining the collective identity of Manipur.