Welcome and Inaugural Keynote Address

09:00 - 09:50 AM: Race, Ethnicity and Identity: Community Security, Land Concerns and Shared Belonging in Manipur

Context
Manipur’s present situation reflects deep concerns around identity, land, representation, mobility, safety and community confidence. For the Meitei, Kuki-Zo-Hmar, Naga and other communities, land is closely tied to ancestry, livelihood, security and cultural dignity. This session will examine how ethnicity, demographic concerns and competing ideas of belonging shape Manipur’s security environment. It will focus on addressing community fears, reducing mistrust and collective blame, and identifying institutional pathways for dialogue, lawful protection, inclusive governance and shared civic confidence.

Guiding Questions

• How have land, ancestry, tribal status, demographic concerns and competing ideas of belonging shaped insecurity among Manipur’s communities?

• How can legitimate concerns relating to safety, representation, mobility and livelihood be addressed without deepening collective blame, ethnic polarisation or permanent separation?

• What practical role can civil administration, police, security forces, local leaders and community organisations play in protecting constitutional order and rebuilding confidence across ethnic lines?

Speaker

• Lt Gen (Retd) Shokin Chauhan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM
  Former Director General
  The Assam Rifles 

10:00 - 10:50 AM: Pathways to Peace in Manipur: Addressing Grievances, Restoring Trust and Rebuilding the State

Context
The prolonged conflict in Manipur has created deep humanitarian, social and institutional challenges, including loss of life, large-scale displacement, disruption of mobility and livelihoods, increased separation between communities, and a significant erosion of mutual trust. The article argues that the present crisis cannot be understood only through the immediate events of May 2023, but must also be viewed against deeper questions of identity, land, historical claims, governance and relations among Manipur’s different communities.

The persistence of tensions also highlights the importance of restoring confidence in public institutions, reducing the circulation of illegal and looted weapons, strengthening impartial security and law-enforcement mechanisms, and creating safe conditions for displaced families to rebuild their lives. The article particularly emphasises rehabilitation and compensation of displaced populations, economic recovery, reduction of societal weaponisation and bringing different communities to the negotiating table.

A sustainable peace process will therefore require security stabilisation to proceed alongside political dialogue, reconciliation and socio-economic recovery. Such an approach must recognise legitimate concerns across communities, address competing perceptions around land, identity, representation and security, and develop credible mechanisms through which differences can be resolved constitutionally and peacefully while safeguarding the stability and integrity of Manipur.

Guiding Questions

• What underlying political, historical, land, identity and governance-related grievances need to be addressed to create the foundations for sustainable peace in Manipur?

• How can institutional confidence, impartial law enforcement and community security be strengthened while reducing the circulation of illegal weapons and preventing renewed violence?

• What practical framework can enable the safe return, rehabilitation and livelihood recovery of displaced communities while rebuilding inter-community confidence?

• What kind of inclusive dialogue and reconciliation mechanism can accommodate differing Meitei, Kuki-Zo, Naga and other community concerns while strengthening constitutional governance and the long-term stability of Manipur?

Speaker

• Shri Sanjiv Krishan Sood
  Former Additional Director General
  Border Security Force (BSF)

11:00 - 11:50 AM: War on Drugs, Narco‑Economy and Strengthening State Response in Manipur

Context
Manipur’s experience with the “War on Drugs”, forest and land protection, refugee management and insurgent ceasefire arrangements (SoO) highlights how complex security, governance and social challenges interact in a sensitive border state. Operations against poppy cultivation, cross‑border trafficking and illegal arms have had to run in parallel with management of ethnic relations, land tenure concerns and humanitarian pressures from neighbouring Myanmar, often under AFSPA or similar special‑powers frameworks.

These overlapping pressures have produced difficult trade‑offs for policymakers, security forces and civil administration. At the same time, they offer valuable lessons on how future standard operating procedures, inter‑agency coordination and communication with communities can be further strengthened—so that legitimate enforcement against narcotics and armed violence also supports long‑term public trust, inclusion and stability. This session will take a forward‑looking approach, focusing on practical ways to refine policy design and on‑ground SOPs, rather than apportioning blame.

Guiding questions

• How can lessons from Manipur’s War on Drugs, forest/land protection, refugee and SoO experiences be used to better design and sequence security‑related programmes in ethnically diverse, borderland contexts?

• In what ways can implementing agencies—police, civil administration and central forces—further adapt their SOPs and communication strategies so that firm action against narco‑trafficking and illegal arms is clearly distinguished from the everyday lives and identities of law‑abiding communities?

• What are some constructive models for improving investigation, prosecution and victim‑support processes, building on existing legal frameworks and court directions, so that confidence in justice delivery is enhanced across all groups?

• How can inter‑agency coordination (state police, CAPFs, Assam Rifles, NCB, district administration) be further institutionalised—through joint planning, shared data, and clear roles—to manage future crises more smoothly?

• Looking ahead, what practical steps in training, community‑engagement and oversight can help security institutions and civil authorities together strengthen the state’s legitimate authority while also deepening public trust?

Speaker

• Shri Pradip Phanjoubam
  Imphal Review of Arts and Politics

12:00 - 12:50 PM: Social Cohesion and Integration- Displacement, Youth Protection and Community Repair

Context
The recent violence in Manipur has affected residential security, education, livelihoods, public institutions, inter-community relations and the emotional well-being of families. Displacement has disrupted schooling, employment, family stability, women’s safety, access to health services and everyday trust between communities. Young people remain particularly vulnerable to trauma, substance abuse, misinformation, revenge narratives, criminal exploitation and recruitment by unlawful networks.

This session will focus on the social recovery dimension of Manipur’s internal security environment. The emphasis will be on rehabilitation, continuity of education, livelihood restoration, trauma care, de-addiction, youth protection, women-led peacebuilding and the rebuilding of everyday civic confidence. The discussion will also examine how community organisations, including women-led groups, youth groups, traditional bodies, civil society platforms and local volunteers, can be constructively engaged in lawful anti-drug work, relief coordination, counselling, community dialogue and social healing.

The session will approach community mobilisation as a potential force for stabilisation when aligned with law, institutional coordination and inclusive peacebuilding. It will also explore how the State, police, security forces, civil administration, educational institutions and civil society can work together to protect vulnerable families, prevent renewed mobilisation and support the safe return or dignified rehabilitation of displaced persons.

Guiding Questions

• How has displacement affected youth, women, children, education, livelihoods, family stability and inter-community relations in Manipur?

• What practical support systems are required for displaced families, including schooling, documentation, healthcare, trauma care, livelihood recovery, de-addiction and safe return?

• How can civil society bodies and youth groups be constructively oriented toward lawful anti-drug work, youth protection, relief support and social healing?

• What role can schools, colleges, churches, temples, community institutions and local leadership play in rebuilding everyday trust and reducing fear? How can police, civil administration, security forces and community representatives create safe channels for grievance reporting, early warning, counselling and local conflict prevention?

• What rehabilitation and reintegration measures are needed to prevent displaced settlements, relief camps or vulnerable youth spaces from becoming sites of exploitation, substance abuse or renewed mobilisation?

• How should Manipur define social recovery: safe return, restored education, livelihood stability, de-addiction, reduced fear, inter-community dialogue or revival of shared civic life?

Speakers

• Shri Kabithui Rongmei
  Co-Founder, Khaangchu

13:00 - 13:50 PM: Ethnic Conflict in Manipur and National Security: Exploring Solutions through Peaceful Political Means

Context

The prolonged tensions in Manipur since May 2023, involving primarily the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, represent one of the most serious episodes of inter-community conflict witnessed in the state in recent decades. While the immediate escalation followed protests associated with the question of Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community and subsequent developments in May 2023, the underlying causes are considerably more complex. They reflect longstanding and overlapping concerns relating to identity, land, political representation, demographic anxieties, governance, access to resources, security and competing perceptions of historical rights within Manipur’s diverse social landscape.

The scale and duration of the violence have had profound humanitarian and social consequences, including loss of life, displacement, disruption of livelihoods and a significant erosion of trust between communities. The emergence of increasingly separated residential and administrative spaces has further complicated prospects for reconciliation and the restoration of normal civic interaction. Differing perceptions regarding the role and response of state institutions during the conflict have also contributed to political mistrust, while sections of the Kuki-Zo community have articulated demands for alternative administrative arrangements as a means of addressing their concerns regarding security, representation and governance.

A sustainable pathway towards peace will therefore require engagement with the deeper political and socio-economic questions underlying the conflict, particularly those concerning land, territory, identity, resources, representation and institutional confidence. Addressing these concerns through constitutional dialogue, inclusive governance, community engagement and credible confidence-building measures will be essential to rebuilding trust among communities. Given Manipur’s strategic location along India’s eastern frontier, restoring social cohesion and strengthening institutions capable of managing competing aspirations peacefully are also important for the long-term stability and security of the wider Northeast.

Guiding Questions

• What deeper historical, political and socio-economic factors have contributed to the prolonged tensions in Manipur beyond the immediate developments of May 2023?

• How can concerns relating to land, identity, representation, security and access to resources be addressed through inclusive constitutional and institutional mechanisms?

• What practical measures can help rebuild inter-community trust, social cohesion and confidence in public institutions, particularly among conflict-affected and displaced populations?

• How can a sustainable political and security framework for Manipur accommodate differing aspirations while strengthening long-term stability and the security of India’s Northeast?
  
  

Speakers

• Dr. Thongkholal Haokip
  Assistant Professor
  Centre for the Study of Law and Governance
  Jawaharlal Nehru University
  
  

14:00 - 14:50 PM: Rethinking Security and Peace in Manipur: From Conflict Management to Human and Societal Security

Context

Manipur’s security environment is increasingly shaped by a combination of traditional and non-traditional challenges. Alongside concerns relating to insurgency, armed violence, border management and inter-community tensions, the state must also contend with displacement, narcotics trafficking, organised crime, livelihood insecurity, misinformation, cyber-enabled threats, environmental pressures, public-health vulnerabilities and disruptions to education and economic activity.

These challenges demonstrate that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through security measures alone. Long-term stability also depends on rebuilding social cohesion, restoring confidence in institutions, creating economic opportunities, strengthening community resilience and ensuring that vulnerable populations are protected from criminal, extremist and other destabilising influences.

Rethinking security in Manipur therefore requires an integrated framework in which peacebuilding, development, governance, community participation and security institutions reinforce one another. Such an approach can help move the state from managing recurring crises towards building deeper and more sustainable human, social and economic resilience.

Guiding Questions

• How should Manipur’s security framework evolve to address both traditional threats and emerging non-traditional security challenges?

• How can concerns such as narcotics, organised crime, misinformation, displacement, livelihood insecurity, environmental pressures and public-health risks be integrated into peace and security planning?

• What measures can strengthen community resilience, inter-community trust and confidence in public institutions while reducing vulnerabilities to violence, crime and radicalisation?

• What kind of integrated security and development framework can help Manipur move from crisis management towards sustainable peace, social cohesion and long-term stability?
  
  

Speaker

• Dr. P J Khache
  Assistant Professor
  University of Allahabad

15:00 - 15:50 PM: Moreh at the Frontline: Border Trade, Connectivity and Secure Border Infrastructure in Manipur

Context

Moreh occupies a uniquely strategic position at the intersection of border security, regional connectivity and economic development. As Manipur’s principal land gateway to Myanmar, it has the potential to support India’s Act East Policy by facilitating lawful trade, logistics, mobility and deeper economic engagement with Southeast Asia. Its importance is further enhanced by regional connectivity initiatives linking India’s Northeast with Myanmar and the wider ASEAN region.

At the same time, Moreh operates within a complex security environment shaped by instability across the border, disrupted trade routes, informal and illicit economic networks, narcotics and arms trafficking, documentation challenges, and pressures on border communities. Strengthening connectivity therefore requires more than physical infrastructure; it calls for secure and efficient systems for customs, immigration, trade facilitation, surveillance and inter-agency coordination.

The larger opportunity is to develop Moreh as a model of security through connectivity and development—where modern border infrastructure, legitimate commerce and livelihood opportunities reinforce community confidence, reduce dependence on informal economies and contribute to the restoration of long-term stability in Manipur.

Guiding Questions

• How can Land Port Moreh and the Moreh–Tamu corridor strengthen Manipur’s role as a practical gateway between India and Southeast Asia?

• How can India expand lawful trade and connectivity while strengthening documentation, border security and safeguards against narcotics, arms trafficking and other illicit flows?

• What coordination is required among Customs, Immigration, Land Ports Authority, Manipur Police, security forces and civil administration for secure and efficient border management?

• How can investment in border infrastructure, logistics and formal economic activity generate local livelihoods, strengthen community confidence and contribute to lasting peace and stability in Manipur?

Speaker

• Shri Sng Mohelas Anal
  Port Administrator
  Integrated Check Post (ICP) - Moreh
  Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI)