Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday said the state government would initiate the formation of a committee representing all 36 communities to promote peace and harmony, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s query on whether such a body existed to bring them together.
Singh was addressing at a felicitation ceremony for hill chiefs representing different tribes of Manipur at the Darbar Hall of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The committee would aim to foster cohesion among the communities and promote peace, harmony and inclusive development in the state, he added. The event followed the inauguration of the Hill (Tribal) Chiefs’ Guest House at Palace Compound in Imphal as part of the Mera Hou Chongba Festival 2026.
He said he would consult Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba and all MLAs on the proposed committee and urged the public to support its formation.
This year, hill chiefs would gather at the new guest house to celebrate the festival. He added that the people of Manipur would remember the government’s efforts to establish the facility. The Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur, is the implementing agency, while the Manipur Police Housing Corporation Ltd., Imphal, executed the construction work.
The Hill (Tribal) Chiefs’ Guest House has been constructed at a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹ 7.1238 crore under the North Eastern Council (NEC) scheme, with funding from the NEC under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Addressing the gathering, Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba said that in previous years, people travelling from the hill areas to participate in Mera Hou Chongba had to stay in hotels.
