Talks on creation of 7 new Manipur districts fail to reach consensus

The contentious issue related to the creation of seven new districts in Manipur remained unresolved after Thursday’s high-level tripartite talks between the Centre, the state government and the United Naga Council (UNC) held in Senapati district.

The parties concerned failed to arrive at a diplomatic solution, even though the officials agreed to continue the discussions in April, 2025.

Official sources said that the Manipur Government would present a fresh proposal, addressing the UNC’s demand to roll back district creation at the next meeting. The UNC has consistently opposed the state’s 2016 decision to carve out new administrative units.

The dispute originates from the Manipur Government’s December 2016 decision to create new districts, which the UNC claims altered traditional Naga territories without consultation with them. The council has maintained this position through multiple rounds of negotiations over the past eight years.

“The discussions focussed on the creation of seven new districts by the Government of Manipur and the UNC’s demand for roll back,” the official statement noted.

Ministry of Home Affairs Adviser for Northeast AK Mishra represented the Central Government, while Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh led the state delegation. A 12-member team from the UNC, headed by its president, presented the Naga perspective.