Manipur CM floats 36-community panel, mulls Upper House for small groups

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has said he intends to set up a committee drawing one representative from each of the state's 36 communities, and floated the idea of a second legislative chamber so that smaller groups that have never sent an MLA to the Assembly get a say in governance.

He made the remarks on Friday as chief guest at the Berkap-Reiju Festival 2026, the annual cultural festival of the Kom tribe organised by the Kom Union Manipur at the Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT) in Imphal, The Sangai Express reported.

A committee suggested in Delhi

Khemchand said that during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi he told him that Manipur is home to 36 communities that had lived together since the era of the kings. According to the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister asked whether the state had an integrity committee with members from every community, and he replied that he was planning to form one.

He said he would invite former Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba to discuss how smaller communities could be brought into development work through such a committee.

Upper House idea

Pointing out that some small communities have never been able to elect a legislator from among themselves, the Chief Minister noted that several states have bicameral legislatures with an upper and a lower house. He said Manipur could adopt such a model too, but that it would need resources. He did not give a timeline or say whether a formal proposal would be made.

Under the Constitution, a state can create or abolish a Legislative Council only if its Assembly passes a resolution by a special majority and Parliament then enacts a law. Only a handful of states currently have one.

Singapore and the 1891 war

Khemchand recalled that people from the 36 communities fought the British in the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 and resisted the Burmese during the Seven Years' Devastation. He cited Singapore as an example of a small, multi-ethnic country that moved from communal clashes in 1964 to dialogue and prosperity, and said Manipur could learn from its focus on peace and unity. He also pointed to boxer MC Mary Kom, from the Kom tribe, as proof that small communities can produce world-class talent.

He announced Rs 5 lakh in financial assistance for the festival's organising committee.

Call for a State Integrity Council

At the festival's first session, former United Committee Manipur president Joychandra Konthoujam proposed a State Integrity Council headed by the Chief Minister to protect the interests of smaller communities and the state's territorial integrity, saying some groups have no one to raise their grievances.

MLAs Th Arunkumar Singh and Th Shanti Singh and Kom Union Manipur president Serto Ahao Kom attended the second session.