Imphal, April 4 Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Saturday said that Jiribam has made history as the state's first district where all communities came together to restore peace after three years of unrest.
Addressing people during a community interaction programme at New Alipur Rongmei Naga village, the chief minister said he decided to visit Jiribam for the second time in the last two months as people from various communities agreed to sit together under one platform.
"The people of Jiribam are the most open-minded in the state," he said.
During the programme, Singh interacted with internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Meitei, Kuki, Paite, and Hmar communities, listening to their grievances.
A Meitei woman IDP expressed fear about returning home, while a young Hmar tribal girl highlighted difficulties in securing government jobs.
Singh told the IDPs that the purpose of the programme was to remove the trust deficit and narrated a story when he recruited 74 people in a most transparent recruitment test in the rural development department when he was a minister.
A Kuki village leader expressed trust in the government and readiness to return home, while a Paite villager urged continuation of peace-building measures and acknowledged support from Meitei local leaders.
Singh assured that his government was trying to help the IDPs in whatever capacity he could.
"I may not be able to fulfil all your wishes, but I will continue to help you all in whatever way I can. Everyone always wanted to return home, and our government is making every effort to help the IDPs in the construction of new houses," he said.
The CM on Saturday travelled to Jiribam district bordering south Assam by road through NH-37, covering over 220 km in six hours.
Nine BJP MLAs and the party's state chief A Sharda Devi accompanied the CM.