Despite imposition of President's Rule, the road towards peace in Manipur looks bumpy

Guwahati: Three weeks after imposition of President's Rule in Manipur on February 13, the road towards peace in the strife-torn state still looks bumpy with most of the steps taken so far facing stiff resistance, both from the Meiteis and the Kuki organisations.

The appeal and the deadlines, issued twice by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, to surrender the looted weapons have resulted in lukewarm response, both in the Valley and in the hills while Home Minister Amit Shah's directive to restore movement on the highways from Saturday (March 8) have been bluntly rejected by the Kuki organisations. Leaders of the two communities have opined that instead of trying to initiate talks, the Centre was trying to "impose" peace, thus making the road towards peace bumpy.

Ginza Vualzong, the spokesperson of Kuki Zo Council (KZC), the apex body of all Kuki-Zo organisations, said although the government was trying to enforce the measures announced after promulgation of the President's Rule, there was no invitation for talks from the Centre yet. "It has been frustrating for us. The government is trying to forcefully impose peace without any headway for talks," he told DH on Friday. 

Movement on roads: 

The Kuki leader made the statement hours after the KZC decided not to facilitate free movement of people on the roads passing through Kuki-dominated areas till a pact for cessation of conflict with the Meieis was reached.   

"The Council welcomes the MHA move to enforce free movement of essential commodities within the state. However, until and unless there can be a pact for cessation of hostilities between the warring communities, the KZC cannot guarantee free movement of people across the buffer zones and cannot take responsibility for any untoward incidents," KZC said in a statement, following a meeting on Thursday.

The Committee on Tribal Unity, another Kuki organisation and a union of "Village Volunteers," the armed Kuki persons guarding their villages against possible attack by the Meiteis, also warned about "severe consequences" if the order for resumption of movement is enforced.

On Friday, security forces launched a drive and cleared "obstructions" on a stretch of the National Highway-2 that passes through Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.

The NH-2 connects Meitei-dominated Imphal with the rest of the country. The forces dismantled at least 15 "bunkers" set up by Kuki "village volunteers."

Surrender of weapons:  

Sources in the state police told DH that the security forces launched a combing operation as only a little more than 1,000 weapons were surrendered till 4 pm on Thursday, when the deadline (extended for the second time) for voluntary surrender of the weapons ended. The Governor made the appeal as more than 6,000 weapons were looted, mostly in the Meitei-dominated Valley, since the Meitei-Kuki conflict had flared up in May 2023. But only 1,200 weapons could be recovered by the security forces till September last year. 

The significant development took place on February 27 when Arambai Tenggol, the radical Meitei group, surrendered 246 weapons before the security forces in the state capital Imphal. On the final day of the deadline on Thursday, a total of 196 weapons were deposited to police across the state. Hours later, the security forces launched a combing operation and recovered 36 weapons and 129 ammunition, both in the Valley and hill districts. 

Organisations in the Valley as well as the hills urged for further extension of the deadline (beyond March 6) but the Governor said it was the "last chance" to surrender the illegal weapons.

The Kuki Zo Council also opposed instructions for restoration of posting of the Kuki government employees in Meitei-dominated areas, fearing their safety. 

Separate administration:

The KZC on Friday reiterated its stand for a "separate administration," in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature as the only way to restore peace in Manipur. The Meitei groups, on the other hand, urged the Governor to openly reject the demand and thereby maintainthe  territorial integrity of Manipur. The Kuki groups also opposed the repeated remarks by BJP leaders about the saffron party's stand to ensure territorial integrity of Manipur.