Manipur on the boil again as government outreach stumbles

GUWAHATI: Oinam Binita, a nurse at a private hospital in Assam’s Guwahati, decided to spend her maternity leave in her native village, Tronglaobi, in conflict-torn Manipur's Bishnupur district, surmising that it was safe due to the presence of Central security forces. She gave birth to a baby girl five months ago while her husband — Mangalngamba Oinam, a BSF jawan — was posted in Bihar.

Her faith in the security forces and the government, however, was shattered when a projectile, fired allegedly by Kuki insurgents from the adjoining Churachandpur district, hit her house at around 1 am on April 7, killing her two children — a five-year-old son and the five-month-old daughter — on the spot. Binita was hospitalised with injuries.

The shocking incident angered locals. Hours later, three died in the firing by the forces during the protests. The anger spread, leading to more protests and blockades, which precipitated clashes with the forces across the Valley.

This became a fresh worry for both the Central and state governments. Especially for the state, which has remained troubled due to the ongoing Meitei-Kuki conflict that began in May 2023.

Outreach

The spurt in violence came barely a fortnight after Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) — an apex body of the Kuki-Zo civil society organisations — in Guwahati on March 22 as part of his efforts to break the ice and move towards finding a solution.

Leaders of the KZC, which is also engaged in talks with the Central government, however, stressed the need to fast-track efforts toward a political solution by forming a Union Territory comprising the Kuki-dominated areas. Although Kukis were suspected to be behind the April 7 attack, the KZC denied any such claim.

Meanwhile, the CM suspected the involvement of elements trying to derail the peace efforts he has undertaken by reaching out to the Meiteis, Kukis, and the Nagas since taking oath on February 4.

He tried to visit both the Naga and Kuki-dominated areas, but Nemcha Kipgen — the Deputy CM representing the Kukis — has not been able to visit the Valley or the Kuki-dominated districts, fearing attacks. Kipgen and the other Kuki MLAs, in fact, had to attend the Assembly virtually.

On Saturday, April 18, hours after the CM concluded a "peace mission" tour to the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district, unidentified miscreants ambushed a passenger vehicle, killing two Tangkhul Nagas on the spot in the TM Kasom area. The KZC said it could be the handiwork of a "certain factional group" and denied the allegation about the Kuki-Zo community’s involvement.

Meanwhile, the CM also tried to restore movement on the highways connecting the Valley to the Kuki-dominated hill districts and resettle the displaced persons. However, the KZC warned that such efforts without a political solution could lead to fresh violence.

"A new CM elected predominantly by the Meitei community alone inherits this distrust. Restoring trust will not be possible unless the Kuki community’s demand for a Union Territory with a Legislature is conceded," said Sominthang Doungel, general secretary of the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) — a political party that has two MLAs in Manipur. The KPA MLAs have maintained distance from the government since 2023.

More tensions and fears

Amid efforts to end the Meitei-Kuki conflict, the Khemchand government faced new tension when the Nagas and Kukis began clashing in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district in March.

The Nagas have kept their distance from the Meitei-Kuki conflict. However, the Ukhrul violence came as an additional worry, given the history of large-scale violence involving the Kukis and Nagas in the 1990s, when more than 1,000 people died between 1992 and 1998.

Amid efforts by the new government to reach out to the communities, the clamour for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) has grown in the Valley, with many taking to the streets for it.

The Meiteis have demanded that the NRC be updated in Manipur before the Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise. The Congress in the Opposition has also supported the demand. The Meiteis have also called for "illegal migrants" — mainly from the Kuki-Zo community — to be detected, with 1951 as the cut-off date.

Faced with the fresh conflict, Khemchand has repeatedly appealed to the communities to "forget and forgive" and move forward for a peaceful Manipur. But the appeals seem to have made no difference so far. The CM’s assurance that Manipur’s territorial integrity would remain intact has only added to the Kukis’ anger: It goes against their demand for a Union Territory.

KZC spokesperson Ginza Vualzong told DH recently: "The root of the prevailing discontent lies primarily in unresolved land issues.”

He explained: “The Kuki, Naga, and Meitei communities all face competing claims and concerns over land, making it a deeply complex and sensitive issue. Equally pressing is the continued marginalisation of tribal communities, which has further deepened divisions and grievances."