Deaths, displacements and shrinking trust characterise Manipur's worst phase of conflict

Manipur had witnessed a major ethnic conflict in 1993, but the present one appears considerably worse.

With more than 115 deaths, over 60,000 displacements, and nearly 40,000 security forces struggling to curb violence for the past 45 days, Manipur is perhaps going through the worst phase in its decades-long history of ethnic conflicts and militancy.

Even as the Centre and the BJP government in the state claim that they are doing everything possible to restore peace, the hard stance adopted by the influential organisations representing both the Meitei and the Kuki communities regarding their pending (and sometimes conflicting) demands, have made the peace mission tougher.

One one hand, Meitei groups have intensified their demand for an Assam-like NRC to "detect the illegal migrants" as well as for Scheduled Tribe status, an old demand which triggered the violence on May 3.

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On the other hand, Kuki groups, including its 10 MLAs, say that a "separate administration" for the Kuki-Zomi dominated areas in Manipur is the only way forward to restore peace and end the discrimination by the Meitei-dominated government. They claim that the state government has also neglected the development in the Kuki-majority hills districts.

Demand for NRC:

Hundreds of women, belonging to the Meitei community staged a protest in human chains across Manipur on Saturday night with torches in their hands with slogans demanding National Register of Citizens (NRC) and abrogation of the Suspension of Operation Agreement (SoO) with the Kuki insurgent groups. The protesters said that only an NRC can protect the Meiteis against the threat of identity they face from the growing population of the Kukis.

The Kukis, meanwhile, say that by demanding the NRC, the Meitei groups are trying to tag them as illegal migrants despite them having a long history in Manipur.

The demand for and against the NRC, which has risen in the past few years, have further deepened the distrust between the majority Meiteis and the Kukis tribes.

Manipur had witnessed a major ethnic conflict in 1993 when the NSCN and Naga insurgent groups allegedly killed more than 100 Kukis and displaced many. The long problem of militancy too has kept the state troubled for years. Insurgency-related incidents in the state, however, have come down in the past few years.

Action against insurgents:

The abrogation of the Suspension of Operation Agreement (SoS) with at least 23 Kuki insurgent groups is one of the major demands put forth by the Meitei organisations for giving peace a chance. They claim that these groups were involved in the attacks on the Meiteis.

The Kuki organisations, however, allege that the state government is aiding the "Meitei armed groups" like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun in attacking the Kuki villages. They have also alleged involvement of the Meitei insurgent groups (like PLA, Prepak, KCP) in the attacks and looting of over 4,000 weapons from armories. Nearly 3,000 snatched weapons still remain traceless.

CM Biren under fire:

Chief Minister N Biren Singh, whom BJP projected as its face of peace and development during the Assembly elections in 2018, has come under fire both from the Kuki groups as well as leaders of his own party.

Kuki groups like Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum have openly alleged that Biren is part of the ongoing "plot to kill the Kukis" while some BJP leaders have said that the Biren Singh government has failed to maintain law and order.

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After his house was set on fire in Imphal, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and senior BJP leader, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, recently openly said that the Biren-led government had failed to restore peace.

Biren, meanwhile, has repeatedly rejected the demand by the Kuki organisations (separate administration) in order to keep support of the majority Meiteis intact.

The fight over land:

Sources in Manipur told DH that as the fight over land, particularly in the hills, was one of the reasons leading to the violence, protecting the land vacated by the displaced people is going to be the next big challenge.

CM Biren Singh recently issued an order to ensure that the land left behind by the displaced people is not taken over by others. But protecting the same is going to be tougher since most of the displaced people are reluctant to go back to their villages without restoration of peace and efforts to bridge the trust caused by the violence.