June 26th 2024.
Now that the chaos of the battle has subsided and the dust has settled, only time will tell if victory or defeat was the outcome. As the nation shifts its focus, it is imperative that we turn our attention towards the troubled state of Manipur in the north-east. The state has been marred by months of ethnic violence, and the recent peaceful protests across Manipur on June 24th, coinciding with the Lok Sabha session, have made it clear that the people of Manipur are desperate for an end to this bloodshed. Both the Meitei community, who predominantly reside in the valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribes, who inhabit the hills, have taken to the streets in a united effort to bring an end to the ongoing conflict that has been raging since May 2023.
Despite the BJP governments at the Centre and the state, often referred to as the "double engine," their efforts to quell the ethnic strife have been woefully inadequate. This is largely due to the biased approach of Manipur's Chief Minister, N Biren Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lack of a single visit to the troubled state, during a time when women were being raped, men were being killed, and homes were being set ablaze, speaks volumes about the government's neglect of the situation. The communal divide within the ruling party has only exacerbated the issue, with one group being favored while the other is left behind. The recent Lok Sabha polls saw the people of Manipur punishing the BJP for their blatant disregard for the state's problems, resulting in the party's candidates losing in both parliamentary seats.
The root of the problem lies in the fact that the Meiteis, who are part of the general category, are demanding to be included in the Scheduled Tribe category, claiming to have a tribal heritage. This is nothing more than a ploy to seize land. On the other hand, the Kuki tribals are seeking a separate administration, or "Kukiland," to be carved out of Manipur. They have been fighting for this for decades, citing the need for a homeland for the scattered tribes who share ethnic ties with neighboring Mizoram and Myanmar's Chin State.
However, amidst all the turmoil, there is a glimmer of hope. The recent protests on June 24th saw a common demand from both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities - an end to the violence that has plagued the state for over a year. In Imphal valley, hundreds of women marched silently, holding up placards urging the Centre to remove certain central forces that they believe have not done enough to combat the growing threat of Kuki insurgents. The protesters also called for the Manipur issue to be discussed in Parliament and resolved quickly before any more lives are lost. Similarly, in areas dominated by the Kuki community, such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, hundreds gathered to participate in peaceful marches and listen to speeches by Kuki MLAs and civil society leaders. They too appealed to the Centre to create a separate administration or a Union Territory by merging all Kuki-dominated areas in Manipur. The state Assembly currently has 10 Kuki MLAs, some of whom belong to the ruling BJP.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Kuki organization based in Churachandpur, has announced that it will lead a nonviolent protest to demand the creation of a Union Territory for the Kukis. This call has been endorsed by other Kuki and Zo tribe groups as well. The ongoing ethnic conflict, which has already claimed over 220 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people, has only worsened with armed militias joining both sides. The situation spiraled out of control after the state government failed to recover a large cache of weapons and ammunition that had been stolen from the police force and were subsequently used in acts of ethnic cleansing. Observers of Manipur's political landscape believe that the administration's favoritism towards the majority group has played a significant role in the situation getting out of hand.
The recent Lok Sabha polls have made it clear that the people of Manipur want a change of attitude from the government at the Centre and leadership in the state. They do not wish for the status quo to continue, and it is now up to the authorities to heed their call for change and work towards a resolution of the ongoing ethnic conflict.
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