Introduction.
The Kuki and Naga tribes, considered to be India’s most impoverished people and inhabiting the highlands of Manipur, began a protest on May 3 against the potential extension of their benefits to the majority Meiteis. Over the past 3 months, the violence in the North eastern state has only worsened, leading to an internet shutdown, and the abuse of women as a consequence.
The start of the violence.
Manipur’s absorption by the British Empire in 1891 is where the bloodshed first began. The establishment of foreign rule upended the region’s traditional political and social structures, which sparked significant unrest among the Manipuri populace. Manipur joined the Indian Union after India attained independence in 1947, but the unresolved problems from its past persisted, causing tensions and war.
A wide variety of ethnic groups, each with its own distinct cultural and linguistic identity, call Manipur home. Unfortunately, this diversity has served as a fertile ground for inter-ethnic tensions, escalating violence and hostility. The Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis, and Pangals (Manipuri Muslims) are the main ethnic groups in Manipur. With each community vying for legitimacy and political representation, historical property disputes and identity-based conflicts have led to a number of violent incidents.
The conflict in Manipur is further complicated by the presence of numerous insurgency organisations. These organisations frequently have a mix of political, economic, and ideological motivations. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) are a few of the well-known insurgent organisations. Their actions have interfered with daily living, slowed progress, and presented serious difficulties for the administration.
The Manipur High Court suggested that the government take the demand of the Meiti community into consideration and set a deadline of mid-May, giving them the boost they had been waiting for for more than ten years.
Given that Meiteis make up about half of Manipur’s population, granting them access to restricted affirmative action quotas would let them compete for government employment and educational opportunities currently held by Kukis and Nagas.
Tensions erupted when Kukis started protesting Meitei claims for official tribal recognition, which they claimed would increase their already substantial influence on the government and society and allow them to purchase land or settle in Kuki-dominated areas.
High Court Decision.
In the PIL Mutum Churamnai Meetei v. The State of Manipur and Others [1], Justice M.V. Muralidaran of the Manipur high court issued an order on March 27 directing the state government to submit recommendations within four weeks to include the Meitei community under the ST category. This order was claimed to be ultra vires and against Article 342 (1) of the Constitution, which expressly grants the president this authority.
An appeal was filed by Manipur Tribal Forum, Delhi, in the apex court against the order alongside a writ petition under Article 32, seeking safe evacuation of the tribals stranded in the camps set up by the Army and CRPF in the Imphal valley and for the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be spearheaded by Harekrishna Deka, former DGP, Assam, and monitored by Justice (Retd.) T. Vaiphei, Chairman, Meghalaya Human Rights Commission.
The bench emphasised a crucial point, repeating that the high court has no part to play in a community’s grant of ST status. The petitioners expressed grave concerns about potential extremist attacks on indigenous areas. The state’s law enforcement agencies were ordered by the court to take prompt and proper action to prevent similar apprehendings. A status report submitted to the Supreme Court at the same time stated that things were returning to normal in the state. The next scheduled hearing for the case is in July.
Measures taken by the Central Government.
Prior to the release of the attack’s video this week which shows two women belonging to the kuki tribe being paraded naked by men of the Meiti tribe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been silent about the unrest in Manipur. His statement that the tragedy had “shamed India” and that “no guilty will be spared… what happened with the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven” was followed by his promise that “no guilty will be spared.”
To stop the most recent round of violence, the Indian government has sent 40,000 soldiers, paramilitary forces, and police to the area. It has so far rebuffed requests for direct rule from tribal chiefs.
However, the violence keeps growing and expelling more villagers from their homes.
The Immediate Need to Restore Peace.
Even though the initial outbreak of violence was subdued by mid-May, intermittent retaliation attacks started soon after.
Both the Meiteis and Kukis are reputed to possess a large arsenal, including automatic weapons that have either been taken from the state police or that have been purchased from Myanmar over the border.
To help regulate armed organizations that operate from across the border, New Delhi has conducted discussions with senior Myanmar leaders. However, these discussions have not yet yielded any results.
Due to disagreements about the panel’s composition, Kuki and Meitei factions also declined to participate in a federal government-created peace panel.
With each passing day, the severity of the violent outburst seems to increase. There has already been a grave violation of human rights, and abuse of women and children.
Though the matter is currently being deliberated upon in the Courts of India, there exists a great responsibility on the State and Central authorities to bring in measures and initiatives to curb such violent outbreaks, or attempt to minimize the effect and impact of such violence.
Conclusion.
The primary concerns in this situation are the loss of life, the commission of crimes against humanity against a specific population, and the burning down of homes and places of worship. Instead, some people have a propensity to casually paint the entire tribal society as violent aggressors just because they formerly engaged in conflicts over territorial and cultural survival. Giving justice where it is due is a need right now.
Manipur’s violence is a complicated web of historical, ethnic, and political causes that continue to provide problems for the state’s citizens and the country as a whole. Government, civil society, and the international community must work together to address the core causes and create long-term solutions.
[1] Mutum Churamnai Meetei v. The State of Manipur and Others, W.P(C) No. 229 OF 2023.
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66260730
[3]
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/why-is-indias-manipur-state-grip-ethnic-violence-2023-07-21/
[5] https://thewire.in/law/manipur-violence-are-we-losing-sight-of-whats-really-important
