Manipur has an unfortunate history of ethnic strife and separatist violence, but the state was thought to have turned a corner over the past decade till the latest, ongoing tensions erupted. In the past, efforts by the state government to involve all stakeholders to mitigate, if not eradicate, the issues on which there was conflict helped restore calm. It follows that a realistic approach to conflict resolution is of the essence in the current situation too. Indeed, one of the basic precepts of political philosophy is that conflict is endemic to value pluralism in all its forms; the idea is to manage it and prevent discord from descending into violence. It is in this context that the Meitei-Kuki clashes and simmering tensions need to be understood.
First, there is the trust deficit. The Kuki community just does not trust Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and an allegedly partisan Manipur Police is a particular target of ire. The administration has been accused by leaders of the community cutting across party lines of being complicit in the attacks on the Kuki, and sitting by idly even as Meitei vigilante groups have gone on the rampage. The second is a policy issue: Resentment has been brewing within the community at what it terms the “unilateral” decision of the state government to demarcate some hilly areas of Manipur where the Kuki are mainly resident as reserve forests.
As a result, hundreds of Kuki have been evicted. It is also true however, that anecdotal evidence suggests the Kuki community has grown exponentially over past years, which the Biren Singh administration has been at pains to emphasise has been due to illegal immigration from Myanmar. Third is the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status which the Imphal Valley dwelling majority community iterates is its political right and cannot be subject to a veto by the minority communities.
The Kuki community, however, sees the demand as a smokescreen to occupy Kuki lands in the hills. Meitei community leaders refute this allegation emphatically and point out that the cause for the tensions lies in the fact that it is the illegal immigrants who are worried, not “bonafide citizens of India” whatever their ethnicity. Interestingly, this time around, the Naga (mainly Tangkhul) tribes in Manipur who have in the past had differences with the Meitei have also raised the issue of illegal immigration and the threat it poses to traditional Naga lands. The tortuous history and complicated reality of the situation in Manipur needs adept, sensitive handling. In Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Centre believes it has found a troubleshooter for not just Manipur but the North East as a whole. He met Kuki leaders in Guwahati on Sunday and is thought to have assured them that he is working on an inclusive political solution, but attacks on the Meitei community by cadres of Kuki outfits too must cease. It is axiomatic that a resolution will require accommodation from all sides and incitement from none.