When moderate voices are marginalized so completely and effectively as has happened in the North-Eastern state of Manipur over the past year and more, it is apparent that societal cleavages have deepened exponentially. Indeed, a number of highly respected commentators are now saying that the Meitei-Kuki divide has widened to form an unbridgeable chasm.
Of the many causes for this state of affairs, the prolonged inability and/or unwillingness of the N Biren Singh government to take on the Meitei radical and vigilante groups is surely a pivotal factor. This is not to say that Kuki armed groups have not been equally vicious if not more so. But to underline the fact that it is of some solace to saner minds across the political spectrum that this so-called strategy did not pay off. In fact, it seems to have boomeranged with the Congress winning from both Lok Sabha seats in the state including the Meitei-dominated Inner Manipur parliamentary seat. It also is worth noting that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in his post-General Election statement indicated that the Sangh wants the hurt, resentment, and fear across vast swathes of the population of Manipur to be addressed on a priority by the administration at the state-level and the Centre.
Recent reports that the Chief Minister, who has served primarily his own agenda regardless of whether he was in the Congress or the BJP over the past two decades, is finally on the way out were denied but primarily by Biren Singh himself! In Delhi’s power corridors, the talk is of when, not if, there is a change in political leadership in Manipur. And about time too. For, a new beginning is sorely – and surely – needed.
The adjective used by a longtime observer of state politics to describe ties between the Meitei and Kuki communities, “toxic”, is unfortunately entirely accurate. This, in turn, has led leaders on both sides to say in private that coexistence is not possible for Meitei and Kuki within Manipur. If the divide in the state is as permanent as the ground reports suggest, the atrocities we have seen till now will likely fade in comparison with what may yet come.
Though the violence has not been one-sided, the Kuki community has borne the brunt of Meitei mobs on the rampage across the state over the past year. Kuki distrust of the state government is entirely understandable as the state law-enforcement machinery has failed in its primary duty. The bigger concern, however, is that the dominant narrative amidst the majority Meitei community seems to justify violence against the Kuki.
The Kuki community, it is alleged, are mostly illegal immigrants from Myanmar who are engaged in poppy cultivation having cleared large tracts of forest land in the hills of Manipur. The truth of this assertion is contested, though it cannot be wholly dismissed. But that is a law-and-order issue which should have been dealt with strictly by the Biren Singh administration. That this did not happen, however, can in no way justify the mob on the street calling for the large-scale “eviction” of the minority Kuki community from the state much less be a ground for the atrocities unleashed on those belonging to it.
The bloodshed in Manipur may have been sparked by the attacks on members of the Meitei community by hardline Kuki in Churachandpur District in May last year, but there should have been no room for so-called “retaliation” by vigilante groups. It was a clear failure of the state government which could not handle the fallout of the May attacks by swift and robust action against the perpetrators. Anyone who is claiming anything to the contrary is indulging in whataboutery. The atmosphere of intimidation in the months following the violence, and the lack of politicians of stature attempting to seriously initiate inter-community dialogue till today, points towards a bleak future.
It must also not be forgotten that a state-seeking separatist movement in Manipur was led by a section of the Meitei community in past decades, and many of the cadres of proscribed outfits such as the UNLF led the orgy of violence against the Kuki community in 2023. It would be naïve to believe that these are the people who have taken up arms against “Kuki infiltrators” out of a desire to protect the integrity of India. In this context, the Meitei community in particular needs to be appreciated for having, in essence, sent out a clear message to its hardline leaders in the Lok Sabha poll – not in our name. Moderate voices in both communities need to take a stand. Because Manipur deserves better.
