After a few months of hiatus, clashes between Kukis living in the hilly areas and Meiteis of the plains in the Indian state of Manipur have started again. The government is being criticized for not being able to unite the two sides of the conflict that started more than a year ago. Government figures say 225 people have died in the year-long conflict. More than 60 thousand people are still homeless.
The conflict started again on September 1. Manipur police say that Kukis have carried out a drone attack in Meiteid area. But the cookies claim, Meiteira used drones. This is the first time drones have been used in this conflict. Apart from this, rockets are also said to have been used.
Meiteiras are basically Hindus. They live around the state capital Imphal. And the Kukis are basically Christians. They live in hilly areas.
State inaction?
Activists have questioned the state’s efforts to calm the situation. Many people are also bringing forward the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not visited Manipur yet.
A Manipuri activist, who did not wish to be named, told Deutsche Welle that the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people in Manipur has been completely ignored and that is why the anger of the Manipuri is deepening.
Human rights activist Vinalakshmi Nipram termed the current period as the ‘darkest chapter’ in Manipur’s history.
He told Deutsche Welle that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure the safety of citizens. 60,000 to 70,000 members of the Indian security forces have been flown in to calm the situation. But sadly they did nothing.
He also said, ‘Manipur people are completely shocked. How can India not control the situation in a small part of the country with its advanced weapons, intelligence and technology? This has been going on for 16 months. Every Manipuri is asking this question.
Cause of excitement
Kuki student leader Telang Letminlen Haokip says people in his community have been discriminated against for decades.
He also said, ‘We have been exploited economically and politically. There is great mistrust between the hill and plain dwellers. There is very little development work in the hills. There are good infrastructures in the plain.
On the other hand, Surjeet, a 40-year-old member of the Meitei community, termed the ethnic divide as a ‘ticking time bomb that has exploded’. He said, Meites are not allowed to buy land in the hills. He alleged that the Kukis had come illegally from Myanmar and were also involved in poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
Failure of past governments
Manipur became part of India in 1949. There have been conflicts and separatist activities between different ethnic groups for decades.
Experts say past governments have failed to address the root cause of the conflict. The rulers in power in New Delhi have historically neglected the issue.
Meanwhile, human rights organizations say that there is a serious lack of peace efforts in Manipur. A Manipuri activist, who did not want to be named, said, “I have not seen anything happen other than a formal invitation to the armed groups to sit at the negotiating table on peace efforts.”
Describing the lack of peace talks in the last one year as ‘sad’, human rights activist Nipram said, ‘The Indian government should have brought the various nations together and ensured that there are trust-building mechanisms in place. We don’t need drones, we need dialogue. We don’t need rocket launchers, we need reconciliation. We need mediation, not fighting.’
