Disagreement, misunderstanding and power struggle among different communities in Manipur either over political representation, allocation of funds and infrastructure, or land dispute, have been there since the attainment of statehood. All the insurgency groups in the state are based on ethnicity or communities, with not a single group encompassing the whole state. This speaks volumes. This, in a way, tells that each community has been trying to fulfill its specific objectives in its own ways, all this while. The state witnessed a tragic encounter between the Naga and Kuki tribes in the early 1990s over land. Other than that, there was no major conflict between different communities in the state although there were bandhs, strikes and economic blockages. However, the ongoing unrest between the Meiteis and Kukis, which has claimed more than 100 lives, damaged thousands of homes and properties, has also destroyed the little trust gained over the years. The Nagas and other communities, who are not involved in the ongoing violent clashes, have also been caught in the crossfire, bearing the brunt including assault and arson. They have been maintaining restraint so far, which is commendable; they should continue to do so. However, things can take a different turn if violence spreads to the rest of the state. Such a situation should be avoided. The law and order situation in the state is still fragile, very fragile. The state is no doubt at its lowest ebb.
Claims by politicians that normalcy has returned to the state are farce. Violence has not ended despite appeals by Union Home minister Amit Shah during his recent visit to the affected areas of the state. Only the battlegrounds have been shifted to the foothills. Deployment of thousands of army personnel has failed to control sporadic violent incidents that continue to kill civilians on a daily basis. The situation on the ground is perilous with the two warring communities said to be engaged in gunfights using sophisticated weapons, especially after thousands of arms and ammunitions were looted by mobs from various police stations during the initial days of unrest. It should be easier to improve law and order situation after the demographic separation following the exodus of the tribals, especially the Kuki-Zo community from the Imphal valley, but the central and state governments have still failed to control the violence. The Centre’s proposed peace committee, which is a novel idea towards restoring normalcy, too has hit a roadblock with several imminent public figures announcing their withdrawal from the panel. One of the reasons for this development is the failure of the government in stopping armed groups from attacking each other. Allowing leaders of certain interest groups and individuals to make outrageous statements, including ambitions to annex land, also doesn’t help in dousing the fire. For some semblance of normalcy to return, anything that will add more fuel to the ongoing fire should be stopped. The Centre also can think of changing leadership in the state if that will pave the way for a dialogue between the warring communities. All avenues that will help restore normalcy should be explored.
