Uneasy Calm in Manipur: Ethnic Clashes, Governance Failures and the Long Road to Peace

Manipur has been affected by violence for the past three years, the latest outbreak occurring between the Nagas and the Kukis in February this year. Though the situation is a little better now, peace has eluded the state for a long time.

Since May 2023, there have been clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis that resulted in the killing of 258 people and the displacement of about 60,000 persons. There is such a deep distrust among communities that it has become a monumental task to restore it. These ethnic clashes started due to deep-rooted economic interests, including land conflicts, between the two groups. It only needed a trigger to explode, which came in the form of an order of the Manipur High Court. The order, which was later withdrawn, said that the state government should consider granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meiteis and send a recommendation to the Union government. This order was misinterpreted by the Kukis, saying that the high court had given ST status to the Meiteis, which is not true. It only asked the state government to consider the proposal. However, the Kukis protested and this was countered by the Meiteis and a long phase of violence ensued. Today, the conflict has divided the communities so badly that they can’t enter each other’s areas. Moreover, the Kukis and the Nagas too are on a warpath. The underlying cause is the lucrative smuggling corridors, including Moreh, and the control of the national highway from Imphal to Kohima.

Decoding the Conflict

Geographically, Manipur has an area of over 22,300 sq km. About 90 per cent of this area is mountainous, inhabited primarily by the Nagas and the Kukis. The remaining 10 per cent is Imphal Valley, primarily inhabited by the Meiteis, who constitute about 53 per cent of the state’s population—about three million. The Kukis, who came to Manipur in small numbers over hundreds of years from Myanmar, settled in the south side of Churachandpur. They were later driven out from here in the 18th century by Burmese invasions. During the British era, many were brought back jointly by the British and the kings of Manipur to defend them from the onslaught of the Naga tribes.

During the past years, a number of Kuki villages started encroaching upon the reserve forest area, which the government frowned upon. In addition, some Kukis migrated from the Myanmar side, indulging in poppy cultivation. When the government came to know of this, action was taken—they were traced and deported, leading to huge resentment. The drug lords got alarmed and decided to fight back. The Kukis and the Nagas, who have ST status, didn’t want the Meiteis, who have Other Backward Classes status, to have ST status because they would eat into their job reservation and would also buy land officially in the hill areas as per the law after getting the ST status. All three communities have their own aspirations and apprehensions and eye each other with suspicion. And sometimes, some incidents explode into bigger dimensions, as it happened in this case.

The state government failed to anticipate this explosion in May 2023, and later, it also failed to handle it promptly due to deep-rooted drawbacks in governance, which has been continuing over the decades. But it must be also flagged that Manipur is the only state in the country that does not have a homogenous group of people. The Meiteis, the Kukis and the Nagas have their unique identity and history. It is always difficult to handle such a composition of people. And then there is the international border with Myanmar: Manipur’s location at the tip of the golden triangle has become a route to smuggle drugs, weapons and precious stones. Many insurgent groups have safe sanctuaries in Myanmar and some want to destabilise India.

The drawback in governance has been the absence of impartial political interventions, nexus with criminals, extortion, corruption and even looting government funds. Sometimes the reason is a bureaucracy that is partial, including the police, lack of close monitoring by the Central agencies, poor functioning of police personnel and lack of economic development in the hill areas. There are almost six district autonomous councils that are non-functional. In the recent clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis, thousands of weapons were looted from the security forces and handed over to criminals from the two communities, even as the police looked the other way. These weapons were used in the violent clashes. Though many weapons have now been recovered, many are still with people from the two communities.

The authorities, including the Union government, Army, various central police forces, the judiciary and the National Investigation Agency are taking various measures, but unless the whole set-up at the state level, including political parties, the bureaucracy and the police is overhauled to ensure proper functioning, closely monitored by the Centre, the situation will not improve. In addition to the sealing of the border, tough action must be taken to keep the two national highways—from Imphal to Kohima in Nagaland and from Silchar in Assam to Jiribam in Manipur—open and safe, by the authorities concerned. Moreover, speedy investigation and prosecution in all cases, intelligence gathering and diplomatic initiatives at the international level should be ensured. During the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the government must ensure that foreigners are excluded, and further action must be taken against them as per the law.

President’s rule improved the situation, but that was only for a short period. The public is full of resentment against the Union government for its alleged inaction and partiality. This perception also has to be changed as soon as possible with suitable action. The recent formation of a government with a well-meaning Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei, and two deputy chief ministers—one each from the Kuki and the Naga communities—is a good step and they have started well. Alleviating the difficulties of the communities, dismantling barriers in movement, proper rehabilitation of the displaced and recovery of weapons are urgently required and the state government must make this a priority. Ultimately, it is only a transparent, honest, patient and corruption-free government that can bring the communities back together by continuously engaging with them.

(Views expressed are personal)

B. L. Vohra is a retired Director General Of Police and former Home Secretary, Manipur