Editorial: Manipur on the boil

The urgent need is to enforce peace and crack down on the violent mobs without fear or favour

Hyderabad: Manipur is on the boil again with the communal riots, raging for nearly a week, claiming at least 52 lives. The unabated violence reflects not just the failure of the law and order machinery but also exposes the ethnic fault lines in a region which has witnessed contested history. The latest conflict was triggered by a tribal solidarity rally against the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The Meiteis, mostly Hindus, are estimated to be over 60% of the population and inhabit the Imphal Valley. The hill tribes — mostly Naga and Kuki — are predominantly Christian and are designated as ST. Relations between the Valley and the hills have always been fraught with the hill population accusing the Meiteis of political domination whereas the latter fear loss of assets such as land and cultural marginalisation. Manipur, like most of north-eastern India, is an amalgamation of multiple cultures, faiths and ethnicities, many with a history of mistrust and violence. The urgent need is to enforce peace and crack down on the violent mobs without fear or favour. It is a mammoth task, given the delicate nature of the conflict and the ethnic, religious and geographic divides that have roiled the state for decades. After pulling off a deft political move in forming the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the BJP has been claiming that it has largely succeeded in containing violence. However, the region continues to be restive. The Centre and the State have a tough task on hand to work together with all the stakeholders in finding an amicable settlement.

The latest bout of unrest has displaced thousands of people from both the communities, even as the Centre has deployed riot-handling teams of the Rapid Action Force in the disturbed areas. The successive governments have to take the blame for allowing the situation to spin out of control. Last month, the Manipur High Court had asked the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the Meitei demand for ST status. It was in 2013 that the union Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the Manipur government, ‘requesting for a specific recommendation along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic report’. However, the then Congress dispensation in the State did not take any follow-up measures. The BJP-led alliance, which has been in power from 2017 onwards, has also allowed the sensitive issue to fester. The volatile situation needs to be defused by lending a sympathetic ear to the tribal population, which is apprehensive that its educational and employment opportunities will shrink once the Meiteis are added to the ST list. At the same time, the wishes and expectations of the Meitei community must be duly taken into account. Sustainable economic growth and social stability can be ensured through peaceful coexistence of various communities in Manipur.

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