Editorial: Festering wound
Fundamental character of the ethnic conflict must be understood to find a solution to the Manipur crisis
The Manipur imbroglio has exposed a depressing trend where the moderate and saner voices are getting marginalised while extremist positions on either side of the ethnic divide are dominating the narrative. The ground is shrinking for the neutral voices advocating embracing a policy of mutual compromise and compassion. A much-delayed all-party meeting, held by union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, failed to produce any workable solution as the northeastern State continues to burn. Over 100 people have lost their lives and 40,000 have been displaced in large-scale arson and destruction. The BJP is in power both at the Centre and in Manipur but there is a total collapse of political leadership and the much-touted ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ governance model. The distrust between the warring Meiteis and Kukis is deepening by the day. The deployment of the Army and paramilitary personnel has not been able to control the violence. Opposition parties have been rightly questioning Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the volatile situation. The crisis calls for a long-term strategy that can provide a sense of reassurance to the communities about their social, cultural and economic security. Unless the fundamental character of the ethnic conflict, baggage from history, is understood, finding optimal solutions will remain elusive. The only way to bring peace is through dialogue in a spirit of forgiveness and commitment to peace.
There is every danger of radical groups occupying the political space rapidly ceded by the State government and the local bureaucracy if there is any further delay in finding a negotiated settlement. A plethora of factors have contributed to this explosive situation; ethnic discord fuelled by fears of losing one’s cultural, social and land rights, contested history, illegal migration, insurgency, drug trafficking and poppy cultivation. The immediate trigger for the ongoing mayhem was the Manipur High Court’s direction to the state to consider including the Meiteis, who are largely Hindus, in the Scheduled Tribes list. The Kukis, mostly Christians, feel threatened as the move would pave the path for Meiteis to own land in the forest and hill areas and get jobs at their expense. The long-standing disputes between migrants and indigenous people have further exacerbated the crisis. Balancing the aspirations of all communities must be the focus of the efforts for the restoration of normalcy. The issues involved are far too many and complex. A zero-sum approach is unlikely to work; instead, flexibility of ideas will be the key. The warring groups must acknowledge the changing realities and be open to suggestions in the interests of the State and the country. The measures announced by the Centre — formation of a peace committee, judicial investigation, unified command of security forces, rehabilitation measures and combing operations — were meant to achieve the short-term objective of cooling down public anger..
