Editorial: Manipur awaits political solution

The trouble-torn State has become a bad example for the BJP’s oft-repeated ‘double-engine ki sarkar’

The wounds of Manipur need a soothing balm; a healing touch that encompasses all the affected communities. A political solution involving civil society is the only way forward. The onus is on the central government to step in and arrest the tide of ethnic violence that has taken a more ominous dimension with the militants using drones to drop bombs at targeted villages. The trouble-torn Northeast State has turned out to be a bad example for the BJP’s oft-repeated slogan of ‘double-engine ki sarkar’. Amid a fresh surge in violence, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has appealed to the Centre to take steps to protect the State’s territorial integrity. At the same time, he has demanded that the charge of the Unified Command — including the Central Armed Police Forces — be handed over to the State government. Such appeals sound hollow, considering his own inept handling of the situation since the Meitei-Kuki clashes broke out in May last year. Despite his underwhelming performance, the ruling BJP has persisted with Biren Singh. Even the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — the Congress won both seats in Manipur, defeating the saffron party and the Naga People’s Front — has not triggered a much-needed shakeup. Both Central and State governments are guilty of allowing the situation to spin out of control in the sensitive region. Ironically enough, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been visiting one country after another, has not set foot in Manipur since February 2022.

Seeking to defend what is clearly an indefensible approach, Biren Singh has stated that the PM did send Home Minister Amit Shah to the State and also spoke about Manipur in Parliament as well as in his 2023 Independence Day speech. But all that has certainly not proved enough to defuse tensions. The ethnic violence in an already volatile region saw further escalation recently with the Kuki militants using drones to carry out bombings. This development has caught the security forces off guard. They need to recalibrate their strategy to curb violence and restore the rule of law. Also, the Centre must be proactive about bringing the warring sides to the negotiating table. The Prime Minister’s direct intervention alone can save Manipur from further destruction. While security forces continue with their targeted operations against miscreants, Manipur’s genuine civil society, cutting across ethnic divides, must be encouraged to reverse social polarisation. It is they who should be leading the discourse, not armed groups — supported by political elements — on both sides. The Northeast can not be allowed to become a hotbed of militancy again. The cause of the present crisis lies in the demand by the Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status and a strong pushback by Kukis, who inhabit the hilly regions. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room, the Centre and State governments sought to frame it as a law-and-order problem.

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