Editorial: Manipur on edge again

The latest attacks come as a grim reminder of how an unresolved social cauldron is tearing apart this sensitive northeast State

A fresh bout of violence in Manipur, marked by a drone bomb attack on villages by suspected Kuki militants, has escalated tensions in an already volatile region that has been desperately waiting for an amicable political solution for a long time. This is the first time during the ongoing conflict that drones were used to drop bombs. The new mode of attack must ring alarm bells in the security establishment. Dropping bombs on civilian population and security forces by using drones is nothing but an act of terrorism. The Centre is guilty of turning a blind eye to the raging ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The latest attacks, resulting in the death of two villagers, come as a grim reminder of how an unresolved social cauldron is tearing apart this sensitive northeast State. There is an urgent need for the Central government to intervene and initiate a dialogue between the warring communities. The politics in Manipur is all about managing the deeply entrenched questions of identity and contested history. In the absence of adequate infrastructure creation, education and employment, the mobilisation of ethnic differences into insurgencies and acts of violence has become a way to bargain for economic and political power. 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.

Though Chief Minister N Biren Singh recently exuded confidence in the restoration of peace in the State within six months, the continued unrest, in the aftermath of the Kuki militant attacks, exposes the fragility of that promise. Unless both sides are made to sit across the table for talks facilitated by the Centre, the hostilities are bound to crop up periodically. The State government is found wanting on several fronts and owes an explanation as to why it has failed to rise above identity politics and work towards building bridges between ethnic groups. Given the limitations of the security operations in a State marked by sharp ethnic divisions and high trust deficit, there is an urgent need for a political solution involving both State and Central governments. Manipur desperately needs a healing touch and a government that is sensitive to reconciling the differences among various ethnic groups. An honest attempt must be made to find answers to identity — social, economic, aspirational — and resource-sharing issues troubling different communities. In the sharply divided atmosphere in the State, the Centre will have to take the lead in assuaging the local communities. There are multiple triggers for the ongoing clashes — land rights, illegal immigration and the Manipur High Court’s directive on Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community.

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