Since May 2023, Manipur has seen fresh bouts of crisis. What began as a protest over Scheduled Tribe status for a certain segment of the population has turned into full-blown ethnic violence. Hundreds of people were killed and the Indian Army had to be called in to control the situation. The conflict between tribes in northeast isn’t new, but the scale at which it happened this time is certainly troubling. The Kukis and Meitei tribes in Manipur have become opposing camps and the battle lines are drawn to the extent that thousands of weapons have been stolen from police and barracks. The bifurcation on ethnic lines is complete with each tribe holding on their so-called territory while unleashing violence on the other tribe. Calls for a separate Kuki state has been made as Manipur is almost nearing a civil war situation. Unlike violence in other parts of the country, Manipur violence has far-reaching impact on national security because of Manipur’s location between China, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report which tracked Myanmar opium farming reported that poppy cultivation shot up in 2022, reversing the downward trend during the period 2014 to 2020. The Manipur government had successfully conducted a “war on drugs” campaign from 2017 onwards and this helped destroy illegal poppy cultivators. The porous border had enabled the illegal Manipuri poppy to find a ready market in neighbouring Myanmar. Drug trade not just brought in illegal money, but also encouraged criminal elements and illegal migrants into Indian borders. The government had conducted a big operation to destroy poppy fields in December 2022—coinciding with the harvest season. The Manipur ethnic clashes should be understood in the backdrop of this illegal financial activity apart from the political question of ST status. While Myanmar-Manipur links bring in instability, the activities of China complicate it further. North-east insurgents receive support from the Chinese. A lot of dubious North East outfits have financial, military and other links in Kunming, China. These dubious outfits have been used strategically by the Chinese to destabilize Indian states and complement their land-grabbing activities.
Amidst the government’s efforts to control the situation, a viral video of two women being forcibly stripped naked, publicly groped and then allegedly gang-raped by a mob has rightfully caused outrage. In any civil war, communal riot or ethnic violence, women have been among the worst victims. The videos portray a grim reality that violence affects women disproportionately and battlelines drawn on any basis, whether ethnic or otherwise, lead to unspeakable sufferings on women. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for every Indian woman when saying that the “entire country had been shamed by the incident”.
The Meitei community has been an important tribe in Manipur. During British rule, the Meitei tribe was mentioned in the “Census of 1931” as a wholly Hindu tribe. After the Independence of India, Manipur became part of India through the Manipur Merger Agreement of 1949 was formally signed between the then Government of India and the Maharaja Bodhachandra of Manipur. Appeasement was a principle which Congress had perfected by then and Hindus in Manipur got a raw deal. All tribes except the Meiteis were added in the ST list who can avail various benefits under the Manipur Merger Agreement. Over the next several decades, Christian missionaries who already had a presence during the British rule were able to expand their hold over Manipur among several other north-eastern states. The struggle to preserve their age-old traditions and rights took violent forms and sporadic violence happened.
What India recently witnessed again was another chapter in the struggle for securing rights. Scheduled tribe status to the Meitei community would give them access to quotas in government jobs and colleges. The rapid Christianisation of non-Meitei tribes could no doubt be attributed to the privileges which they got apart from missionaries who created their power base in the North-east. It is no surprise that Kuki groups who had democratic rights to protest resorted to violence instead and started burning Hindu temples. What could have been a peaceful protest similar to those witnessed in other parts of the country on various issues turned into outright genocidal situation because there are institutions who have vested interest in flaring up the situation. The Indian government under PM Modi is closely acting on the situation while also ensuring that national security concerns are given primary importance within this internal conflict.
The viral video from Manipur needs to be perceived from the prism of gruesome violence which has been happening in Manipur. The government already has brought the situation into control while taking stock of the damage to people and property is being carried out. The Opposition is, meanwhile, playing the dirty game of associating a singular incident among many unfortunate incidents in Manipur over the last two months on Modiji without understanding the context. The people of India understand that it’s a conspiracy to defame BJP in the run-up to the elections. Strict action is being taken against the perpetrators and no stone will be left unturned to ensure that the rule of law and peace prevails in the state.
Shweta Shalini is BJP spokesperson and advisor to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. She is also the state in-charge of BJP North Indian Cell.