A Failing State of Affairs — When the Constitution is held hostage

The unfolding events in Manipur are a grim reminder of what happens when the State’s constitutional machinery either becomes complicit, indifferent, or paralysed in the face of insurgency, injustice, and public unrest. Today, the people of Manipur witnessed a spectacle that shook the very foundations of democratic governance: the Governor of the state, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, had to be airlifted from Imphal’s Bir Tikendrajit Airport to Raj Bhavan—a mere 6 km distance—due to mass protests by citizens enraged over his continued silence and inaction on the May 20 Gwaltabi incident. The sight of a constitutional head unable to travel by road in his own capital reflects not just a crisis of law and order, but a collapse of moral legitimacy and public trust.
Even more disturbing is the reported incident that one of the six judges of the Supreme Court of India was not permitted to visit the Law Court in Churachandpur. This is not just a regional or state issue—it’s a national disgrace. When the highest judicial officer in the country is unable to move freely within the territory of the Republic, it signals the erosion of state authority and the crumbling of the rule of law.
At the heart of this prolonged turmoil lies the unspoken but widely understood cause—the breakdown of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups, which officially collapsed on February 28, 2024. However, the activities and apparent free movement of these armed groups suggest that the agreement continues unofficially, or at the very least, that the government is turning a blind eye. This deliberate inaction has led to a surge in public resentment, especially in the valley areas, where communities are bearing the brunt of violence, drug trafficking, and demographic engineering allegedly linked to these armed groups.
The central government, led by the Ministry of Home Affairs, appears to be caught in a dangerous contradiction. On one hand, it preaches about the unity and integrity of the nation; on the other, it remains silent as armed groups with secessionist agendas continue to occupy territory, hoist separate flags, enforce parallel administrations, and disrupt constitutional authority. Why is the government reluctant to act decisively against the Kuki armed groups under SoO, despite mounting evidence that these elements are undermining national integrity?
Is the Union government failing to protect the Constitution due to fear of armed retaliation? Or worse, is it complicit in allowing the de facto fragmentation of Indian territory under the guise of maintaining a fragile ceasefire?
Manipur’s crisis today is not merely about ethnic conflict or administrative inefficiency. It is about the credibility of the Indian State. It is about whether the institutions established to defend the Constitution—Parliament, Judiciary, Executive—will continue to allow the disintegration of authority in a region that has consistently demanded justice, peace, and protection under the same Constitution.
The ongoing silence and appeasement by the Centre have dangerous implications. It emboldens insurgents, weakens civilian morale, and risks the emergence of parallel sovereignties. The refusal to act against those who openly advocate for the bifurcation of Indian territory under ethnic lines, while persecuting those who demand constitutional integrity, sets a dangerous precedent. Today it is Manipur. Tomorrow it could be any other region with armed separatists.
It is also worth questioning the role of national media and political elites, who have largely turned a blind eye to this prolonged crisis. Why does Manipur not merit the same outrage as other national issues? Is the northeast perpetually doomed to be viewed as a peripheral appendage rather than an integral part of India’s heart and soul?
It is time the Government of India comes clean with the people. Is there a hidden pact? What stops it from declaring the SoO groups as hostile and taking military action to restore order, especially when there is ample evidence of their subversive activities?
The people of Manipur are not asking for charity. They are demanding what every Indian citizen is guaranteed—protection of life, liberty, and dignity under the Constitution. If the government cannot assure that, then it must publicly admit its failure, because the cost of its inaction is already being paid in blood, trauma, and the slow death of democracy in one of India’s most culturally rich yet politically neglected states.