Amit Shah’s impending visit to Manipur and the needed preparedness

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur just a day before his remaining aloof after he was confirmed positive for COVID-19 publicly revealed that there is certain likelihood of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Manipur to discuss the Naga political issue with all the stakeholders in Manipur. This seems very pertinent as most of the stakeholders in Nagaland including all the NNPGs have almost come to a consensus in concord with the proposal put forward by or mutually agreed upon with the Government of India. The only road block now seems to be from a faction of the outfit with its leaders and other top rung and cadres predominantly overwhelmed by the Nagas from the Nagaland’s neighbouring state of Manipur.
Some few months ago a top rung leader of its military had even resorted to pressure tactics by stating that they still have not abandoned the option of falling back to China option if the outcome of the talk is not anticipated to come their way. In connection with it, it could also be recollected and conjectured it with one of the articles published in our daily titled, ‘China Factor in India’s Northeastern Insurgency’, which was actually a transcript of the lecture delivered by RN Ravi, the chief interlocutor of the GoI-Naga peace talk. There it cited the statement belittling such claim of China factor saying that it could at best just a ‘fly in the tea cup’. What is of concern to them is they are facing legitimation crisis even to the extent of collaterally impacting the ‘non-indigenous’ civilian Nagas in Nagaland at the eventuality of carrying out the citizenship population registry. Their frontmen in Manipur have repeatedly appealed to stand together for ‘complete solution, not piecemeal. Even then, the stakeholders representing the government and mostly of those in Nagaland have very often pronouncedly displayed their weariness and impatience in delaying and prolonging the arrival to settled solution with some even doubting those doing so as conflict entrepreneur.
On the other side, the civil societies in Manipur have consistently been demanding for assurance from the central government that the outcome of the talk should not led to any alteration and dilution in the territory and administrative autonomy of the state. In addition to it, though now a days a bit toned down, the Kuki communities in Manipur have continuously been observing interrupted the genocidal massacre of Kukis allegedly carried out by the said factional outfit showing very clearly that past are still not healed. Arunachal Pradesh and Assam too are also very apprehensive of the likely outcome of peace talk. They are also against succumbing to any unreasonable demand leading to the bifurcation of their respective state’s territory. In the meantime, Nagas’ powerful lobby group, UNC have all been charged up to rendezvous with Amit Shah to further advance their demand. Here, it would be worthwhile to recollect the statement made by a very respected (former) rebel figure after his release from the years of captivity in custody that the matured leadership of India would not do anything to harm the genuine interest of the state. No doubt, Amit Shah’s impending visit to Manipur is looked upon waiting with curiosity. By giving a benefit of doubt to the magnanimity of the top political leadership, including Amit Shah as custodian of the Secular Constitution of India, his visit to Manipur would surely be to build bridges to eliminate gaps between communities in state, and centre-state nationally.
By doing so, it is looked forward that, the Government of India will let their firm stand known that the government is there for promoting peaceful co-existence and will under no circumstances succumb to the demand for extending ethnic sovereignty by one particular group in multi-ethnic state characterised by unity in diversity, for which Manipur is well known and acclaimed as, ‘Miniature India’.