Shall we consider it a real tragedy in the history of Manipur?

By: Borus Thongam
Not yet!
Manipur, better known as The Land of Jewels by the words of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with a range of hills and mountains surrounding the Valley seemingly like a great wall protecting its valuable one.
How beautiful and peaceful the garden used to be. People live together in harmony and coordination. Even though pages of history witness the indelible conflicts among its different communities, namely the Naga-Kuki crisis of 1992, the Meitei Pangal (Muslim ) -Meitei crisis of 1993 never challenged the integrity of Manipur. Conflict and tenses still prevail on small scales. Why not, so! Since no state has ever maintained a fully peaceful and conflict-less society. Even the World’s most peaceful nation Iceland continues to prevail in some sort of violence that involves guns and the deadliest tools. Therefore a conflict is always about to emerge with society as long as the state exists. The spiritual leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama and his holiness state “I believe that the basic nature of human beings is gentle and compassionate. It is therefore in our interest to encourage nature, to make it live within us, and to leave room for it to develop. If on the contrary, we use violence, it is as if we voluntarily obstruct the positive side of human nature and prevent its evolution”.
Is the garden still as beautiful as before?
Are the people living there as pleased as in old times?
No, it is not, the Land of Jewel, Manipur, is no longer the same garden full of colourful flowers since the 3rd of May 2023. This time not only the conflict amongst its community but also involved a challenge to the integrity of the state. A genocidal act of the Kuki sponsored by Narcotics against the innocent people of Manipur led to a maniac conflict between the Meitei community and the Kuki community. The so-called peaceful ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was called by a student body in all the ten hill districts of the state on the 3rd of May 2023, to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category. The All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM), which called for the march, said it was organised to express dissent to the “persistent demands of the Meitei community for its inclusion in the ST category” gaining momentum. The afternoon of that day, a clash emerged between rallyists and the Meitei community as the Meitei organised counter-protests and blockades also burned at the foot of the Anglo-Kuki War of 1917-1919 Gate with tyres as a protest against the wrong narratives of history. The Anglo-Kuki War Gate is in Churachandpur, the largest district of Manipur, Kuki-Zo tribes are the majority of this region and Christianity is the majority(93%) religion in Churachandpur. Hinduism is the second(4%) largest religion. Then there are followers of Islam/ Muslim(1%), Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and other religions. Apart from the majority of Kuki people, the district is also populated by Meities, Nepalese, Biharis, Malwaris, and Punjabis. On the 3rd of May at around 2.30 pm, firstly, the Meitei houses were burned down by Kuki people who started attacks against innocent civilians of the Meitei community in Churachandpur district with guns and arms. The incidents spread across the state in minutes through the internet resulting in the
escalating conflict on a large scale. Meitei people from the Churachandpur district were displaced for their safety as soon as possible because they were unaware of the tension between them. Then the angered Meitei people from the valley region torched the houses of the Kuki community in Imphal on the same day at around 8.30 pm. After that day the blaze spread all across the regions of the state. Now the conflict has widened from Churachandpur(Torbung, Bangla, Kangathai, Kangvai, Keirap khunthak, Keirap Khunkha, Leirak Khunllen, Khoirentak )to Imphal East (Pukhao, Khamenlok, Ekou, Sadu Yengkhuman, Nongpok Keithelmanbi, Moirangpurel, Tumukhong ) then Kangpokpi district (Leimakhong )to Imphal West (Senjam Khunou, Phayeng, Kadangband, Koutruk, Senjam Chirang) and then Bishnupur district (Sadu Koireng, Kabo Wakching, Irengbam, Pugakchao Ikhai, Terakhongshangbi, Khoirentak) to Kakching district (Pallel, Sugnu) then Thoubal district(Serou) to Chandel district (Moreh town) then Kamjong district (Itham) and also on the many villages of Meitei community near foothills. The disputes among the groups of people from a district had turned into a hysterical conflict that even challenged the stability of the state. Till the 2nd week of the month, the public never realised it was a planned game of the Kuki-zo community. Since 14/15 th of May, the conflict between the two communities transformed into a full-fledged challenge against the unity of the State. Kuki militants and pro-separatist movement leaders of Kuki had officially launched genocidal acts against the innocent Meitei civilians under the demand of a Separate Administration for the KukiZo People in Manipur. In this context, my inquiry is about the indigenous people of the state; if they consider themselves as the indigenous people of the state why did they demand separate administration in their state or whether they are refugees or illegal immigrants from neighbouring states? If so, is there any right to demand separate administration by a refugee community in another state? Or Are they unaware of the ruling government’s recent policy of the War on Drugs just because the government is not allowing them to cultivate poppy plantations in their fields? Or are they afraid that Meitei would conclude on the Scheduled tribes list? Why did they oppose the implementation of NRC in the state demanded by 6 student bodies of Manipur, Does it mean that they officially supported the illegal immigrants from Myanmar?
Whatever the problem is, is not with the Meitei community but against the government, also the other communities have dilemmas with the government, but they did not demand separate administration or not challenge the state integrity like the Kuki community did instead they raised their voice against the government like other democratic countries do because we are living in a country, India, World Largest democratic country so people are the supreme source of sovereignty, not the government. Yes, I’m not praising the government of Manipur for this conflict because if they had controlled the erupted dispute on the 3rd of May with full-scale security on both sides, we may not have witnessed such type of unwanted situation in the states. The government of Manipur is still failing. Why did it fail? Doesn’t it have the power? Did the elected members fail as people’s choice?
And I would say they (MLAs of Manipur excluding the Kuki-Zo community MLAs) are more afraid of losing their power in the position rather than losing the beliefs of people in them. Honestly, they are becoming a puppet to Ji of Delhi. The failure of the state government paved the way for the Innocent youths of both communities to hold arms to protect themselves from each other and started waging atrocities against each other. Since the 3rd of May, both communities have lost hundreds of lives, abandoned many properties, burned thousands of houses, and killed thousands of cattle and domestic birds etc. The 3rd of April, 2024 marked the completion of 11 months since the eruption of the conflict in the state. As of 28th February 2024, at least 219 people have died 1,108 others were injured and 32 are missing. 4,786 houses were burnt and 386 religious structures including temples and churches were vandalized. The violence left more than 70,000 people displaced from their homes and resulting 58,357 people, including 22,000 kids in 351 relief camps. Unofficial figures are higher. A total of 5,668 arms were lost from the state armoury since the beginning of the violence. Of this, forces have recovered 1,329. Another 15,050 pieces of ammunition and 400 bombs were recovered. Is it enough to characterize a real tragedy in society or shall we consider it a real tragedy of the state? It doesn’t mean the conflict didn’t make a critical situation but what I am trying to say is we cannot conclude it as the real tragedy of the state but it is just the beginning of a great upheaval that is about to happen! Yes, We lost many innocent people, and hundreds of houses, places of worship and vehicles have been vandalised. Those accountable fathers who look upon their families, those innocent young men who are the hope of their families, those brothers who are always there for their sisters and mom, those innocent fellows who fought for their poverty and many more got buried to give an immortal foundation for the State. Those small or large, simple or luxurious houses of people, also the ones diety which trusted them the most hoping to live with them inside it got vandalised. Many temples, churches and places of worship there for hundreds of years were destroyed just because we are in the midst of war. Arson and other attacks continue unabated. Many innocent souls were left suffering in the relief camp like they committed an incorrigible crime, that was not meant to be. Children are supposed to play and get an education independently instead they end up staying inside the cage of relief camps with less amount of opportunities that must be going to have and witnessing war songs. Many brilliant students and persons left their educations, jobs, and careers to save their lives. Thousands of people left their occupations that once became a means of their livelihood and now they are forced to become jobless and useless. They do have not as many opportunities as before the war but they have only two opportunities either they hold arms to fight against their so-called enemies (most of the civilians did not know each other whether they were their enemies or not but one thing about them is their mindset is already filled with hostility towards each other community) or engaged in day-to-day work. Honestly from the very beginning, the acts of atrocities were commonly deliberate by the Kuki militia along with their youths under the commands of their separatist leaders and got funded by money from poppy cultivation. Till now the Meitei community never launched an official attack against them but they are also engaged in some cases as retaliation against them for the killing of their people. I said it not because I’m Meitei but because I’ve witnessed them very clearly even you all can check it out from the daily newspaper or TV news channel. Let’s stick to the point again, problems there are too many, both communities are not happy with the situation, all the major markets closing down except a few, prices of goods and daily essential things getting high, and common men struggling to survive etc. Poor people and daily wage workers are the main victims of this dispute. It’s already the 11th month, how do they live in the relief camps? Were not they crying? Were not they missing their home? Were not they missing their land and origin? Imagine their conditions, moreover, it is not a temporary displacement that will return to their places when the situation calms down but their homes, cattle, domestic birds, and property are gone for forever. How could we tolerate it? or how long did we allow them to live like this? Then what shall we do? Did we ever elect our representatives? If did, where are they now? Did they torch the fire? or didn’t they get enough power to resolve the dispute?
From another perspective, the people of Manipur could not be victims of the proxy war for fostering the South East Asian Trade through Moreh to Myanmar. The Act East policy is an effort by the government of India to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia to bolster its standing as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of the People’s Republic of China. It was a golden diplomatic achievement for the whole nation but if it sacrifices the lives of people living there on the periphery, how can we consider it a step for the welfare of the people of the Country?
The 3rd of April marks the completion of 11 months of violence but till now GOI and GOM have not made any efforts to resolve the conflict except by providing some financial assistance, goods, and ex gratia for state/central force personnel who died in the violence and extends some condolence for those innocents victims. People’s expectations are not getting some financial support to assess their condition or ex gratia for those innocent people but rather the only thing they wish for is to bring stability like old days. Common people of both communities did not want the violence and deep down everyone wished for peace, a Unity Manipur. Unfortunately, The Kuki-Zo people of Manipur recently manipulated their minds into the hands of pro-separatist Nationalist minds (Those Intellectuals and leaders of armed outfits demanding a Kuki Homeland) in the sense unification of all the Kuki-Zo people settled in the tri-border area of Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. In Myanmar, they are found in the Chin State and Sagaing Region, in Bangladesh the Chittagong Hill Tracts district and India the Northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. But does it really make sense in this 21st century?
What if all the Muslim people demand their homelands across the world? What about if Hindus, Sikhs, Meiteis, Nagas or anyone else demands a homeland? Of course, having one own homeland for being a community is okay but How could it be possible for the idea of demanding a greater homeland through occupying other regions for each community that is settled in different regions across the world for its community alone? Ethically, having a sense of unity among fellows is fine but it becomes a problem when it comes to the idea of making a greater homeland by combining different regions based on similar communities. I guess not all the Kuki-Zo people of Manipur wish for a separate administration. Some of them know Manipur better than they know about the Kuki-Zo people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and NE states. Reminder Manipur is a garden of different beautiful flowers that make her a unique one among her neighbours.
On the other hand, not resolving the conflict till now will not be a proper solution for ending terrorism in North Eastern States. After ethnic violence broke out on May 3, the Defence Ministry and the Home Ministry deployed over 40,000 personnel of the army, the paramilitary Assam Rifles, and various Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). But what do they actually do in Manipur? Do they safely control the dispute? Do they deploy in the affected area? Do they really deliver their duty honestly? No, might be not all but sure some are directly biased toward both communities separately. Banned armed outfits from both communities’ involvement have been proven by many news channels, papers etc. Then what did the government have taken steps for this impact? Or what are they waiting for? Isn’t it a duty to safeguard the citizens? Or are they waiting for their best political turnover from this turmoil? If they want me to reply, I would say “Isn’t it a policy of killing two birds with a single stone?”
With the minimum effort from the Central / State Forces, they have a plan to eradicate armed outfits for both sides of the community by assessing support for both sides. After killing each other and wagging against each other, they are ready to take charge of the one who is standing strong after all, Whether it will end up signing a peace agreement or surrendering itself to the government. One incident from the past, The Naga-Kuki clashes of 1992-1999 resulted in the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland(NSCN) and the government of India regardless of the more casualties and deaths on the Kuki side. However, it also cost the lives of many innocent civilians from both sides and many ended up holding guns in their hands, in short, made them a terrorist. Consequently, behind the curtailing of Ceasefire, the government gained control over the underground groups one by one through the years since then. Unfortunately, none of the Meitei-based Rebellion groups signed a single peaceful or cease-fire agreement until the 29th of November 2023. However, it might be a coincidence, that during this Meitei-Kuki community violence since the 3rd of May 2023, the oldest armed rebellion of Manipur UNLF(Pambei group) signed a peaceful agreement with the government of India on 29th November 2023 or is there any secret propaganda of the Central government to demolish the legacy of the erstwhile Manipur, a sovereign Kingdom since 33 Ce. Some prominent political analyses of Manipur warned that after the merger agreement of 1949, the Dominion government wanted Manipur to totally erode its own culture, tradition, economy and history. So the erstwhile sovereign kingdom, the Manipuri people will be completely immersed in their culture, tradition, customs and more importantly a part of their Hindustan etc.
Till now, thousands of youths from both communities have been held arms, left their education, work, ambition and many more just to protect themselves from each other. I guess there is one supreme who looks after the fighting of these two communities. The ruling government will be changed over time, the Leader will change, and the situation too. Even the conflict will also come to an end. Today’s youth will grow up, with life responsibilities on their back, and many families will come too, children in the relief camps shall notice someday that relief camp is not their true home, and people may face economic distortion, struggle for lives and many more because we are living in situations one step away from real war. The situation is not the thing that will decide our future, living standard and lifestyle but it is the way of dealing with the situation, the act of our leader and how the people emerge from the situation. Recent days in Manipur witnessed several crimes including looting, capture, ransom, and money demands in both the valley and hilly regions. Due to the failure of daily wages, small-scale businesses, movements, and transportation through the main economic lifeline of the state namely the Imphal-Dimapur road, Imphal-Moreh NATIONAL HIGHWAY, Imphal- Jiribam road etc resulting in economic inflation in the state. These reasons made a miserable situation for the people of the state including a hard struggle in day-to-day life, earning income, health maintenance, children’s education etc for both living in their homes and relief camp except for a few wealthy families. It is very hard to find daily wages, jobs and means of livelihood for the common people. Indeed, the government of India and Manipur distributed many helpful materials such as goods, clothes, medicines, kits, educational materials, entertainment tools (TV, Radio)and skill development training programs according to their life stages to Internally Displaced persons (IDPs). However, is that all enough to care for the people in relief camps? Or are these things enough to make their life happy again? Not all the relief camps get enough compensation from the government. Some relief camps remained unvisited and undonated. People in these relief camps suffer the most, there is no job to earn, not many to assist and no relief for them. Then how did they spend their days in relief camps, how about their health, how were their children and elders, and most importantly the fate of their future? To live and feed their family, men are not afraid of committing crimes, looting and doing illegal things. The so-called Village volunteer(Khun-Ngakpa) was the one who directly engaged in protecting its people from each other. People from both communities praised their Village volunteers and protected them at any cost, helping and keeping them in front of everyone. However, some took this reception as an opportunity for their motives and forced people to accept their demands. The unstable situation and the unrest are the same for both the commoner and wealthier families, unreasonable demands and donations in the name of public motives may create a tough situation for the commoner and frequently interfere with the Wealthier families also. To meet their demands and be able to get donations from common people, many youths and middle-aged people use even a gun against the common people. Thus, over time, among the common people and the so-called people’s protector( not the official authority), strife emerged as the result of the economic depression because we were in the midst of turmoil. In fact, Manipur prevails in a situation like a failure of Law and government machinery. The lives of people in Manipur become worse day by day, with common people turning motionless, victim youths turning into unproductive, politicians sticking into demagogic, elderly citizens becoming a burden to the society, inculcating a hatred in the minds of innocent children towards each other communities and imposing a serious threat to many minority communities of the state for assisting with either of the Meitei or the Kuki community. Despite the odds, many great figures from both the community continuing collects their achievement through all the tough situations, figures such as MMA fighter Chungreng Koren and Bambam Thounaojam, Arjun Awardee Roshibina Devi and Pukhrambam Shushila Chanu etc from Meitei community and youth leader Dennis Lallienzuol Hmar from Kuki -Zo community has been chosen as one of the 100 young leaders in the world who will take part in the Youth Leader Fund for the world without a nuclear weapons programme of the UNODA.
Imagine the pride and records that will be achieved by the people of the state if there are no such clashes between the two communities. Still, people are waiting for normalcy in the State and believe the GOI for a better solution for both communities. After all, these prevailing situations including extortion, killing, looting, misery, sorrow etc would not only be a real strategy in the pages of the history of the state. Today, more than 10 thousand youth from both communities left their school, and colleges to defend themselves from each other community, leaving them as militant, holding arms and getting trains like a real warrior. Thousands were not able to go to school and college. Almost all of our youths who are going to be our future generations left their school, college, education, life-skilled training, hobbies, sports, socialcultural activities etc due to the turmoil, and made them the most terrible victims. Time will pass, people will change, leaders will change, the government will change with the new politicians, and the youths also grow up into adults with responsibilities at their backs, and children will grow up by asking themselves where their real homes are, through the ages, people will forget these brave youths and their struggle story except only in few pages of the books and history. No one will remember the living souls, their names, and their sacrifices throughout all of this warring period. Even the martyrs will vanish from the people’s minds over time. Only the incident remains forever in the sphere of the victim’s family and the story is crafted on the black pages. But the youth age of these young people and the happiest stages of a child will not come again as the past time does not come back. Without proper education, life skills, and profession, how will they be able to survive in this competitive society? Or will they get the reservation for their valour and sacrifice during this period? The ruling party comes and goes, and the government is formed with the newly elected candidates. Youths will realise the importance of their young age which they must learn the proper education, life skills,co-curricular activities, and professions. It is not the role of youth to protect its people, land and society but for this, there is the government to meet the demands, protect the people, land and society, look after the law, resolve external interference and internal unrest etc. However, it should be the responsibility of the government, that is, many civilians and youths leave their jobs, professions, and education to save themselves from the present internal unrest. Technically, students and civilians are meant to be responsible for their educations and professions respectively, not for the challenge drawn upon them, for this protection there is an institution of government, and many youths and commoners are engaging in full responsibility which is of government responsibility. But I would never say my people and the youths are irresponsible and fools, they are brave and selfless, so, they did it for the betterment of people and land. It is the government that made such situations for my people. It is the key example of the government’s failure in the state. Someday many youths and citizens will realize what they have lost during these years and start questioning themselves what their fault is. Another government and leader may come but the people’s questions of them will be the same. Even after the end of the conflict, youths from both communities would gather and realise that it is not the problem between each other but the lack of government policy for a better peaceful co-existence. If the State is split into two, the problems of those youths and citizens who are actively engaged in this conflict, against their ruling authority will be the same.
Therefore if the present government of Manipur and India doesn’t make a proper settlement for these IDPs and village volunteers, sooner or later there will be a total revolution in the state. More than 70 thousand people are internally displaced and spend their lives in relief camps with the hope of returning to their original place someday. It is almost a year, since the conflict went on, and the people in the relief camps were left with no struggle to face, the public looked like nothing had happened sometimes, and people from relief camps had no worries to risk about their lives. More than 50 thousand youths from both communities were holding arms, trained like a military service, playing like a legal servicer of the state, and freely roaming around the dominated area by each community respectively, sometimes they even took advantage of a gun while demanding and collecting help from citizens. The prevailing situation looks like the shedding of government machinery by the village volunteers and those who were directly involved in the conflict. Obviously, it can be seen as the rise of military rule in the state. Both in the Valley and hills, the power is in the hands of those holding arms in the name of Village volunteer, everyone should be behind their backs and haven’t any right to speak the truth against them. But how long did they exist in one of the states of India which is 4th strongest military globally? Here, my concern is for the fate of those innocent and brave youths who are really compassionate about people and the land, under the command of politicise toxic leaders. The State Government would not accept them as legal forces of the government. Also, these brave youths and people won’t go back to their peaceful lives again where they were concerned with their educations and professions only, not committing any crimes or illegal affairs. When the time comes, with life responsibilities at their front, the peak of competition of the 21st century, rise in the rate of committing crimes in the states without an effective act of government, the lives of people in the state become miserable and most importantly there would be a time when realise that they are no more those village volunteers and brave youths, which are once people hope and always there for protecting people. With all this vexation and fury, the people of the state will assemble and revolt against the government. In this phase, a great upheaval of people is about to happen, even if both communities are separated. Accordingly, we can not conclude the present situation of the state as the real tragedy of the State, only after the great upheaval happened we could conclude the real tragedy of Manipur. However, I do not want to stand with my perspective but it is the paradigm of the confrontation that insists me for writing this article. For the better well-being of my people and the State, I assuredly seek the attention of the government of Manipur and India to timely intervene and comply with a consensus for unity and integrity in Manipur. The flowers will flourish again with the advent of the spring season and the lives of people will be better.
Ema Leibak na Yaiphare !
Manipur Ema shu yaiphark khiniye !