Public outrage against the killings of six civilians belonging to the Liangmai Naga tribe forced Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to cancel his scheduled visit to Makhan Relief Camp, where large number of protesters were waving black flags against the convoy of the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister then proceeded to Kangpokpi to meet civil society organisations of the Kukis, as per an invitation given to him. The move by the Chief Minister in Kangpokpi is seen as an attempt to establish a dialogue amid attempts to bring peace back to Manipur.
In any case, the visit to Makhan by the Chief Minister has been cancelled due to public opposition to his visit. Instead of meeting the victims of displacement at the relief camp, Khemchand’s convoy bypassed the place amid a black flag agitation.
The protest came at a time of growing discontent about the way in which the government was responding to the abduction and murder of six Liangmai Naga civilians whose bodies were reportedly discovered dismembered.
Addressing the protesters, Timothy Wijunamai, co-convenor of the Joint Tribe Council (JTC) and president of the Liangmai Naga Council, observed that the main demand of the villagers was justice for the six people killed.
He observed that more than two months had lapsed since the abduction and killing, but no move had been made on the part of the government that would address the concerns of the villagers. As stated by Wijunamai, the proposed visit to the relief camp was the brainchild of the Chief Minister and not an initiative from the locals.
In his remarks, Wijunamai posed a question regarding the rationale of the visit, arguing that the government needed to focus on finding the culprits before embarking on any outreach program.
He warned that the JTC would intensify its agitation if the government failed to take concrete action.
The Chief Minister, meanwhile, proceeded towards Kangpokpi, where he was scheduled to hold discussions with Kuki civil society representatives.
The divergent trajectories on NH-2 have revealed the complex political environment in which the Khemchand administration finds itself operating. As the Chief Minister’s visit to Kangpokpi is seen as an attempt to revive dialogue with the Kukis of civil society, the presence of black flags in Makhan has highlighted that demands for justice by certain sections of Nagas and Meiteis remain unresolved.
This incident, however, highlights the dilemma facing the administration – that politics cannot replace justice.