VIOLENCE IN MANIPUR

 Manipur Violence Deepens HINDU CHRISTIAN Distrust

Manipur's ethnic tensions have escalated as Meiteis push for "scheduled tribe" status. Amid violent clashes, the Kuki     community has demanded a separate administration.

Lawmakers in Manipur, a northeastern state in India rocked in recent months by ethnic violence, got together for a session specialé of the state council on 08 September 2023.

The hour long meeting saw the eruption of a war of words between ruling party and opposition lawmakers over the tense and unpredictable situation in the state. The Speaker was forced to call for and recess the session indefinitely.

The brief session was slammed by the opposition Congress party, calling it a mockery of an accepted republic state, thereby weakening the Constitution.

What is The Situation In The State?

Armed clashes between two of Manipur's three major ethnic groups, the substantially Hindu Meiteis and largely Christian Kukis, first broke out in May.

The state has since fractured along ethnic lines, and at least a hundred and fifty people have been killed in the violence and thousands displaced. Rival regulars have set up leaguers in some areas to keep members of the opposing community out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's civil government has stationed thousands of fresh Paramilitary troops from other states to patrol municipalities and roadways. Authorities have also assessed imposition of a curfew and an internet block.

Rights groups have indicted the state government, led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party( BJP), of not doing enough to stop the violence. They also purport that the BJP's programs promoting    " Hindu majoritarianism" have contributed to the problem.

Kukis Call For A Separate Administration

Some Kuki members, including lawmakers from the community, are now calling for the creation of a" separate administration" for the sections where they are in a maturity.

The physical population of the Kukis has been transferred to the hills and they no longer have any connection with the Imphal valley people, the Kuki’s claim. Under such circumstances, they feel compelled to ask for a separate administration under the guidance of the Central Government.

The 10 Kuki lawmakers in the 60- member assembly, including seven from the ruling BJP, refused to attend the assembly session on Tuesday. They had before blazoned their decision to skip the session, saying the "Imphal Valley has come a vale of death and destruction for the Kuki people." Imphal, the state capital, is dominated by the Meitei people.

Senior Kuki MLAs from the BJP ask how they could attend the session in the prevailing situation. Who would ensure their security when they travelled to Imphal? They cited the illustration of Vungzagin Valte, a BJP son and former ethnic affairs minister who was severely assaulted by a mob in Imphal in May.

What Sparked The Violence?

The fighting erupted due to dissensions over access to educational, employment and other profitable benefits. The disagreement stems from enmity between Manipur’s Meitei maturity and the Kuki- Zo, one of several ethnic groups in the state that make up about 16 per cent of its population.

The Meitei community is generally Hindu and largely lives in capital Imphal and the prosperous vale around it, while the substantially Christian Kuki- Zo generally live in scattered segments in the state’s hills. The Meitei, which accounts for over 50 of the state's 3.5 million residents, has demanded that it be recognised as a "Scheduled Tribe."

Longstanding tensions between the two communities have revolved around competition for land and public jobs, with rights activists accusing local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain. Things came to a head in May over plans to recognise the Meitei as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) – a status already conferred upon the Kuki. The ST status would grant Meiteis a form of affirmative action through guaranteed quotas of government jobs and college admissions.

Kuki-Zo groups staged protests over fears the plans could reduce their entitlements, with rallies quickly spiralling into violence.

The constitutionally defined status a "Scheduled Tribe” is a form of affirmative action intended to combat historical structural inequality and discrimination.

India reserves some government jobs, college places and elected seats for those categorized as "scheduled tribes." While the Meitei want the status, others like the Naga and the Kuki tribes have opposed this classification.

The latter two tribes account for around 40% of the state's population, and currently enjoy the scheduled tribe status, which gives them land-owning rights in the hills and forests that cover around 75% of Manipur.

The state's High Court asked the government to consider the Meitei's demand and set a deadline of mid-May. In response, the Naga and the Kuki tribes launched a protest against the possible extension of their benefits to the Meitei, who they believe are already the dominant community in the state. They argue that granting the Meitei more privileges would be unfair.

Amid the sharp ethnic tensions, Paotinthang Lupheng, president of the All-Tribal Students Union Manipur, stressed the need for the government to come up with a comprehensive strategy to tackle the deepening distrust between the two communities.

Clashes have killed at least 150 people, though many in Manipur believe the number could be higher. Some 60,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, taking shelter in relief centres or nearby states. Reprisal attacks have seen the firebombing of homes and places of worship. More than 220 churches and 17 Hindu temples had been destroyed by the end of July, according to a report by the India Today news magazine.

The violence will worsen if the government is unable to come up with a holistic policy framework that would engage all groups, and not just the Meitei majority.