‘Demands for ethno-centric homelands untenable’

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 2: In a significant development, several activists and academics from India–Bangladesh region came together and discussed the 500 days old violence in Manipur in a side event of the 57th session of UNHRC at Geneva on September 30.
The theme of the session was “Manipur Crisis and Human Rights Situation in Western South East Asia (WESEA) Region’.
The session was moderated by Dr Elangbam Bishwajeet, visiting Professor at Aston University, United Kingdom. Khuraijam Athouba, working president IPSA, Dr Arambam Noni, Associate Professor, DM University, Manipur, Punam Duhotia, human rights defender and Dilara Malique, Advisor, Swiss Bangladesh Women Association took part as panel members in the discussion.
Speakers from Manipur dwelt on the continued violence, its causes and regional ramifications.
Initiating the discussion, Dr Bishwajeet pointed out the need for objective understanding of Manipur violence without falling into the trap of disinformation campaigns.
Dr Arambam Noni categorically stated that the demands for ethno-centric homelands are untenable and obsolete and outlined the distinct status of the historically evolved erstwhile Asiatic democratic kingdom of Manipur which became a part of India after it was made to sign the Manipur Merger Agreement in 1949.
Today, Manipur has been witnessing the growth of divisive forces that play the cards of myopic ethnicity seeking to undermine the historical and legal foundations of Manipur’s pluralistic demography and territoriality, said Dr Noni.
He argued that the sectarian ethnic politics were evidently fuelled by trans-national instability in the region.
While giving reasons as to why ethno-centric ideas were obsolete, Dr Noni pointed out that not less than 35 communities co-exist in Manipur.
Due to the increasing weaponisation of ethnicity by a section of elites and academics as seen in the case of exclusive narrative for a Kuki lebensraum in India-Myanmar-Bangladesh region, there is an apparent design to proliferate inter-ethnic tension as an instrument to segregate people exclusively on ethnic lines, he said.
 He pointed out that such ethno-centric claims were not only obsolete but also balkanized the multi-cultural polities and undermined democratic foundations of modern-States.
There is a need for discouraging ethnocentric claims and politics, argued Dr Arambam Noni.
Dr Noni also highlighted the dangers of weaponising of ethnicity for the reason that in the name of ethnic homelands the hitherto existing smaller and micro-tribes in India-Myanmar region were either suppressed or coerced to submit to the dominant ethnic ambitions.
The ethnic tension in Manipur was a by-product of ethnic weaponisation and a desire to sanitize demography in favour of exclusive ethnic homelands, he asserted.
Dr Noni also raised the grave issue of the deprivation of a significant section of valley inhabitants in Manipur from having access to the National highways for more than a year that connects them with the outside world which he termed as ‘arbitrary and unjust’.
While raising the issue of bizarre land laws in Manipur, he applauded the cosmopolitan nature of the central valley of Manipur which constitutes just about 8 per cent of the State’s territory but home to nearly 60 per cent of the State’s population.
However, he expressed his concerns on the increasing ethno-centric politics and unfair, asymmetric administrative laws that could convert the central valley into a geographic minority.
While flagging the issue of skewed demographic growth patterns and deforestation, Dr Arambam Noni argued that the trans-border factors like drug trade, shifting of poppy cultivation to Manipur, human trafficking, displacements due to turmoil in Myanmar and congregation of new ethnic groups in Manipur had played its significant role in escalating inter-ethnic anxieties in Manipur.
The evident opposition to enumeration of citizens by section of ethnic groups, and undermining of the issue of loss of 877 sq km of forests cover in between 1987 and 2021 and skewed demographic growth patterns in Manipur State of India has posed enormous challenge to rule of law, institutions of governance, food security and sustainable development, he said.
Talking on exploring a way forward, Dr Arambam Noni appealed for urgent restoration of normalcy in Manipur.
Reiterating the untenability of the demands for ethnic homelands, Dr Noni concluded by calling upon the relevant stakeholders to  preserve the integrity and unity of Manipur State under the mandates as implicated in the Article 1 and Schedule 1, Entry 19 of the Indian Constitution, and the principles of international norms such as the uti possidetis juris.
Khuraijam Athouba presented a panoramic view on Manipur violence.
He presented a database on “Understanding Manipur Crisis: Its Causes and Impacts.”
“While referring to reported incidents of attacks on civilians, Athouba highlighted that according to newspaper reports, 90 per cent of attacks were unprovoked attacks from Kuki militants.
He also highlighted the dangers of the proposed lebensraum for Kukis as propagated by KNO president PS Haokip.
Athouba unveiled that several Chin-Kuki underground leaders have trans-national origin.
The one hour side event session was concluded with an appeal from Dr Elangbam Bishwajeet, the moderator of the session, to end the violence in Manipur.
Dr Bishwajeet also appealed for the safe release of the two youths allegedly held hostage in Manipur by the Kuki militants on humanitarian grounds.