No roadmap for restoration of peace in Manipur

Oinam Nabakishore Singh, IAS (Retired)
Despite the lapse of eighteen months since the eruption of violence on the 3rd May, 2023, one does not see a clear roadmap for restoration of peace and normalcy in Manipur. There has not been any concerted effort to resolve the crisis, which has caused untold miseries to all sections of people living in the State, especially those internally displaced from their homes by the conflict. Administration of Kuki-Zo inhabited hill districts are practically separated from the Imphal valley-No Meitei staff or officer or Minister including State’s Chief Minister is allowed to visit Kuki-Zo inhabited areas. Chief Minister’s plan to visit an annual harvest festival of Liangmei Naga in Senapati district was halted by Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), an apex organization of Kukis living in Kangpokpi district. The prevention of the visit of Chief Minister by the said organization has been strongly resented by Liangmei Naga Council, and the latter has called upon the President of India to declare CoTU as an unlawful organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The last few days starting on the 8thNovember, 2024 have witnessed escalation of violence in Manipur. After attack on a Hmar village and killing of a woman by suspected Meitei militants in Jiribam District, a woman farmer was shot dead by Kuki-Zo militants in retaliation at Wathalambi near Saiton in Bishenpur district. There has been firing on the farmers and Meitei villages in Imphal West, Imphal East and Bishenpur Districts by the Kuki militants. In the worst incident, 10 Kuki-Zo militants were gunned down by the CRPF personnel in retaliatory action at Borobekra, Jiribam District on the 10th November, 2024.
It is further reported that 10 Meitei inmates were carried away by Kuki militants from the relief camp. Two are said to be dead and two others are alive. Photo of six women and three kids all aged below six years are seen in the viral photo, when they were in the custody of Kuki-Zo militants. The fearful look of the women and children is heart-wrenching.
Shutdowns have been called in their respective areas by both Kuki-Zo and Meitei civil society organizations as a mark of protest on the 11th and 12th November, 2024. It is a tit for tat between the two communities dashing hope of any peace to return to the State. More violence between the warring communities takes them apart further from each other generating more mistrust and animosity.
A few legislators belonging to Kuki-Zo-Hmar, Naga and Meitei communities, mostly of the ruling coalition in the State Government were invited by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to a dialogue on the 15th October, 2024 to Delhi. The proposed talks were expected to be a good beginning to pave the way for peace in Manipur. However, the talks turned out to be a nonstarter. Kuki-Zo MLAs first met the representatives of the Central Government first before having a joint meeting with MLAs of three communities. Though the Central Government claimed to have met 15 legislators from the three communities together, Kuki-Zo MLAs asserted that there was no meeting with Meitei and Naga legislators and no peace talk would be possible before Separate Administration is granted to the Kuki-Zo communities. They went on to say that they are required to consult their civil society organizations before any talks to consult them.
In fact, there were conflicting statements from the Union Government and Kuki-Zo MLAs. Other MLAs chose to remain tight-lipped. The main question to be asked upon the Union Government is whether any breakthrough was achieved by the talk with the legislators from Manipur on the 15th October, 2024. From the precondition of Separate Administration laid down in their statements by Kuki-Zo MLAs after the so-called peace talks, it is evident that the talks were non-starter of the peace process. What is more depressing is that the date for the next round of discussion and agenda for the meeting were not spelt out. At best, the said meeting was an exploratory one.
The State Government of Manipur led by Shri Nongthombam Biren Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister looks completely helpless. In matters of law and order, Security Advisor and Director General of Police call the shots. The role of the Central Security forces namely Army, Assam Rifles, BSF and CRPF, as evident from their actions in the last eighteen months, appear to be creating a buffer zone between the hills inhabited by Kuki-Zo from the valley areas of the Meiteis. While they have been largely successful in creation of the buffer zone by restraining the individuals from both communities not to cross the physical boundary decided by them to some extent, there has been several instances where armed militants of Kuki-Zo sneaked past the Central security forces and killed Meitei farmers at Wangoo Sabal, Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou, Saiton in Bishenpur district and Borobekra in Jiribam district recently.
 Deploying the Central forces to maintain a buffer zone for an indefinite period has not helped in reducing the tension between the two sides. Rather, any instance of assault on one community is being replied by similar retribution from the receiving community. The Central forces do not do anything beyond the orders from their higher authorities, who are following the orders from the Union Government. In letter and spirit, the Central forces are here to assist the State administration. However, in fact, they are operating independent of the State Government because of the peculiar situation in Manipur.
The expectation of the people to restore peace by the State Government of Manipur has been gradually worn out as no visible action to restore peace has been initiated. The perception of the conflict in Manipur by the Prime Minister of India has raised several questions. When he referred to past conflicts in Manipur between Nagas and Kukis, Kukis and Paites and Meitei and Meitei Pangal in his speech in Parliament, it appears that he has concluded that such conflicts in Manipur are accepted as a norm and no concrete action has been taken by the Union Government to restore normalcy. Perhaps, the Prime Minister may be under the impression that normalcy would return in due course of time on its own. However, the present conflict is different from the earlier ones in many respect.
Kuki-Zo community has alleged that Chief Minister of the State is partisan and hell-bent on targeting them by raising his own radical militant groups like Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun. The State Government is also alleged to be pro-Meitei as the State police is fighting against Kuki-Zo militants alongside the Meitei village volunteers.
Because of the perception of Kuki-Zo community especially their legislators that the Chief Minister, N Biren Singh is partial, the peace process has been made harder when the latter is at the helm. They boycotted the Peace Committee constituted by the Union Government in June, 2023 on the ground that they cannot participate in the peace process where Chief Minister participates as a member. Consequently, that peace committee has been forgotten.
The indifference of the Central Government and its leadership to the escalation of violence and recent death of about 15 persons belonging to both communities is more than evident from the silence on their part. The lives of Manipuris matter as do the lives of other citizens of India. Both Central and State Government have not made any effort to bring a ceasefire between the warring groups. Is it really difficult to call upon all the leaders of the two communities to agree upon a ceasefire at least for six months to pave the way for dialogue ? It is also inconceivable to see the stance of Kuki-Zo legislators that the peace talks could happen after Separate Administration is granted. Putting forward such conditions before peace talks will act as a roadblock and delay the peace returning to the State.
Unfortunately, State Government of Manipur have chosen to remain silent despite violence engulfing the State and its people are crying for action to save them from the predicament they are in. The Union Government has chosen to ignore the crisis in the State. There has been no visit to the State by any Minister of the Union Government to take stock of the situation and look for solution by interacting with important stakeholders since the much-appreciated visit of Union Home Minister in the last week of May, 2023.
The all-powerful Prime Minister has chosen not to visit Manipur in the last eighteen months. He has refused to meet any delegation including the legislators of BJP on the issue. It is really unfortunate for Manipur that the Prime Minister of the country is looking the other way. In the absence of a concrete and time bound negotiations to be planned by the Central Government, returning of peace to Manipur remains a distant dream. People of the State will continue to reel under fear, economic hardship and uncertainty.