In search of the causes of conflict between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities
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Oinam Nabakishore Singh, IAS (Retired)
Whenever one comes across a problem, the first question asked of those who have information and clue to the problem is the reason behind the problem. In fact, since the beginning of human evolution, analysis of cause and effect is the basis of all scientific and philosophical enquiries. A complex problem should be broken down to simpler components to fully comprehend the factors contributing to the problem. Cause and effect may not be visible directly. There may be many causes which are not spoken out to others to hide the actual motive behind the problem. In fact, what is visible to the eye is not truth; rather, it may hide the actual causes. In many scriptures, it is warned that what is visible is only an illusion, quite different from reality. All of us tend to be led by illusion believing what we see to be the reality.
In dealing with complex problems, it may be helpful to come up with hypotheses which may be tested through empirical methods which relies on data. To ascertain the actual causes of the present conflict in Manipur, serious studies by experts is required. To undertake such studies, scholars having experience in research may be engaged to elicit opinions from all concerned sections of both communities. The real causes may remain hidden. There have been a number of different versions as to the cause of the conflict in Manipur.
In describing a situation, use of appropriate words is necessary to capture the situation as closely as possible. Some of the causes attributed by people in position of authorities may be listed. Manipur Chief Minister, Shri N Biren Singh, has been saying that the conflict is a consequence of his Government’s action on identification of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, much hyped war on drugs and eviction of encroachers from Reserved and Protected Forests. There must a lot of truth in what the Chief Minister said as he has personally given directions to carry out the actions listed here. However, there may be many additional factors which contributed to intensify the tensions between the leaders of civil society organizations of Kuki-Zo communities and twenty-five armed groups, who are in suspension of operation with the Union and State Governments. Widespread poppy plantation mainly in Kuki-Zo inhabited districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel and Tengnoupal has resulted in rampant deforestation in the hills. Such deforestation is likely to adversely affect supply of water to all settlements, which receive water from streams and rivers having their origin in such hills. Deforestation also aggravates global warming and climate change, the negative effects of which is being faced by all across the globe.
The genesis of the conflict may also lie in the land dispute between the Government of Manipur and Kuki-Zo chiefs. In 2022, Forest Department of the State started identification of encroachment in Reserved and Protected Forests on the basis of information that several new villages have sprung up to settle illegal immigrants from Myanmar.
Churachandpur-Khou-pum Pro- tected Forest in Thangjing hill range, which spreads over Chura-chandpur, Noney and Kang- pokpi districts, was in the eye of the storm. Forest Department of Manipur notified Churachandpur- Khoupum as Protected Forest in 1966 with well-defined boundaries through a Notification No.55/10/66-M(2) dated 17.9.1966 and Manipur Extra-ordinary Gazette No.124E10 dated 21.9.1966 under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. This was contested by Chiefs living in 38 villages in the said Protected Forest. Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest) of Forest Department invited objection to the declaration of Protected Forest from the villages located within there by fixing 11.12.1971 as the last date for submission of claims and objections. However, claims and objection received after the last date were condoned by the Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest) and excluded the said 38 villages from the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest. The Forest Department of Manipur constituted a committee under the chairmanship of CCF (Territorial-I) vide Order No.4/1/2014/Forest dated 30.06.2022 to examine legal validity of various orders issued by the then Assistant Settlement (ASO) (Forest), Manipur excluding lands from the scheduled land of the boundaries of Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest in the light of provisions under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. After scrutiny of documents on record and competence of Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest), the Committee found illegality in the exclusion of 38 villages from Chura-chandpur-Khoupum Pro- tected Forest.
The matter was considered by the State Cabinet in its meeting held on 13.10.2022 and it was decided to cancel the order of Assistant Settlement officer (Forest), which kept the 38 villages outside Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest. Accordingly, an Office Memo- randum was issued by the Forest Department vide File No.1/46/2018/Forest dated 7.11.2022. It means that 38 villages are now within Protected Forest and liable to be evicted. The Chiefs of 38 villages and civil society organizations of Kuki-Zo community have openly claimed that the State Forest Department failed to follow the due process in declaring Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest as such. Now, the chiefs and villagers of 38 villages felt threatened of eviction by the Forest Department, Manipur. Their frustration and anger with that department found expression when as many as 13 forest offices in the State were targeted and burnt down in the week leading to the eruption of conflict on the 3rd May, 2023.
Union Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav during his visit to Manipur on the 29th April, 2023 said, “Forest land always comes under the ownership of State Government. The 1927 Forest Act, after independence, it’s State subject. But after the 1976 amendment the forest land comes under State and Centre subject.” This statement on the status of land in Reserved and Protected Forest made the Kuki-Zo community and their chiefs in particular apprehensive and insecure of the land ownership in forests in Manipur. The claim of Kuki-Zo chiefs over the land is now under challenge from the State under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Such change and assertion from the State Government has not been witnessed by them since independence. It brought all Kuki-Zo chiefs and civil society organizations under one umbrella to put up a collective resistance.
The next measure which added further fuel to the anger of Kuki-Zo community is the eviction of settlers in 16 homes of K Songjang village in Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest by the State authorities on 20th February, 2023. State Government stated that this village did not exist before 2020 and it encroached in Protected Forest. After serving notice to the chief of K Songjang, 16 houses in it were removed by the State forces. There was strong resentment across Kuki-Zo community and there was widespread protest by them in Churachandpur, Kang-pokpi and Tengnoupal districts on the 10th March, 2023.
The protest in Kangpokpi witnessed violence resulting in injury to some police personnel. The Government of Manipur felt that the protests were instigated by Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Army, two armed militant signatories of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Governments of India and Manipur. It decided to withdraw from SoO by adopting a Cabinet decision on the 10th March, 2023. This step of the State Government alienated the Kuki-Zo armed militants further and added fuel to the simmering fire.
The persistent demand by some Meitei civil society organizations to include Meitei in the list of Scheduled Tribe list has been opposed by tribal students organizations irrespective of Kuki or Naga tribe. Opposition is premised on the socio-economic advancement of Meitei community as compared to other tribes. Threats of encroachment of tribal land by the Meitei when the latter is included in the list of Scheduled Tribe and apprehension of loss of quota in jobs and admissions in higher educational institutions are the underlying reasons for resistance. When Manipur High Court issued direction to the State Government of Manipur to furnish a reply to a pending letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur took out protests in all district headquarters. While the protest ended peacefully in Naga tribe inhabited districts, armed groups in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal launched a coordinated assault on Meitei villages to drive out Meitei people from their villages in these districts. The relevant question to be asked is, “While Naga community concluded the tribal solidarity march on 3rd May, 2023 peacefully, what drove the Kuki Zo community to attack Meitei villages?” Perhaps the answer lies in the steps taken by the State Government in relation to War on Drugs (read destruction of poppy plants), identification of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, survey of Reserved and Protected Forests, eviction from Protected Forest, withdrawal from SoO and war of words between Chief Minister, N Biren Singh and Kuki-Zo people over social media fueling animosity further.
Further, the action of Shri N Biren Singh was seen to be partisan and directed against the Kuki-Zo community. Further, Meitei organizations like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun are alleged to be having patronage of Chief Minister. Lack of trust and communication between important stakeholders, and perception of Chief Minister as a partisan leader by Kuki-Zo community helped in consolidating the resolve of the leaders of that community to launch an attack on innocent Meitei villagers, which had a backlash from Meitei community. It will be wrong to conclude that the above narratives alone are ground for the conflict in Manipur. Other related aspects to the conflict will be explored further.
Whenever one comes across a problem, the first question asked of those who have information and clue to the problem is the reason behind the problem. In fact, since the beginning of human evolution, analysis of cause and effect is the basis of all scientific and philosophical enquiries. A complex problem should be broken down to simpler components to fully comprehend the factors contributing to the problem. Cause and effect may not be visible directly. There may be many causes which are not spoken out to others to hide the actual motive behind the problem. In fact, what is visible to the eye is not truth; rather, it may hide the actual causes. In many scriptures, it is warned that what is visible is only an illusion, quite different from reality. All of us tend to be led by illusion believing what we see to be the reality.
In dealing with complex problems, it may be helpful to come up with hypotheses which may be tested through empirical methods which relies on data. To ascertain the actual causes of the present conflict in Manipur, serious studies by experts is required. To undertake such studies, scholars having experience in research may be engaged to elicit opinions from all concerned sections of both communities. The real causes may remain hidden. There have been a number of different versions as to the cause of the conflict in Manipur.
In describing a situation, use of appropriate words is necessary to capture the situation as closely as possible. Some of the causes attributed by people in position of authorities may be listed. Manipur Chief Minister, Shri N Biren Singh, has been saying that the conflict is a consequence of his Government’s action on identification of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, much hyped war on drugs and eviction of encroachers from Reserved and Protected Forests. There must a lot of truth in what the Chief Minister said as he has personally given directions to carry out the actions listed here. However, there may be many additional factors which contributed to intensify the tensions between the leaders of civil society organizations of Kuki-Zo communities and twenty-five armed groups, who are in suspension of operation with the Union and State Governments. Widespread poppy plantation mainly in Kuki-Zo inhabited districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel and Tengnoupal has resulted in rampant deforestation in the hills. Such deforestation is likely to adversely affect supply of water to all settlements, which receive water from streams and rivers having their origin in such hills. Deforestation also aggravates global warming and climate change, the negative effects of which is being faced by all across the globe.
The genesis of the conflict may also lie in the land dispute between the Government of Manipur and Kuki-Zo chiefs. In 2022, Forest Department of the State started identification of encroachment in Reserved and Protected Forests on the basis of information that several new villages have sprung up to settle illegal immigrants from Myanmar.
Churachandpur-Khou-pum Pro- tected Forest in Thangjing hill range, which spreads over Chura-chandpur, Noney and Kang- pokpi districts, was in the eye of the storm. Forest Department of Manipur notified Churachandpur- Khoupum as Protected Forest in 1966 with well-defined boundaries through a Notification No.55/10/66-M(2) dated 17.9.1966 and Manipur Extra-ordinary Gazette No.124E10 dated 21.9.1966 under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. This was contested by Chiefs living in 38 villages in the said Protected Forest. Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest) of Forest Department invited objection to the declaration of Protected Forest from the villages located within there by fixing 11.12.1971 as the last date for submission of claims and objections. However, claims and objection received after the last date were condoned by the Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest) and excluded the said 38 villages from the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest. The Forest Department of Manipur constituted a committee under the chairmanship of CCF (Territorial-I) vide Order No.4/1/2014/Forest dated 30.06.2022 to examine legal validity of various orders issued by the then Assistant Settlement (ASO) (Forest), Manipur excluding lands from the scheduled land of the boundaries of Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest in the light of provisions under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. After scrutiny of documents on record and competence of Assistant Settlement Officer (Forest), the Committee found illegality in the exclusion of 38 villages from Chura-chandpur-Khoupum Pro- tected Forest.
The matter was considered by the State Cabinet in its meeting held on 13.10.2022 and it was decided to cancel the order of Assistant Settlement officer (Forest), which kept the 38 villages outside Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest. Accordingly, an Office Memo- randum was issued by the Forest Department vide File No.1/46/2018/Forest dated 7.11.2022. It means that 38 villages are now within Protected Forest and liable to be evicted. The Chiefs of 38 villages and civil society organizations of Kuki-Zo community have openly claimed that the State Forest Department failed to follow the due process in declaring Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest as such. Now, the chiefs and villagers of 38 villages felt threatened of eviction by the Forest Department, Manipur. Their frustration and anger with that department found expression when as many as 13 forest offices in the State were targeted and burnt down in the week leading to the eruption of conflict on the 3rd May, 2023.
Union Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav during his visit to Manipur on the 29th April, 2023 said, “Forest land always comes under the ownership of State Government. The 1927 Forest Act, after independence, it’s State subject. But after the 1976 amendment the forest land comes under State and Centre subject.” This statement on the status of land in Reserved and Protected Forest made the Kuki-Zo community and their chiefs in particular apprehensive and insecure of the land ownership in forests in Manipur. The claim of Kuki-Zo chiefs over the land is now under challenge from the State under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Such change and assertion from the State Government has not been witnessed by them since independence. It brought all Kuki-Zo chiefs and civil society organizations under one umbrella to put up a collective resistance.
The next measure which added further fuel to the anger of Kuki-Zo community is the eviction of settlers in 16 homes of K Songjang village in Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest by the State authorities on 20th February, 2023. State Government stated that this village did not exist before 2020 and it encroached in Protected Forest. After serving notice to the chief of K Songjang, 16 houses in it were removed by the State forces. There was strong resentment across Kuki-Zo community and there was widespread protest by them in Churachandpur, Kang-pokpi and Tengnoupal districts on the 10th March, 2023.
The protest in Kangpokpi witnessed violence resulting in injury to some police personnel. The Government of Manipur felt that the protests were instigated by Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Army, two armed militant signatories of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Governments of India and Manipur. It decided to withdraw from SoO by adopting a Cabinet decision on the 10th March, 2023. This step of the State Government alienated the Kuki-Zo armed militants further and added fuel to the simmering fire.
The persistent demand by some Meitei civil society organizations to include Meitei in the list of Scheduled Tribe list has been opposed by tribal students organizations irrespective of Kuki or Naga tribe. Opposition is premised on the socio-economic advancement of Meitei community as compared to other tribes. Threats of encroachment of tribal land by the Meitei when the latter is included in the list of Scheduled Tribe and apprehension of loss of quota in jobs and admissions in higher educational institutions are the underlying reasons for resistance. When Manipur High Court issued direction to the State Government of Manipur to furnish a reply to a pending letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur took out protests in all district headquarters. While the protest ended peacefully in Naga tribe inhabited districts, armed groups in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal launched a coordinated assault on Meitei villages to drive out Meitei people from their villages in these districts. The relevant question to be asked is, “While Naga community concluded the tribal solidarity march on 3rd May, 2023 peacefully, what drove the Kuki Zo community to attack Meitei villages?” Perhaps the answer lies in the steps taken by the State Government in relation to War on Drugs (read destruction of poppy plants), identification of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, survey of Reserved and Protected Forests, eviction from Protected Forest, withdrawal from SoO and war of words between Chief Minister, N Biren Singh and Kuki-Zo people over social media fueling animosity further.
Further, the action of Shri N Biren Singh was seen to be partisan and directed against the Kuki-Zo community. Further, Meitei organizations like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun are alleged to be having patronage of Chief Minister. Lack of trust and communication between important stakeholders, and perception of Chief Minister as a partisan leader by Kuki-Zo community helped in consolidating the resolve of the leaders of that community to launch an attack on innocent Meitei villagers, which had a backlash from Meitei community. It will be wrong to conclude that the above narratives alone are ground for the conflict in Manipur. Other related aspects to the conflict will be explored further.