Facts that should be inferred Delhi date on January 17
|
The date is clear-January 17. The venue is also clear-Delhi. The parties set to take part in the meeting is also clear-forum of major organisations representing the Kuki-Zo communities. A major step to break the stalemate or just another routine round of meeting ? Not yet clear but already a major publication based outside Manipur has dubbed the scheduled meeting as ‘In what may break the stalemate in talks to resolve the Meitei-Kuki conflict in Manipur.’ Like others in Manipur, The Sangai Express is also keeping its fingers crossed, awaiting what will transpire during the scheduled meeting and as a newspaper which has been closely following the ethnic clash ever since it erupted in the evening of May 3, 2023, it has read between the lines and certain points emerge which cannot just be brushed aside. The quoted lines and as reported in the Deccan Herald “We will also press the Government to resume the talks with the KNO and UPF as early as possible,” is interesting in the sense that it has come in the midst of the confusion created by New Delhi over the status of the Suspension of Operation pact inked with the KNO and UPF. The last date to extend the SoO pact was February 28, 2024, but the date came and went without New Delhi saying anything on its status and logic drawn from common sense says that anything that has not been renewed or extended says it is no longer in force or applicable. Much like anyone caught with a driving license past its validity period would be pulled up and penalised. Much like one cannot hope to take the flight to the USA on a passport which has already crossed the validity period. But much like how Delhi has been keeping the people confused, there has been no formal announcement on the status of the SoO pact with even Chief Minister N Biren having announced earlier that the pact was very much in force. It is in line with this that a spokesperson of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) was quoted as having said that the Government of India would be pressed to resume the talk with the UPF and the KNO. It is not so much a question of whether the SoO pact is still in force or not but more about why Delhi thinks it is better to keep the status of the pact under a cloud of confusion. In simple words what is the politics at play in keeping the status of SoO unclear to the people ? No answer would be forthcoming, this is a given, but this is the reality and Manipur should take note of this with the seriousness it deserves and it is surprising to see that Imphal has not once raised a question on the validity of the SoO pact. Should say so many things.
To look back at what the Kuki Zo Council put before Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla when he went to Churachandpur some time back, one can easily discern who or which side is driving the violence ever since its explosion on May 3, 2023 till date. The very statement, ‘Now that the hills and valley have been divided, the only thing left is separation in the administration. Only after the separation is complete, there will be peace,’ is more than indicative that the Kuki Zo Council continues to stick to the line, ‘Solution first, peace later.’ In the face of such a reality, one wonders how the Ministry of Home Affairs has scheduled the talk on January 17 and the natural question to raise is whether the talk has been lined up to discuss the Separate Administration call raised by the Kuki armed groups and championed by the ITLF, CoTU and other Kuki organisations ? Another interesting question is whether the January 17 meeting may be seen as a continuum of the October 15 meeting held at New Delhi last year wherein MLAs belonging to the Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas were invited to attend ? No one knows what the Union Home Ministry has up its sleeves for the scheduled meeting, but from what has been said prior to the meeting, certain points are clear. Delhi continues to play politics over the status of the SoO pact and the Kuki groups are more than inclined to keep the violence going on for it serves their ultimate objective of breaking apart Manipur. This much must be clear to the people of Manipur.
To look back at what the Kuki Zo Council put before Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla when he went to Churachandpur some time back, one can easily discern who or which side is driving the violence ever since its explosion on May 3, 2023 till date. The very statement, ‘Now that the hills and valley have been divided, the only thing left is separation in the administration. Only after the separation is complete, there will be peace,’ is more than indicative that the Kuki Zo Council continues to stick to the line, ‘Solution first, peace later.’ In the face of such a reality, one wonders how the Ministry of Home Affairs has scheduled the talk on January 17 and the natural question to raise is whether the talk has been lined up to discuss the Separate Administration call raised by the Kuki armed groups and championed by the ITLF, CoTU and other Kuki organisations ? Another interesting question is whether the January 17 meeting may be seen as a continuum of the October 15 meeting held at New Delhi last year wherein MLAs belonging to the Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas were invited to attend ? No one knows what the Union Home Ministry has up its sleeves for the scheduled meeting, but from what has been said prior to the meeting, certain points are clear. Delhi continues to play politics over the status of the SoO pact and the Kuki groups are more than inclined to keep the violence going on for it serves their ultimate objective of breaking apart Manipur. This much must be clear to the people of Manipur.