Manipur’s dystopian reality

Maisnam Susmina Devi
“The term "dystopia" (Hell on Earth) is, of course, the opposite of "utopia" (Heaven on Earth), and the dilemmas of social, economic and political instability have captured Manipur in dystopia."
Around the world, tribal communities are protected and guarded about their land, livelihood, culture, language and customs. They feel that the outsiders are a threat to them. Even though migration is an international phenomenon, the people of Manipur have long been concerned about the influx of migrants. Manipur, with 0.7% of India's total area, has felt the impact of migrants tremendously, creating vexed questions related to demographic imbalance, socio-political instability, narco-terrorism, economic disarray and cultural absorption. These have led to a new web of social relations, new types of social organization, new social control devices, and new agencies and factors of social change.
As per the Census of India, the population of Manipur has increased significantly from 1961 to 2011 with a decadal variation of 37.53% in 1961-1971, 32.46% in 1971-1981, 29.29% in 1981-1991, 24.86% in 1991-2001 and 24.50% in 2001-2011 and has affected its decadal growth rate. Assessing the substantial abnormal growth of population, Kh Joykisan Singh, MLA of Manipur, as reported by the Outlook on 25th Oct 2002, stated that between 1971 and 2001, the population of the State had grown by 153.3%; however, the rise was 250.9% between 2001 and 2011 in the hill districts.
The valley districts saw a population growth of 94.8% between 1971 and 2002 and 125.4% between 2001 and 2011. Furthermore, the situation was worsened by the February 2021 military coup, which seized power from the democratically elected Government, creating political instability in Myanmar.
In 2017, Paul Taylor aptly described demography as 'a slow-motion drama', highlighting its profound, gradual impact. These unregulated influxes have adjusted for many reasons, including socio-political reasons for a few elite politicians and radiate innu- merable alternatives to the society, including the ongoing ethnic aggression-in Manipur, which must be comprehended from multiple lenses.
In this sense, the article briefly examines Myanmar's political instability and consequences by reframing the larger picture of illegal poppy plantations in Manipur. And access the effectiveness of the State Government's War on Drugs.
Impact of Myanmar’s political instability on Manipur
Since its independence from colonial rule in 1948, Myanmar, then known as Burma, had a weak Government. There were limited economic reforms and problems related to the escalation of ethnic insurgency. These create dissatisfaction among the Military Junta. Later, in 1962, the Military Junta took over the Government with a military coup, leading pro-democratic leaders to protest against the Junta. The military has held the reins of power in Myanmar for more than 60 years in one way or the other. They also targeted smaller ethnic communities, including the Shans, Rohingyas, Kachins, Zos and Chins, which led to more formation of insurgent groups. Because of the civil and human rights violations, there is an encroachment of illegal immigrants in the neighbouring States of India, including Manipur.
This appears to have led to an escalation of cross-border infiltration of the Zo/Zomi community from Myanmar, who have ethnic and cultural ties with the Kukis of Manipur and started settling in the hill districts without proper documentation. This has resulted in abnormal growth of villages in the hill districts. This unauthorized means of settlement has led to several concerning outcomes, including the aug- mentation of extreme ethno-national territorial expansion. Similarly, the Mizos of Mizoram are connected to the Chin community in Myanmar, and the Nagas of Nagaland and Manipur are connected to the Nagas of Myanmar.
Driven by the vested political interest of a few politicians to consolidate communal vote banks, some communities have actively facilitated the influx of illegal immigrants under the pretext of shared ethnicity and community ties as demographic characteristics influence politicians' fates in Richard Scammon and Ben Watterberg's work "The Real Majority" 1970, "Demography is destiny".
In the case of Manipur, illegal immigrants have influenced determining a change in population size and influenced the political destiny of a few political leaders of Manipur. Furthermore, pushing them towards a more extreme ethno-political agenda to create Zale’n-gam, the Kuki Nation, which threatens the integrity of Manipur and challenges its Indigenous people. These immigrants have been instrumental in building up extreme militia groups and infiltrating political leadership and bureaucracy.
Poppy plantation: An illicit trade
North East India faces problems related to Narcotics and Organized crimes because of its proximity to the Golden Triangle, which includes Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Lately, it has spread to Cambodia as well. Manipur has become a crucial transit point for the smuggling of opium, raising concerns that the infamous Golden Triangle, a notorious hub for illicit drug trade, has extended towards Manipur.
An article by Lily Sangpui and Jenny Kapngaihlian titled "The Quest to End Illicit Poppy Cultivation in Manipur : Examining the War on Drugs Campaign” stated that pockets of illicit poppy cultivation remain concentrated mainly in the hills districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Kamjong, Churachandpur and Tengnoupal.
Manipur has seen a rise in illicit poppy cultivation, posing a threat to the State's social and political fabric. Poverty is the primary driver of poppy cultivation in the hills of Manipur. The State's inability to provide effective governance, exacerbated by decades of conflict, insurgency and ethnic violence, has weakened the economy and disproportionately affected people experiencing poverty, making them easy victims to the druglords who benefit the most in the chain. Despite various rural development initiatives, many communities remain underserved. The desire for better living standards has created enthusiasm for poppy cultivation among the farmers seeking financial stability and security.
The narrative of poppy cultivation has also been linked to funding the armed Kuki insurgent groups, as most of the borders of the State border regions are hard to secure because of their highly porous and geographical terrains. It became easier for some insurgency groups to lay their hands on drugs to fund them and acquire weapons. These actions collectively have strengthened their covert agenda to carve out Zale’n-gam, brazenly undermining the rights and interests of the ‘Indigenous’ population.
Is the War on Drugs effective?
The incumbent Chief Minister of Manipur’s War on Drugs policy primarily focuses on deploying police to destroy poppy plants, which has raised many concerns. Between 2017 and 2023, Manipur police, in collaboration with local organizations, destroyed 19,664.5 acres of poppy plantation. A substantial acre of poppy plants is destroyed in Jan 2025, too. These efforts only scratch the surface, as a substantial portion of poppy farms remained inaccessible. Slashing poppy plants in fields is a labour-intensive endeavour that yields limited results in combating the narcotics trade. Notably, farmers are rarely, if ever, arrested, and even if they were, it would likely have minimal impact.
As the lowest rung in the drug trafficking hierarchy, farmers are often mere pawns in a much larger and more complex operation. It astonishes that despite the ongoing War on Drugs, not a single kingpin has been arrested in Manipur.
Given the extent of the narcotics trade and narco-terrorism in the region, it is reasonable to ensure that law enforcement agencies are well aware of the key players involved. The fact that no high profiles have been arrested has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the policy. Thus, there is collusion and corrupt nexus between the drug mafias and the agencies. The fight against the drug menace has been compromised by a section of the community that has deliberately misinterpreted the issue, infusing it with a communal undertone. Some have even justified poppy cultivation, citing economic reasons.
Moreover, it is suspicious that druglords operated across the Indo-Myanmar border and employed illegal immigrants from Myanmar as labourers in poppy farms as drug peddlers and cheap labourers. A more effective strategy would involve dismantling the entire supply chain, including the financiers, traffickers and distributors who profit from the illicit trade.
Thus, a disturbing reciprocation factor has emerged, characterized by the migrants' demographic strength, poppy plantation, involvement in the illicit narco-business, land grabbing, deforestation, and procurement of arms and ammunition. These have significantly contributed to the aggravation of aggression, resulting in the systematic exploitation and displacement of people threatening the very foundation of the ‘Indigenous’ population-it has compromised their ability to thrive and preserve their unique cultural heritage, putting pressure on land, resources and infrastructure. The diversionary tactic by the Government will only exacerbate the issue. While the Government’s response to the crisis has been criticized for being heavy-handed and ineffective, it must work towards lasting peace that respect its people's rights and aspirations without compromising the State's territorial integrity and social fabric and not on temporary means.

The writer is a PhD Scholar in the Department of Sociology, MU