Divided Manipur: Resistance to CAB may fail
- Imphal Times Editorial :: November 17 2019 -

They have completed dividing the entire people of the state into two groups.

One -a group that support the demand put up by NSCN-IM and another that opposed any demand that might segregate the state into two administrative bodies, no matter the territorial boundary of the state remain undisturbed.

Before the NSCN –IM started engaging in the cease fire agreement with the government of India and started political dialogue, there were many issue that these groups jointly fight against many issues like rampant violation of Human Rights by security forces under the shadow of the draconian Act AFSPA 1958, racial attacked to the people of this land in the mainland metropolitan cities, any attempt to extract the mineral resource from the state etc.

These groups always stand together and fight with the establishment when the government of India moved any action that might endanger the existence of the various ethnic community of Manipur.

One recent example is the common stand against the introduction of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) without any differences before the parliamentary election.

The prevailing situation today seems that there will be no joint struggle against the passing of the contentious CAB in the Parliament which will start session on November 18.

It is loud and clear that the Narendra Modi Government is all set to table the CAB during this parliament session and in view of the number of BJP MPs it is going to pass.

A clique of MP who will oppose it can’t save them from passing the Bill.

Last time too the Bill was passed but didn’t table it at the Rajya Sabha – May be because Parliamentary election was knocking at the door and the BJP having understand the politics of CAB or they have no adequate numbers in the upper house.

Except in the North Eastern part of this country and some intellectuals who want to maintain the sanctity of the Indian constitution and of course the opposition political part, there will not show any kind of large scale protest.

The maximum resistance will be from the North Eastern States including Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram.

The Central Government had already seen the protest in their attempt to pass the CAB, and obviously they would have planned to suppress the voice of the people against the passing of the contentious CAB Bill.

Interestingly, almost all the states in the North East India are either BJP led government or Coalition government with the BJP.

At a time when people in Manipur are raising strong agitation against the passing of the CAB, the BJP which promised to bring CAB in an amended form to grant citizenship to some particular community which follows religion like Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan in their party election manifesto won 7 seats of the 14 seats from Assam.

In Manipur’s of the 2 MP seats BJP get the win the Inner Parliamentary Constituency. Still than it would be wrong to assume that passing of the CAB gets people mandate in the state of Assam or Manipur.

The parliamentary election is not referendum on CAB. And this is well known to the Central leadership of the BJP.

Now, tension runs high in the three state of North East India due to the hasty move for bringing a final solution of the issues of the NSCN-IM and the NNPGs.

Almost all civil bodies which are now engaging in democratic protest to resist any move that might disintegrate the Manipur in the wake of the final settlement of the Naga issue.

And the supporters of the NSCN-IM is now celebrating on the presumption that the decade long insurgency problem will come to an end without knowing what are the agreed points between the two.

The content of the agreement is still not disclosed to anyone. Even the NNPGs and the NSCN-IM do not know what will the government of India agreed to the list of demands that they put.

The Manipuri people are signaling possible outbreak if the solution affect the interest of the state.

This means that a virtual but distinct line has been drawn and for sure the two groups may not jointly struggle to resist the passing of the CAB Bill.

Already the BJP members and representatives of the state of Manipur have been brain washed and are now openly supporting the CAB, even as they could do it to the entire people of the state.

Now as the people are now focusing the Naga issue, it is not sure to imagine a strong resistance to the passing of the CAB. After shrewdly plan to suppress the energy of the people, the CAB will be introduced.

On the other hand the strong presence of security in Ukhrul district shows that the final settlement may not satisfy even to many cadres or hard core of the NSCN-IM.

Similar presence of para military force in valley area and almost all districts of Manipur is a clear indication the government of India will used similar tactics which the government of India had successfully used in Jammu and Kashmir at the time of Abrogating the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

Manipur today is already divided , but it is not possible that the people unites if both the divided group realized that unity will be the only means to protect and safeguard the people of this region.