Stoking the fire to keep it burning
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 11, 2023 -

WHILE the inefficiency of the state administration and its machineries in dealing with the current humanitarian crisis in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, which has been needlessly allowed to go on for over five months now, is too glaring for anyone to miss; the presence of some fringe elements who are taking advantage of this inefficiency of the state administration and stoking the fire of communal hatred to keep it burning in this multi-ethnic state is also becoming more than apparent for anyone to dismiss as figment of imagination.

Whenever there is some semblance of peace and normalcy returning in the strife-torn state, the sentiment of the people has been whipped up once again, thereby rendering the collective effort for resolving the current humanitarian crisis to suffer a setback.

The relative peace that prevailed after the initial violence was shattered when a two-month-old video clip of two women being paraded naked was released right before the commencement of monsoon session of the Parliament in July.

Then, came the disturbing photographs of two students who were reported missing since July 6 appearing on social media in last week of September just two days after lifting of the ban on mobile internet service that had remained shut down since the outbreak of the violence on May 3 last.

And, now, after a brief lull, the state is on the boil again following release of a horrific video clip of burning the body of a man lying in a trench.

This seven-second-long video clip that is doing rounds across various WhatsApp groups and social media platforms since October 8 is said to be linked with the incident of two women being paraded naked, which took place on May 4, a day after the communal clashes first broke out in Churachandpur district.

We are not against the release of any of these video clips or photographs, howsoever horrible or gruesome they may be.

These videos or photographs are testimony of how unbridle human emotions could bring ruination to an entire state, and we should not run away from this fact.

However, the manner and the timing of releasing these video clips or photographs of the crimes that were committed long ago whenever there is a semblance of peace and normalcy returning in the state has raised suspicion of some people hellbent on prolonging the conflict.

In addition to loss of hundreds of precious human lives and thousands of families rendered homeless on both sides of the clash divide, the impact of the unprecedented violent conflict that broke out between Meitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin communities after a Tribal Solidarity March organised by All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) in the hill districts on May 3 in protest against the directive given by the High Court of Manipur to the Government of Manipur for sending recommendation to the Government of India for inclusion of Meitei/ Meetei in the list of Scheduled Tribes turned violent in Churachandpur district before it soon spread to other Kuki-Chin dominated areas has been felt by people of all the communities living in the state.

With the state remaining in turmoil for so long, everyone is yearning for peace today and efforts are being made for resolution of the conflict.

However, it is becoming evidently clear that all these peace initiatives are not to the liking of some people who want the violent conflict to go on and they would do anything to stoke the fire to keep it burning as long as their own nefarious agenda has not been achieved.

So, it is time for the peace-loving people to unmask these fringe elements for the peace initiatives to reap dividend.