Sino-Indian power struggle and its impact on Manipur

Koijam Shiva Singh *

Rise of communist China as a major power casts its shadows around the globe in one way or the other, be it US, Europe, Asia. Armed with economic power and aggressive diplomacy and flexing of military muscles, China let itself loose from tenterhook to broaden its sphere of influence.

Indo-pacific region, Taiwan Strait, and more importantly Indian Ocean region and South Asia are few to name. China had expanded its ties with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, etc. either through mutual understanding or through debt trap diplomacy.

In the context of India, it is happening in its backyard and so India no longer had viable option but to counter the SOS bell ringing before slipping out of hand. Bangladesh and Myanmar is one region where India catches cold and headache when someone sneezes in Myanmar.

Influx of illegal immigrants both civilians and antisocial elements or rather terrorists from these countries destroyed the basic geopolitical fabrics of the North Eastern region. Myanmar has its own problems for long. Military rule for years, democratic movements, and sectarian divisive movements in its inhospitable border areas had outstretched the manpower and resources of one of the poorest countries of the world.

Chin-Kuki movement and their dream for a separate Nation funded by narco-terrorism had not only affected that impoverished Nation but also neighbouring countries in its periphery and provinces in larger and broader context. Recent military adventurism in that country forced many of those Chin-Kuki terrorists to abandon their country and accused of taking refuge in neighbouring Indian provinces particularly Manipur.

With this, more or less Myanmar Government had successfully lessened itself their headaches now but the problem shifted to Manipur State where those illegal armed terrorist immigrants with the support of local Kuki under the pretext and protection of SoO went on rampant clearing of reserved forest land, mass cultivation of poppy plants and inhabitation on reserved forest land thereby affecting the once peaceful State.

A million dollar question now arise whether this represents a real problem for India ? For some intellectuals, it is being viewed as a threat and attack to sovereignty of India but for some, opinions are somewhat different and sidetracked from normal beliefs. They hold the notion and raised accusations that those immigrant terrorists act a catalyst to counter insurgents of Indian origin camping there in Myanmar.

It is even doubted and accused whether those immigrants were even granted political asylum under the current SoO in return for their services which all seemed to be aware of.

What is more interesting among many political thinkers is the perceptions and hypothetical assumption that in what way can a democratic and powerful country like India benefit from such adventurism by granting refuge to those terrorists yearning independence from Myanmar.

What would be the mutual agreement if any ? Or what would be the term of agreement with Myanmar Government for accommodating their problem, i.e. those Kuki terrorists in Indian soil. Perhaps few accusations amongst them being to counter China’s influence in Myanmar through its military or elected Government using those illegal terrorist immigrants as a bargaining chip against Myanmarese Junta or its elected Government, to discourage them in tilting towards China encircling India in its eastern sector in one hand.

On the other hand, it is also either being opined or accused with popular idiom in mind “Iron is cut by iron” or “Loha loheko kadta hain” that those illegal immigrant terrorists are accused of being mobilized as a pawn to counter those insurgent groups militarily and socio-politically to avoid casualties amongst Indians and to not only avoid landing in embarrassing situations but also to avoid questions from general public that will shake the foundation of the elected Government and Nation as a whole.

Furthermore, present turmoil in the State of Manipur where there is unhindered, deliberate and intermittent shooting spree, looting, burning down of houses belonging to a particular community by those illegal Kuki immigrant terrorists while peace had already returned in the valley raises the doubt of many on the merits of existing SoO (Suspension of Operation).

It seems to many the demerits outweighed the merits where one community is being rendered to a mere scapegoat and clear inefficiency in rooting out the culprits who murdered innocent, unarmed civilians. Rumors are doing the round that it would not even take 5 days to flush out those trouble mongers who attacked the sovereignty of India and lives of innocent citizens if Government is serious and so what might be the modus operandi to not pursuing any tangible hard action on the ground ?

Perhaps, innocent civilians should pay the price of power struggle between two great Nations and perhaps they should accept the appeasement policies of the Government towards one section even if the other has to endure casualties and humiliation which perhaps is something going to linger on until and unless there is tangible signs of unbiased change in attitude and policies on the ground.

Only then, they can soothe the minds and souls of those injured and humiliated section of the society and mutual self-respect and co-existence will return, opined further.