Bloodshed amid peace in state narrative
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 16, 2021 -

WITHOUT an iota of doubt, the November 13 attack on tne convoy of 46 Assam Rifles that claimed the lives of seven people including wife and child of a colonel rank officer, must have woken up the government authorities and made them acutely aware that military actions alone won't be able to restore peace in Manipur.

Regardless of the significant decline in the number of insurgency-related incidents, the latest attack brings to the fore existence of the restive northeast region, which many ignorant masses and policy makers in the mainland part of the country are not aware of.

Though frequency of attacks on security personnel is far less these days compared to the 1980s and 90s, the fact remains that the insurgency movement in the region, Manipur in particular, is not yet over as is evident from sporadic reports of recovery of explosive materials and intermittent attacks on security posts especially in remote parts of the state.

These incidents contradict frequent claims over stability in the law and order situation by the BJP-led government. Accepted that there a semblance of normalcy in the state under the new regime as number of strikes and street agitations has been effectively curbed.

The present government's relentless endeavour to bring the aggrieved civil bodies to the negotiating table to iron out the differences and buy time has been commendable.

But it would be premature for the government to contend that insurgency is passe as major outfits operating in Manipur are yet to give up the armed resistance.

Regardless of chief minister N Biren stating on the sidelines of Sunday's tribute event that top priority is being accorded to fence the border so-as to check infiltration from Myanmar and trans-border movement of'inimical elements' such a policy sans visible commitment to amicably resolve the conflict situation might not serve any purpose.

The CM's concession that due to disputes in some portions of the nearly 400-km long India-Myanmar border belt a little over 40 km could be been fenced as on date itself underscores obscurity of government authorities in acknowledging the history and ancestral boundary of Manipur preserved by the forefathers.

It is also notable that by renaming Mount Harriet as Mount Manipur, the establishment has acknowledged valour of the Manipuri forefathers but is unwilling to accept that Manipur was a sovereign kingdom, which the various insurgent groups are campaigning to restore.

Before more lives are lost, it is time that policy makers study the many theories propounded and suggestions put forward by academics, scholars and researchers for finding lasting solution to the insurgency-induced conflicts in the region.

It is almost consensus amongst them that either a military fix or a development fix or a combination of the two would not bring about a solution to the problems.

The unsaid but universal truth about the insurgency situation here is that there is always much-more than meets the eye behind its dynamics.

The contributory causes are many including inconsistencies in history, economic structures, development and identity alienation.

It is also closely related to administrative weaknesses and incompetence, but above all lack of a sense of fair play and justice.

To understand the problem of insurgency in Manipur it would be necessary to first know its genesis and analyse the narrative of each rebel group.

Thus, it is unlikely that simply sealing the Indo-Myanmar borders in Manipur sector would result in the insurgent groups shunning violent attacks unless there are concerted efforts to impress upon the outfits that the establishment is ready for a meaningful and productive dialogue process, especially so as consensus continues to elude over the decades old Naga peace talks and the SoO pact signed with the Kuki outfits.