Manipur Crisis: A Classic case of Orchestrated Narrative Manipulation

A Concerned Manipuri Citizen *

Over the past two months of communal clashes in Manipur, the Kuki Zoland Movement orchestrated a narrative manipulation campaign at local, National and Global level to tarnish the image of Manipur State and Specially the Meitei Community in particular by an army of Kuki-Chin-Mizo Communities living across the globe. They have implemented a well planned narrative manipulation campaign which has not only tilted the narrative on their favor but have rendered the Meitei Society, Manipur State government and even Central Government helpless in these ongoing clashes without able to come to a conclusive solution.

The peaceful Meitei society has been depicted as an aggressor, prosecutor of minorities and a violent community which is not at all true. As a consequence, the Meitei community has become collateral damage in the long list of conflicts the Kuki-Chin-Mizo has orchestrated in their dream of creating a Zoland Nation. It will take decades for this character assassination of the Meitei Community campaign to reverse and rectify.

The Kuki-Chin-Mizo Community have very cleverly sidelined all the existing conflicts they have in 3 nations namely Chin region of Myanmar with the existing Myanmar Junta, the Chittagong region of Bangladesh with its army , the ethnic classes within Indian territory with Karbi and Dimasa Communities in Assam, Native Kokborak community in Tripura , the Genocide of Brus Community from Mizoram resulting thousands still living in refugee camps in Tripura and in Manipur the ethnic clashes with Nagas in 1990s and Paite’s in 2020s and the latest entrant being Meitei in 2023.

Hence, Ethnic tension of the Kuki-chin-Mizos Community is nothing new, they have been fighting ethnic wars with various communities for ages but there is no mention of all these conflicts in the run-up to the existing conflict with Meitei on any National or global level discussions . Why is that? Why is no-one talking about it ? Isn’t all these conflicts related to their greater demand for Zoland Nation and indirectly related to the current crisis in Manipur ?

It has become very evident now that this conflict has been a meticulously planned series of events implemented by the Kuki-chin-mizo community, which the Meitei community, confined to the Valley area in Manipur, have failed to fully comprehend and respond it . Whether it's the intellectual class, politicians, or civil society, everyone has merely been reacting to a conflict that has been carefully orchestrated for decades.

Frankly speaking, The Meitei Society and whole of Manipur was unprepared for this crisis, both in terms of shaping public perception and conveying the true narrative of the incident. A detailed level enquiry is critical to be carried out about who started this conflict ? What the reason for this sudden animosity with the Meitei people ? At one time Biran was their favorite “Pu”, how did he become enemy number 1 ?

What was the motive behind initiating of the whole conflict ? Not only has the Manipur Government been deceived, but even the Indian government has been manipulated to achieve their Greater Zoland Nation Dream.

Let's delve into how this manipulation has occurred in Manipur Scenario against the Meitei’s : -

1) Inside the State of Manipur (ST Demand by Majority Meitei): The Kuki intellectuals have made extensive efforts to highlight a narrative pitting the Meitei against the tribal communities, thereby uniting all tribes, including the Nagas (their sworn enemies), under a single umbrella of animosity towards the Meitei. They have influenced smaller ethnic groups like the Maring, the original inhabitants of Manipur, to join the Kuki community and fuel a hate campaign against the Meitei.

However, it is a well-known fact that the existing tribal communities in Manipur would not be pleased with the inclusion of Meitei in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. This uphill battle for inclusion will not be easily won. The Kuki community in Manipur has taken advantage of this situation to their fullest advantage and tried their level best to manipulate the narrative even organizing a mass rally which sparked the whole violence on 3rd May 2023.

2) Outside Manipur across National Media (Meitei Majority Vs Tribal Minority): The narrative portrayed in the national media outside Manipur depicts the Meitei as encroachers on tribal lands, land grabbers, and oppressors of minority tribes. However, when considering the entire Meitei population living in Manipur, Assam, Burma, Bangladesh, and other cities worldwide, we amount to only 1.7 million, with nearly 80% residing in Imphal Valley.

On the other hand, the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community resides in vast areas of Chin State in Myanmar, the current Mizoram State, the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, and southern Manipur, encompassing a significant territory with over 2 million people with conflicts with almost all the native communities in those regions. In reality,Meiteis are the minority in terms of absolute numbers, but the national media has adopted a narrow perspective focusing solely on the population in Manipur by using terminology like Meitei Majority vs Kuki Minority. This skewed narrative seems to be part of a well-planned strategy .

Meiteis have never sought any foreign lands nor claimed any ethnical based special rights. Vast Majority of Meitei population resides in Assam, Bangladesh, Tripura and Even Myanmar. E.g. ask any Manipur living in Assam; they will call themselves Assamese of Manipuri Origin. None of them are prosecuted or had any conflict with any other community; it is because we are a peaceful people who learned how to live and co-exists with other communities.

Even in Myanmar the currently Military Junta has not targeted the Meitei community living there. The same cannot be told about the Kuki Community who are almost in endless conflict wherever they settle across the North Eastern region. Why this time around the Meitei community is depicted as barbaric, land hungry encroachers? Why not the history of conflict of Kuki-Chin-Mizo Community analyzed deeply to understand their psyche ?

3) Outside India Across Global Media (Indian Hindu Vs Indian Christians): The portrayal of the Manipur crisis in international media has capitalized on the current nationalistic campaign by the BJP government against minorities, framing it as a campaign by Hindu majoritarians in India targeting Christian minority citizens. This narrative garners sympathy from the Western world and its media, who perceive the situation in Manipur as an instance of Hindu persecution against Christians. The fact that even the US government's ambassador has discussed this issue serves as an example of their influence.

It is a well-known fact that the Jews hold significant control over the Western world, with American media conglomerates being owned by Jewish individuals. They wield immense influence over the narrative. Even letters have been written to Prime Minister of Israel on the same issue leveraging their “lost tribe of Israel” Narrative. Although Questions can be asked in What universe the Jews of Israel traveled across the Ganges plain , crossed the mighty Himalayas and settled in North Eastern India without anyone knowing or having a record about it on any literature ?

I would say openly that they have even managed to fool the Rabbi of Israel government to recognize them as one of the “Lost Tribe of Israel” without any logical proof or verification. Such is the convincing and Manipulating power of the Kuki-Zo People. This explains how the Kukis have successfully highlighted the issue on global platforms such as CNN, Al Jazeera, and DW News, while we Meiteis struggle to present our perspective in national media.

Moreover, the internet shutdown has completely blocked our individual efforts to make our voices heard. This unfortunate situation has left us at the mercy of others to tell our story and the story that is told is completely untrue. All we are doing is damage control.

Through all these observations, it becomes evident that not only the Meitei society in Manipur but also the Manipur state machinery and the Indian Union itself have fallen under the clutches of Kuki-chin-Mizo sympathizers across the globe . Any step taken by the Meitei community, Manipur State Government or India Government will be used against them. If the Meitei society attempts to address the situation, they will be labeled anti-tribal.

If the state government takes action, it will be seen as the Meitei majority government persecuting innocent tribal communities. Should the Government of India intervene, the Western world will point fingers and highlight the Right wing ideology and Human right abuse narrative . This conflict is far from being resolved, as their intellectuals have successfully placed the Meitei society, Manipur state government, and even the Indian Union under their control.

Furthermore, the Indian Union finds itself unable to adopt an aggressive stance against the Kukis due to the Kalandan Multimodal project or Act East Policy, which relies on appeasing the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community as it passes through their heartland. “The fear of China outweighs the suffering of the people of Manipur”, making us mere collateral damage.

Additionally, the Burmese Junta is supported by China, and if they manage to quell the Chin State militancy initiated by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo, China will establish closer ties with Northeast India through Myanmar's influence. This outcome is unacceptable to the Government of India, leaving them trapped in a dilemma where they cannot take any action to resolve the conflict or risk facing severe consequences.

The Kuki-chin-mizo Intellectuals have done elaborate planning on all levels over many decades, which has given them control and the upper hand in shaping the narrative of this conflict and the Meitei society has become pawns in this game. Our vision has been confined to the narrow boundaries of Imphal Valley, while the Kuki have devised a comprehensive master plan, accounting for various aspects, to create their promised land of Zoland.

This land would encompass Mizoram State, southern Manipur, Chin State in Burma, and the Chittagong region in Bangladesh, starting with their demand for a separate administration in Manipur. The significant question now is whether we, as Meitei, will continue to live in denial, shouting slogans and merely reacting to events, or if we will take action. If we choose the latter, what will be our game plan? What is our ultimate vision, and what strategy will guide us? Who will determine the future of our Meitei society? Or will we continue to watch, chant slogans, let our younger generations suffer, and witness the disintegration of our state into pieces?

I feel it’s high time now that we talk about things like the Merger Agreement review and put it up on the highest level of international courts, After all, it was our king who signed the Merger Agreement, thinking our lands and its people will be protected and we will become more prosperous community under Indian Union.

We followed all the rules set aside by the Government of India whether it be just confining ourselves to valley region of Manipur, putting us in General category, giving away our fertile Kabaow valley land to Myanmar and what we got in return was a step motherly treatment of our people, more humiliation ,disappointment now we are depicted as Barbarians . We even endured and survived Martial laws and finally Manipur was coming out of its dark pasts to a more prosperous future but we have been kicked back into dark ages and a vicious cycle of sufferings and pain.

Our ancestors who signed the merger agreement must be rolling in the graves. We have to start asking questions like have we as Meitei nation after signing the agreement gained anything in this process? All we got is more suffering, more humiliation for our people and now we are just a collateral damage to greater conflicts in the region with no regards for lost of Meitei youth life and its future. We could have lived peacefully like Bhutan as a princely Kingdom with Agreement with Indian Union where we could at least make our own Decision.

We could have protected our land from outsiders . Now, in our present state of affair, we cannot even make a small decision without looping in Delhi. Some Kuki Scholar also claim the merger was for Valley and not hills, then where is the proof that they are Citizens of India? How can they claim citizens and get all benefits from ST Status when they were never inducted into the union of India through any agreement and a formal process of induction.

All they did was illegally grab lands in the Hills, claim as their own, plant poison on the soil using poppy and arm their militants with Drug money and feed that money to influence election and beaurocrats.

Now that we all know the damage has already been done and the existential thread we have, What is the way forward for us as Manipuri Meitei ? What are the strategies we can make that will help us survive this situation and setup a long term vision for all the Meitei community living all across Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tripura and across the globe for a Shared prosperity and to protect the integrity of Manipur.

In my personal opinion, we have to divide our problem into short term immediate things we need to do now and long term mitigation we have to take to have a prosperous and thriving Meitei Society across the globe which I will try to explain from my perspective in my next article.

To be continued ....