Moving towards a settlement

Free Thinker *

Today in Manipur common people want peace and normalcy; they are really tired of following the instructions from their so-called leaders. Three and half months is a long time for the plebeians to live in a torturous condition where violence and gun firing goes on unabated.

In addition, institutions are almost defunct, businesses are in the doldrums, healthcare has gone haywire, schools are opened partially, the internet remains erratic, and agricultural activities have gone missing in and around foothills. Nearly 6 thousand displaced persons in relief camps are fed up with taking dal-chawal with bottled water every day. Many of them want to go back to their original habitation and die.

Now the time has come to question the leaders who are still uttering words of hatred and violence. The time has come for the common people including the womenfolk to ask their advisors - whether they want peace or continue the violence. Why should we fall into Jinnah’s trap of ‘direct action’ ?

The Prime Minister’s call for peace from Parliament and again from Lal Qila will create an amicable ambience for dialogue between the Kukis and Meiteis. In the last week or so there is hardly any major violence except for 3 casualties and some firings in the peripheries. Every Indian is concerned about us and the Prime Minister has stated that both the State and Centre will work in tandem for peace in Manipur.

Both the State and the Centre have been trying hard for the last more than 3 months to put the situation under control. Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji himself was there for 4 days. The PM is taking stock of the situation every now and then. Now things are moving towards a settlement as the negotiations have seemingly started under PMO.

The weapons taken away from the State police for self-protection may be returned at the earliest. It applies to both sides. Only one-third have been returned. It is an appeal to all to give up arms. Officers are in trouble – please understand. Honorable insurgents and militants are also requested to kindly move out of the scene if they really love their people.

Instead of any blame game, what is relevant today is to deal with the pressing issues. The ST demand by the Meiteis, the clamor for 6th Schedule in the hills, and now the insistence on Separate Administration by the Kukis – these issues might have been closely connected with the current strife. Unfortunately, this conflict has created a big chasm between the Kukis and Meiteis.

We suggested that for finding a solution we don’t need to do anything but deal with 100-odd State leaders including the elected representatives and community leaders. The Central leadership has perhaps taken the suggestion seriously and started working on it.

The present turmoil could have been controlled in a few days, but it has taken much time because some invisible forces are involved who do not believe in the spirit of Manipur and the idea of India; and the rampant use of guns. Now, the priorities should be to disarm both the warring sides and initiate dialogue simultaneously.

Please return the guns and please also withdraw the flimsy FIRs except for heinous crimes, and please go to Dilli whenever called for dialogue.

Our priority is to bring peace & save Manipur and also maintain the unity of the people ie, 37 ethnic communities (groupings like Nagas or Kukis or now Kuki-Zo as propounded by leaders for their political ends). This beautiful land does not belong to one community alone. It belongs to all the bona fide citizens who have faith in the idea of Manipur.

Just say that you believe in the idea of Manipur, then you take whatever you want - Loktak or Moreh or Mao or Moirang or Jiri - but stay within that 18000 sq. miles of 1949. Older dwellers are big-hearted fools. But if you challenge them – they didn’t even fear the biggest empire in the world (1891).

The majority community has more responsibility for making the idea of Manipur alive and kicking. Antagonizing other ethnic groups will create cracks in both demography and geography. They have to be more docile and pragmatic (the opposite is happening now). Since 33 AD will Kangla be the only omphalos of power when the coparceners have grown up with families and children? We can have 6 highly empowered separate kitchens.

We are still barbaric; our level of civilization, human values, civil rights, and the rule of law are still at the nascent stage. So, we can’t think of behaving like Scotland, or Quebec, or even Catalonia.

Here, if we do so, you are either dead or behind bars. Till our civilizational level is raised, let us try to co-exist somehow. I thought we are better than the Hutus and Tutsis of Central Africa – unfortunately, I was wrong. Let us talk and find a way out, it is not too late.

Dilli Darbar is calling - group by group – for dialogue; please don’t put up any heavy demands which can further protract the violence leading to cataclysm.