Tough call, but onus definitely on PM to restore peace
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 31, 2023 -

WITH exception of consoling people directly affected by the ethnic conflict and assuring to deliver justice to the victims, there is remote chance of the INDIA bringing an end to the violence in Manipur.

Nevertheless, it is heartening that the MP team of the newly-floated opposition bloc visited the state and interacted with the displaced people to assess their plight and gravity of the situation.

Having met riot-hit people taking refuge in relief camps in the Kuki-populated Churachandpur district and in the valley districts, the visiting political delegation is certain to savvied about the devastation caused to both lives and properties due to the ethnic clashes.

As told to media persons on Saturday evening after visiting the relief camps in Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts, INC MP Caurav Cogoi emphasised on restoration of normalcy so as to enable the displaced people return to their ancestral homes at the earliest possible, which at the moment seems infeasible as there has been no respite from attacks and counter-attacks in the peripheral villages.

The fact that shooting started soon after the MP team crossed over to Bishnupur district from Churachandpur underscores resolve of at-least one of the parties in conflict to sustain the pressure on the centre to cede to its demands including separate administration for the Chin-Kuki communities and imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur or replacement of chief minister N Biren, who the Kukis believe is behind the violence perpetrated by the Meeteis.

Interestingly, in his five-plus years as the chief minister, the hill dwellers, including the Kuki tribes hailed N Biren as pro-tribal administrator, and made it is point to invite him to cultural festivals and institutional events held even in remote and far-flung villages.

However, such affection and fondness of N Biren among the Kuki-Chin communities totally dissipated as the chief minister launched vigorous campaigns against poppy plantation and eviction of encroachers from protected and reserved forest areas in Kuki-populated hill areas.

The first evoked positive response as could be comprehended from many chiefs of Kuki villages exchanging pleasantries with the chief minister and pledging to prohibit poppy cultivation in areas under their respective jurisdiction.

Thus, among other reasons the anti-Biren narrative deepens the suspicion that the large-scale poppy plant decimation drives hit hard the drug cartel consequently inciting Kuki miscreants as well as armed organisations to target the Meetei people with the obvious objective to exert pressure on the chief minister to rethink his anti-drug campaign.

Amid such deeply polarised and complex situation Manipur is passing through, Congress parliamentarian from Assam Gaurav Gogoi has rightly said that the onus to stop the violence in the state is on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the anti-drug is also an initiative of the Union government and the most that the opposition parties could do to highlight the turmoil in the state is to create ruckus in the parliament.

However, observing the ground reality of digging trenches in the peripheral villages, setting up of bunkers and frequent attacks and counter-attacks becoming the new normal in the state, it is unlikely that even the stringiest of warning by PM Modi to the warring communities to refrain from acts of violence would see de-escalation of tension unless the centre could work out a solution acceptable to both the parties in dispute or issue firm instruction to security forces operating in the state to act as per the law of the land, without any complicity.