Different take on President's Rule
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 18, 2025 -

AS imposition of President's Rule has been the core demand of the Kuki civil societies ever since the ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023 it is but natural that overtaking of the state's affairs by the central government would be heartily welcomed by Kuki bodies whereas for the Meetei civil organisations dismissal of the BJP-led coalition government, in-spite of commanding numerical superiority in the assembly, would be construed as undermining the public mandate and continuation of the Kuki-appeasement policy.

N Biren Singh, who had repeatedly resisted calls to resign over his handling of the Meetei-Kuki conflict, finally stepped down on the eve of the assembly's budget session and a potential no-confidence motion by Congress against the BJP-led government.

Along with demanding the resignation of N Biren, Kuki civil societies have been urging the centre to impose President's Rule on the ground that any move to bring the parties in dispute to the negotiating table wouldn't fructify if N Biren leads the multi-ethnic state.

Notably, Kuki civil societies never even cursorily mention that maximum of the attacks happened in the fringe valley villages or about origin of the clash which began when Kuki participants of a 'solidarity' march held on May 3, 2023, accompanied by heavily armed persons in combat fatigues suspected to be cadres of Kuki armed organisations bound by the controversial suspension of operation (SoO) agreement, targeted houses and people belonging to the Meetei community in Torbung village and handful of Meetei settlements in Churachandpur town, consequently triggering retaliatory attacks in Imphal and outlaying valley districts, and forcing the authorities to clamp curfew and blanket ban on internet services across the state.

Interestingly, the solidarity march called by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur to oppose the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meetei/Meitei community had no incidents of violence in the other hill districts with exception of Kuki-dominated areas.

As the ST issue is a court matter, the attacks on Meetei civilians were seen as not only illogical but also a part of the broader plan of handful of influential Kuki individuals and groups, to express resentment against the N Biren government's crackdown on poppy plantations and illegal immigration.

That some Kuki leaders held grudge against N Biren could also be comprehended when on April 28, 2023 the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum imposed total shutdown in Churachandpur district, forcing the chief minister to abort his planned visit to the district headquarters to inaugurate an open-air gym, which, too, was vandalised by miscreants.

Thus, many believe that Kuki participants of the solidarity march were incited to target the Meetei community as setting off full blown Meetei-Kuki conflict was what the said leaders had been eyeing so as to showcase to the world that Meeteis and Kukis cannot remain under a single administration.

With well-armed suspected Kuki militants joining the rioters in burning down houses and killing Meetei villagers in the fringe areas, to which groups of Meetei youth retaliated by torching isolated Kuki settlements located in the foothills and in the twin capital districts, miscreants from both communities went on arms looting spree from police stations, IRB post, police training academy and police outposts.

These looted weapons were and continued to be used in the violence till date.

Security expert are of the view that only when these looted weapons have been recovered, cadres of SoO cadres forced to stay put in the designated peace camp and Meetei rebels contained, there might be semblance of restoration of peace and order in the state.

As recovering the looted weapons and confining the SoO cadres would entail intense search operations and stringent actions by the PR-empowered security forces, possibility of the Kuki civil bodies reversing the narrative and raising objection against imposition of the President's Rule and the Meetei civil societies batting for continuation of central rule cannot be ruled out.