A year of hostilities

Lukhendro Keisham *

Still reeling under the ripples from 3rd May, 2023 incidents the Indian State of Manipur is in commotion marked by distrust, anger, socio-political chaos, ideological clashes and heightened emotions. It all began from burning of properties, displacing hundreds of families from their homes, and people taking up arms in retaliation.

Next is a series of reactions leading to more death and suffering to our own fellow Manipuris. War-like buffer zones were marked along the plains bordering the hills, and families had to flee their homes due to ongoing threats and attacks on nearby villages. Then the resurgence of armed groups and self-proclaimed leaders, under the guise of communal patriotism, has only added to the complexity of the situation.

Extortion, kidnapping, coerced judgments, and silencing are rampant. Blocking of important highways, attacking transporters, destroying bridges, cutting off major power lines, poisoning of river water, human rights violations and above all land locking a particular community from the rest of its own state and country are among the many crimes committed against the state.

The state’s economy is badly affected, entrepreneurs are losing their businesses, salaries of government employees are delayed, and the tourism industry is at a standstill.

Unofficially, the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited, which is the sole electricity distributor in the state, falls short of revenue to purchase electricity for domestic supplies, leading it to resort to electric load shedding in the state once again.

Despite nationwide protests and repeated calls, there has been no effective reaction. The puzzle remains unsolved as to why a country as powerful as India struggles to quell and resolve the situation even after a year of its onset.

Armed conflict in Myanmar between the ruling military junta and various ethnic groups is directly affecting India’s bordering states with an influx of illegal immigrants. Bangladesh is implementing stringent measures against militias of a particular community operating within its territory.

All these events occurring in the same geographical region raise numerous questions regarding the geopolitical dynamics at play in the area.

People took the dispute to media channels and online platforms too. One presented it as religious and ethnic cleansing, while the other focused on territorial conspiracy, historical manipulation, illegal immigration, narcotic trades, and their repercussions. Those who have spoken out often find themselves unable to act effectively.

The government, being paramount among all stakeholders, also responded with its hands tied. Manipur has witnessed a surge in civil society organizations as well.

There's a strong belief that certain individuals or group deliberately provoked the violence to conspire against the idea of a diverse, multiethnic state. While the rest of India is determined to stay out of the differences a particular state recurrently sends out words adding fuel to the fire.

Narratives suggest this is a puppetry show to achieve ulterior motives, a cover up or fallout from a mutual discord by some treacherous leaders. While these claims may not be entirely substantiated, they cannot be dismissed outright.

People have openly articulated the involvement of opium cultivation, narcotics trade, terrorist funding, illegal immigrants and even the government’s project and policies in the region. Rather than fixating on who triggered the conflict, the path ahead should focus on restoring peace through reconciliation at the earliest opportunity.

Rushing to consider any form of solution or resolution at this juncture should be avoided as it could lead to misjudgement.

The longer this ongoing unrest continues, the more likely it is that the underlying sentiment on the idea of Manipur will disintegrate, allowing opportunists to exploit the situation.