Armed attacks corroborate irrelevance of ST demand issue
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 31, 2023 -

IF at all the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meetei/Meitei commu-nity is one of the factors for the conflict between Kuki and Meetei communities, as had been projected by some national media and anti-Meetei lobbyists, the matter could have been settled through the legal process.

A ruling by the High Court of Manipur's act-ing Chief Justice MV Muralidaran on April 19 directing the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of the Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe category to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry led to the 'tribal solidarity march' organised by ATSUM on May 3.

Unlike in Churachandpur district from where the communal riot broke out after the march, there were no breach of peace in the other tribal-dominated districts, thereby deepening the suspicion that the violence was intentionally ignited so as to project the issue as tribal versus non-tribal.

Rather than contesting the court's order which was passed on the basis of a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union, groups of Kuki people, evidently backed by armed persons, not only launched offensive against the Meetei people but also accused the government machinery of aiding the rioters in Imphal, which the national and regional media initially believed.

However, as reports started to surface about suffering and displacement of large number of people belonging to both the communities, there seems to be realisation among the media community and global fraternity that the ST issue or religious attachment and sentiment had nothing to do with the riots.

Moreover, if demand for ST status by the Meeteis is to be held accountable for the violence, there is no justification for one of the parties in conflict to use sophisticated firearms to target unarmed civilians in the foothill villages as the aggrieved party ought to confront the court as per the constitutional provision or the government of Manipur at any forum available.

The fact that neither the to Kuki MLAs, who raised the demand for separate administration of Kuki and its kindred tribes, nor the Kuki civil societies have censured use of lethal weapons on the civilians, implies that the armed outfits have their sights set to exert pressure on the government to rethink its policy of destroying poppy plantations, the proceeds of which mainly fund the mil-itant organisations.

Moreover, well-armed militants carrying out simultaneous attacks on the civilians as well as security personnel operating in the peripheral areas substantiate the suspicion that the conflict situation is not about the ST issue but militant groups look-ing to avenge for the destruction caused to their funding sources.

Chief minister N Biren might be the most hated person in the world for the Kuki community at the juncture but one can't help but wonder why he used to be called the people's chief minister by the tribal people and organisations, including the Kukis, invited to almost every tribal festivals and showered endless praises.

Thus, there is every reason to suspect hidden agenda behind such a sudden turnaround by Kuki legislators and civil societies against the chief minister.