Body count continues after situation under control claim
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 30, 2023 -

BARELY four days after chief minister N Biren claimed that the situation has been controlled to a great extent and seemingly derived pleasures that there has been no ethnic violence-related death in the state since June 13, gunfights broke out in Senjam Chirang village areas of Imphal West, which testified that the process, if any, for harmonious co-existence remains elusive.

Minutes after returning from Delhi on June 25 evening, CM Biren had stated that he apprised union home minister AmitShah about the prevailing situation in the state along with informing the latter that Manipur has been free human casualties for over 10 days.

However, the CM acknowledging stray incidents of mob violence amid high tension prevailing in the peripheral villages underscored that the situation could aggravate any moment as is evident from the firing and bombardment at Senjam Chirang that claimed the lives of two persons and injuries caused to five.

Prior to Thursday’s clash, the ethnic violence which broke out on May 3 had claimed over 120 lives and injured more than 400 people of different communities besides destroying a number of private and government properties, houses and vehicles.

During the course of the violence, militants, miscreants and mobs looted over 4000 firearms and uncountable numbers of ammunition from various police stations and security posts, compared to recovery of 1000-plus looted arms and some 13,702 rounds of ammunition by combined security forces.

With large number of firearms of varied types still at large, possibly in possession of the civilian population, it’s not surprising that unwanted incidents would recur.

No doubt, efforts are being made to reach out to the affected communities as well as neutral communities in order to facilitate return of peace but the latest incident rings out message that the confidence-building process shall have to be blended with aggression agains perpetrators of the violence by the security forces and convincing the concerned stakeholders to come to the negotiating table.

The peace-building process had already suffered a setback when influential Kuki organisations categorically stated that there shall be no parleys unless the incumbent chief minister is shown the exit door, a proposition already rejected by the central government.

Similarly, some Meetei stakeholders opted out of the committee constituted to find solution to the vexed issue on the ground that any process for reconciliation should be preceded by withdrawal of the suspension of operation (SoO) agreement signed with Kuki armed outfits.

Amid such sharp division in the society, especially among the communities in conflict, and suffering of the commoners, political parties hurling charges and counter-charges with regard to the SoO pact and root cause of the on-going turmoil is threatening to derail all efforts for restoration of peace and normalcy in the state.

With political organisations seemingly focused on drawing political mileage rather than shedding their differences for some time to facilitate return of peace and the Kuki and Meetei civil societies swearing and cursing at each other, there is fear that tension gripping the state will only lead to worsening of the situation.

In such a scenario, it is obvious that the commoners will continue to pay a heavy price.