Contested territorial demands in Manipur : A need for deliberate solution

Jangkhopao Kipgen *

After the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signed a historic peace accord with NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015, the North-Eastern States in general and the States of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in particular were full of confusion regarding the contents of the Framework Agreement.

The NSCN (IM) claims for the integration of all Naga inhabited areas in the North East is strongly opposed by the neighbouring States.

Manipur is a home to three major ethnic groups: Kukis, Nagas, and Meiteis. The Meiteis, who has the largest population settling in the valley districts, want to preserve the territorial integrity of Manipur at any cost. In the hills where both the Kukis and Nagas settled in the same proportion, the Kukis calls for Kukiland to be carved out of all the Kuki inhabited areas and Nagas demand for the integration of all the Naga inhabited areas in the North East, including the hill areas of Manipur and Nagaland.

The demands for Kuki-homeland or Kukiland by the Kukis and Greater-Nagaland by the Nagas started after India’s independence. It is not surprising that there would be a conflict between the two (Kukis and Nagas) ethnic groups who have the same demand for autonomy or homeland in the same land which is overlapping. Conflicts of interest between the two went from bad to worse during 1990s which resulted in violent ethnic conflict leading to large scale devastation.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (Kuki Government) has been demanding for justice to the victims of the alleged atrocities by NSCN (Isak-Muivah) cadres during 1990s before any political settlement between the Indian Government and NSCN (IM).

The Kuki Inpi argues that they (Kukis) will not accept the outcome of the talks between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) before the issue of the killing of 905 innocent Kukis, uprooting of 360 villages and displacement of more than one lakh Kukis by the NSCN (I-M) is settled according to the Kukis customary law.

In March 24, 1960 The Kuki National Assembly (KNA), which was established in 1946, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru demanding the immediate creation of a Kuki State comprising of all the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur.

The Kuki underground outfits under the leadership of KNO and UPF, continued the demands for the creation of Kuki Homeland or Kukiland in the hills of Manipur and entered into a suspension of operation with the Centre and the State since 2005. Several rounds of talk between the Centre Government and Kuki militant outfits under the umbrella of KNO and UPF have been held.

During the 6th round of tthe tripartite talks with the Government of India and Manipur, UPF and KNO demanded for the creation of Territorial Council in the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur which contradicted the demand of NSCN (IM) to integrate the hill areas of Manipur with Nagaland.

The Government of Manipur, which is led by the majority Meiteis, is ready to defend the territorial integrity of the State and stands for maintaining status-quo in the State boundary. Various valley based Civil Society Organisations also launched different forms of agitation in showing their displeasure towards the Indo-Naga Peace talk. In response,the Naga political leaders argued that the demand for integration of Naga inhabited areas is a legitimate right of the Nagas and it is not an infringement of any other ethnic rights.

Meanwhile, the State of Manipur has been in a chaotic condition after interlocutor RN Ravi told the Parliamentary Standing Committee that Article 371 (A) of the Constitution would possibly be extented to all the Naga inhabited areas.

Different Civil Societies in Manipur launched a protest against against the extension of Article 371 (A) to the Naga areas of Manipur which would imply the creation of a ‘Naga State within Manipur’. It is clear that solving the problems of Naga ethnic groups for peaceful co-existence between the Centre and Naga armed-group, would be a breach of peace in the State.

In the hills of Manipur, while tension between the two ethnic groups (Kukis and Nagas) rises,the Indian Government engages in a political dialogue with the NSCN-IM, and give special status ignoring the calls by the Kuki armed groups for political dialogue despite maintaining Suspension of Operation since 2005.

It is doubtful whether the Central Government is concerned with peaceful co-existence between different ethnic communities of the State or if it is playing a mere game of electoral politics with the two ethnic groups.

Opposing the Central Government’s decision to create three Councils to settle the Naga issue which was reported in some local dailies, Kuki Inpi reiterated its stand regarding the murder of 905 innocent Kukis, uprooting of 360 Kuki villages, and displacement of more than 100,000 Kukis by the NSCN-IM before settling the Naga issue. Different Civil Society Organisations of the Kukis also raised their voice to defend their ancestral land at any cost.

The Government of India needs proper comprehension of the problem of both the Kukis and Nagas who have the same demand in the hill areas of Manipur. Solving the problems of only one ethnic group keeping aside the problems or the demands of others, would only be a nuisance between the two.

Catering for the demands of Nagas leaving behind the demand of the Kukis would only invite the repercussion of 1990s ethnic violence which is still unresolved. For creating a lasting peace between the two, the Government of India needs to invite both the ethnic groups (Kuki and Naga) in the same table before finalising the Naga Peace Accord.