Unseen force at work: Time to unravel it
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 27, 2024 -

A large section of the people, if not all, now understands the connection between Myanmar and the Manipur violence.

Manipur shares 400 Kms long porous border with Myanmar.

Taking advantage of this long, porous border, tens of thousands of people fleeing from war-ravaged Myanmar are taking shelter in Manipur and a few other North Eastern states.

But the Myanmar refugees are creating many serious socio-economic and political problems in Manipur, even to the extent of challenging the government and the integrity of the state.

As the population of Chin/Kuki refugees swelled, encroachment into reserved and protected forest lands, rampant deforestation and extensive poppy plantation came to define several parts of Manipur, particularly those infested by refugees.

More often than not, these Chin refugees, many suspect, got assimilated among the Kuki populace in Manipur.

A deadly and premeditated military offensive was launched against the local population, particularly Meiteis when the government started cracking down on the illegal activities of the refugees and their supporters.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on the floor of the Parliament that illegal immigrants have a strong hand in the Manipur violence which erupted on May 3, 2023.

If one takes into consideration the unending supply of sophisticated arms, ammunition and military gears used by Kuki aggressors against the Meitei people, the Chin/Kuki refugees from Myanmar might be playing a much deeper role than what meets the eye.

As commented on this same column earlier, tracing the supply route(s) of the huge arsenal boasted by Kuki aggressors and identification of the suppliers of this seemingly unending flow of arms and ammunition will definitely go a long way in determining the unseen hands and the degree of their involvement in abetting and/or sustaining the Manipur crisis.

While refugees from Myanmar have outnumbered local population at several places, the latest being many villages of Kamjong district, Kuki militants, apart from creating mayhem among the civilian population, targeted government forces several times and killed many security personnel.

A few days back, one villager of Kamjong commented, "The Kukis are at war in two geographically very different places with different opponents. One cannot help but wonder how an unorganised force is a fighting a very organised war. How have they persevered for so long? Who is helping them? From where are they getting their arms?"

This is a question which demands urgent attention of all stakeholders.

If their sustained military offensive and the accompanying highly aggressive propaganda warfare, both inside India and abroad, particularly the US and Europe, are any indication, some very powerful forces are backing the Kuki militants.

This much is clear.

In the face of this powerful force backing the Kuki militants, the local government has been severely crippled, with its authority and functions challenged openly in the Kuki dominated districts.

The way New Delhi has been tackling the crisis is also undoubtedly dubious.

Video clips of some Kuki militants threatening and forcing Indian military troops to turn back from their operational duty went viral in social media.

This unprecedented and bizarre incident took place in the border town of Moreh on January 17, 2024.

The Kuki militants had their way and dictated terms in the border town of Moreh.

So far, Indian troops have showed no sign to rein in the rampaging Kuki militants.

Now, a bridge, not some makeshift or temporary but a permanent one, is being constructed over Manipur River at K Molnom village without any sanction from the Manipur government.

Who is funding the bridge?

Who is providing them (Kuki villagers/militants) with the logistic and technical support?

Perhaps It is the unseen force.

It's time to unravel the unseen force backing and abetting the Kuki militants.