ASIA/INDIA - First session of the new parliament: Violence in Manipur still on the agenda

Imphal (Fides Agency) - In the first session of the parliament that emerged from the recent elections in India, MPs re-elected politician Om Birla, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party of President Narendra Modi, as Speaker. In his first speech, Birla called for "meaningful and constructive discussions" in the assembly and called for cooperation with the opposition. The first session of parliament coincided with peaceful protests in the state of Manipur in north-east India, an area that has been rocked by inter-ethnic conflict over the past year. The Meitei community, one of the two warring groups that make up the majority, protested against the "retrogression" in the matter. The Meitei are demanding to be included in the group of Scheduled Tribes (recognized tribes under the Indian Constitution that enjoy a number of privileges, editor's note) and a court verdict in 2023 had ruled in this direction. This judgment provoked a reaction from the Kuki-zo, who objected to this inclusion and, as a minority group, feared losing the land reserved for them. A later ruling by the Supreme Court overturned the previous ruling and restored the "status quo antea". But this solution is not accepted by the Meitei.
On the other hand, the Kuki tribes reiterated their demand for a separate administration in Manipur, pointing out the need for a secure territory for tribal communities that have ethnic links with tribes in neighboring Mizoram and also in the Burmese state of Chin in Myanmar.
Apart from their respective demands, a common theme of the demonstrations on both sides was the demand for an end to the violence that has been dragging on for over a year. The protesters demanded that the Manipur issue should be discussed in Parliament and resolved as soon as possible before more lives are lost. Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh said that peace would return to his state in two to three months as the new government of Narendra Modi was giving priority to resolving the crisis. "Violence in Manipur has reduced in the last seven months, schools and stores have reopened," Singh said, reporting that an action plan had been drawn up after a recent meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah. In Imphal Valley, the state capital, hundreds of women marched silently demanding the government to ease militarization of the area and remove checkpoints so that normal life can resume, partly because militant groups signed a ceasefire pledging to stay in certain areas and keep their weapons in closed and controlled camps.
In the Kuki majority districts, hundreds of people gathered to participate in marches and demonstrations. They called on the government to unite all Kuki areas in Manipur, a demand raised primarily by the Kuki Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), which is calling for an "urgent political solution" to the ethnic crisis in Manipur. The political demand is the creation of a new Union Territory (called "Zalen'gam", i.e. "Land of Freedom") with legislative powers under Article 239 (A) of the Indian Constitution.
"If the government wants peace, then it must come here and find peace. We have been knocking on the doors of the central government in our quest for peace," said Paolienlal Haokip, one of the Kuki leaders and a member of the Manipur state assembly. Mayanglambam Bobby, chairman of the influential civil society Meitei group "People's Alliance for Peace and Progress", on the other hand, commented on the origin of the violence: "The violence in Manipur began when Kuki militants set fire to Meitei houses and properties on May 3, 2023". This was followed by the reaction and a general conflict. He suggests that "the Kuki must apologize for the attacks on the Meitei to make peace; then the Meitei groups will reciprocate. This is the mechanism for settling disputes". According to R.K. Nimai, a senior official with extensive experience in dealing with the complex social problems in Manipur, "the crisis in Manipur is very sensitive, both communities are hurt by the central government's inattention". It is a matter of restoring trust, preventing new violence and initiating a dialog through mediation that is accepted by both sides.
Since the outbreak of ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo on May 3, 2023, more than 225 people have been killed and around 62,000 displaced. The internally displaced people who are suffering the most are those who are most eagerly awaiting a step towards reunification.
(PA) (Fides Agency 26/6/2024)

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civil war

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indigenous

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tribalism

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human rights

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ethnic minorities

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