One year ago, on May 3, 2023, ethnic violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei people and the Kuki-Zo tribal community. According to government figures, as of February 28 this year, 219 people have been killed in the violence, and 60,000 people have been displaced. The cause of the violence erupted after the Manipur High Court ordered the state government to send a recommendation to the central government on the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the valley-based Meitei community on April 14, 2023, a decision later criticised by the Supreme Court.
Last year, on May 3, the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur conducted a peaceful protest ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ marches against the Meitei demands for the scheduled tribe status. The protest turned violent in an area bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts.
On May 4, the Manipur government issued a shoot-at-sight order in ‘extreme cases’ for escalating ethnic violence following a tribal solidarity march that displaced more than 9,000 people in the state.
According to a new report, conflict and violence triggered 69,000 displacements in South Asia in 2023, with Manipur violence alone accounting for 67,000, which comprises 97% of displacements in South Asia in 2023. The Assam Rifles and the Indian Army were deployed in the region. The vigilante groups continue to take the law into their own hands.
But great harm has also been done by the state government’s lack of will to initiate a meaningful dialogue between the warring communities. One person lost his life and two others were injured after residents of two adjoining villages waged a gun battle in the early hours of Sunday. A day earlier, two CRPF personnel were killed and two others sustained injuries following a blast at the paramilitary force’s outpost in Bishnupur district—one of the most brazen attacks on security forces in the past year.
On May 3, last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the formation of a committee with representatives from different ethnicities, political parties, and civil society to begin the healing process. The fact that the committee ran into internal differences soon after has much to do with the complexities of Manipur’s society.
The curfew was imposed in eight districts of Manipur, and mobile internet services were suspended in the entire region. On May 15, this year, a report that was released stated the highest number of Internet shutdowns in the world was carried out in India last year.
The impacts of the Internet shutdown in Manipur were severe, particularly for women, as the shutdowns made it more difficult to document rampant atrocities, including murder, arson, and other gender-based violence, and thereby hold perpetrators accountable, the report said.
At its core, the current conflict revolves around a territorial dispute, with land being a central factor. The Meiteis are primarily confined to a landmass encompassing the Imphal Valley and its surrounding areas.
Despite constituting nearly the majority of the state's population, they occupy only about 20% of the land, with the remaining territory located in the hills. The ongoing communal conflict in Manipur has significantly disrupted the state's political landscape, leading to heightened tensions, mistrust, and division among communities.
Despite the Lok Sabha elections, Manipur has witnessed a lack of enthusiasm among voters. The ethnic violence has overshadowed the current polls, with civil society groups and affected individuals questioning the relevance of elections amid the turmoil. In the first phase of polls, Manipur experienced a relatively low turnout of 68 percent, accompanied by incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of EVMs, and allegations of booth capturing.
Furthermore, the Election Commission of India has ordered repolling in the six booths of the outer Manipur constituency. The Manipur government has cracked down on drug smugglers. However, it flutters over political and administrative failures by blaming the problem of illegal migrants from Myanmar, with whom the Kuki-Zomis share a common ethnicity.
On September 4, last year, UN experts urged the government to step up relief efforts and provide timely action to investigate acts of violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and foster a process of reconciliation between the Meitei, Kuki, and other impacted communities. There were significant human rights abuses in Manipur after the outbreak of ethnic conflict, the US State Department said in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
(All thoughts and opinions expressed are the author’s own.)
