Manipur continues to suffer unspeakable trauma

Nation’s conscience writhed in anguish as reports poured in of fresh bout of violence in the most strife-torn state in the country in the north east, Manipur. Despite a tight security blanket thrown by central police forces, mobsters rampaged through Imphal and even attempted to attack the ancestral home of CM N Biren Singh. It was empty, though. The audacity of arms-wielding militants and other lumpen elements in the state capital speaks of the sorry state of affairs, which was aggravated in no small measure by the helplessness of forces to combat the vandals and the crass ineptitude of the State government to bring in any semblance of order with rapprochement efforts.

The ethnic divide is being orchestrated by the practitioners of murky politics. In such a state, any event, however small in the normal course of things, can trigger more turmoil. The government had to hurriedly bring in an IPS officer at SSP level from Srinagar to handle the situation. Is the police top brass so helpless, despite deploying heavy posse of military and paramilitary forces? Since 3 May 2023, when ethnic violence

erupted in the north-eastern state, Meitei people, a majority that lives in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki tribals in the surrounding hills, the incompetency of Biren Singh and the loss of public confidence in him have been explicit; however, the BJP chooses to ignore calls for change of guard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not choose to visit Manipur. Fine, he deputed Amit Shah in May. But it has not helped the matters. Thousands were displaced, properties damaged and around 200 died and several more were injured in the ethnic violence that caught the global attention. There is a total breakdown of order in the state. Yes, the state has been turned into a vortex of violence. Reports of rapes and executions continue to shock the nation. Terror reigns supreme in the state. One can only imagine the lives of women, children and the infirm… the loss of

livelihoods. Even the Supreme Court was moved to intervene and order the State government to rein in violence and it even involved CBI and shifted some violence and rape cases to Assam. In August during the reply to the no-confidence motion on the Manipur issue, the Prime Minister assured the nation that peace would return soon there. But, the ‘double engine’ Sarkar has not been “seen” doing anything about peace-building – even if it may be. There aren’t any perceptible attempts to build the seemingly

unfathomable gulf between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities. The opposition, too, failed to put forth any actionable viewpoints.

The point is none seems to be truly perturbed by the turn of events. It is not a belated outrage as the situation has not gone out of hands yet, and it is still mitigable. The CM, a Meitei, is accused of identitarian politics and faces mounting calls to quit. It would at least assuage the hurt feelings to some extent and there can be greater outreach to civil society and for reconciliation efforts. There is bad blood among the government, warring factions, and the opposition even as there has been enough bloodshed in the state. Shutting down internet and incapacitating opposition does not augur well for the troubled state. There are no signs yet of any peace process. Should Manipur continue to smoulder?