Unrest in Manipur 

The strong intervention of military units has temporarily brought the riot that erupted in the northeastern state of Manipur under control. The riot, which continued for three days, started to subside after a "shoot on sight" order was issued against the assailants. The riots were sparked by an ongoing conflict between tribal groups, including the Kuki and Naga, and the majority Hindu group, the Meiteis. The tribal groups came out with weapons against the move to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei group.

The Meiti, the largest community in Manipur, constitute 64 percent of the state's total population. They mainly live in the valleys. The valley is only ten percent of the total area of ​​Manipur. The remaining 90 percent are inhabited by tribal groups such as Kuki and Naga. The tribals who had migrated from Myanmar and other places settled in the mountains that were less populated. Tribals currently have Scheduled Tribe status. Only those with Scheduled Tribe status have the right to purchase land in the hills. For years, the Meitei people have been demanding that they should be granted Scheduled Tribe status as they, who are the majority group, have only 10 percent of the land. For this, they approached the High Court and the court asked the government to take a decision in this regard within four weeks. The fear that the government might take a decision in favour of the Meitei group led to the sudden outbreak of riots.

The Meiteis are claiming that they had Scheduled Tribe status before independence. The tribals are fearing that the benefits they used to get in terms of employment, education, etc. will be reduced if the Meiteis, the majority group, get Scheduled Tribe status. But Meiteis are saying that their lives are becoming miserable in the valley due to the migration of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The government's survey of forest areas and the demolition of some Christian churches angered the Scheduled Tribes. Despite the strong presence of various military units, the law and order situation in Manipur is totally damaged. Malayalee students in the state are worried as the conflict has spread to universities. Efforts are being made to bring them home via Delhi.

As it is a dispute between two groups of people who follow different lifestyles and cultures, the state and the Centre should intervene with extreme caution. There should be no action that creates the impression that the government is siding with any particular group. The action of appeasing some factions with an eye on vote politics is causing the tension to escalate in the northeastern regions, including Manipur, where such disputes exist. The central government should take the initiative to resolve the current conflict through peaceful negotiations.