'Hunt underway' in Manipur

The fact that the riots in Manipur have continued unabated for over a year is nothing short of an administrative debacle. Along with that, the secret interventions of some powerful foreign powers to keep this rebellion going must not be overlooked. With India’s economic status elevating globally, such riots tend to tarnish the country’s image on the global stage and drag it down into the cesspool of violence.

The ongoing rivalry between the two tribal clans started on May 3, 2023. Despite a year-long unsuccessful attempt to alleviate tensions, the government should have better knowledge that bringing normalcy to Manipur is beyond the army’s limit. The Manipur issue could have been resolved through negotiations, confidence-building administrative measures and consensus on both sides. There has been no sincere effort from the state or central government to end the issue which has now rekindled the riots. A few people, including children and women, were abducted from the relief camps in Jiribam district and the bodies of some of them were found in the river. The mob also attacked the family house of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, the houses of two ministers and six MLAs.

Granting special privileges, or reservations to any section is a matter of policy of a government. The government, the Houses of Representatives and others have to make the final decision on such matters. In contrast to this, the Manipur High Court issued an order in April last year approving the Meiti group's long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe status, which led to the riots. If there had been a strong intervention on the part of the central government then, perhaps this riot could have been avoided. In any case, it is welcome that the central government has taken action by sending more forces to bring the situation under control in Manipur. It has been decided to bring more than fifty battalions of security forces to Manipur this week. The state and central governments should try to initiate peace talks along with the deployment of armed forces.

Opposition views the Manipur issue as a stick to beat PM Modi. An ideal opposition would have joined arms with the government to end the riot rather than fuelling more tensions and blame gaming. With the riots escalating, Assam's border with Manipur has been closed. Commandos were also deployed along the border following indications that the violence would spread to Assam. Fear still looms over the conflict spreading to more northeastern states.