Manipur violence: Trouble long brewing, ST status for Meiteis issue just the spark

Ethnic violence, which has engulfed Manipur over the last few days, was brewing for some time as a long history of mutual suspicion between ethnic groups in the Imphal valley and its surrounding hills turned into a simmering conflict after the BJP-led Manipur government started a drive to evict tribal villagers from reserved forests.

The spark for the raging violence was lit by demonstrations by tribal groups against a move to grant the majority Meiteis the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which the residents of the hills had been enjoying for decades since Independence.

The government in Manipur, regardless of which party comes to power, has always been dominated by plainsmen Meiteis, who account for about 53 per cent of the state's population and live mostly in irregular oval-shaped Imphal Valley.

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Consequently, the government's actions have often been viewed through the prism of suspicion by tribals -- mostly Nagas and Kukis -- who make up 40 per cent of Manipur's population and live for the most part in the hills surrounding the valley.

Interestingly, the fertile Imphal valley makes up for about a tenth of the total land mass of the state while the surrounding hills, ideal for militant hide-outs and home to a long-running insurgency, account for 90 per cent of the state's lands.

The eviction drive, which began in February, was seen as yet another anti-tribal move, leading to alarm and widespread discontent not only among the Kuki community which was affected by it but also other tribals who have many villages within reserved forest areas.

Ahead of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's visit to Churachandpur district last week, a mob vandalised and set on fire the venue in New Lamka town where he was scheduled to address a function.

The mob also managed to partially torch a newly set up open gym which Singh, an ethnic Meitei, was slated to inaugurate on Friday afternoon.

The attack took place barely 11 hours prior to a 'total shutdown' called by the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum in the entire Churachandpur district.

The Forum claimed that despite the repeated submission of memorandums to the government protesting the ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forests of farmers and other tribal settlers, "the government has shown no sign of willingness or sincerity in addressing the plight of people".

General secretary of the Kuki Students Organisation, Churachandpur, D J Haokip, told PTI, "Several areas in the hill district have been declared as reserved forests, protected forests and hundreds of Kuki tribals have been dislodged from their traditional settlement area."

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"The anguish of the Kuki people is not about the evictions but the failure to provide rehabilitation to more than hundreds of those affected," Haokip added.

The Kukis are represented by 10 legislators, including five BJP MLAs, in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. The Kuki People's Alliance (KPA), which is an ally of the ruling BJP government, has two MLAs.

"We have six MLAs from Churachandpur district and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has asked them to come out and state their stance on the eviction drive. If they fail to respond, our future course of action will include socially boycotting them," Haokip said.

Earlier in March, a violent clash occurred at Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi district where protesters tried to hold a mass rally against "encroachment of tribal lands in the name of reserved forests, protected forests and wildlife sanctuary".

Five persons were injured in that rally following which the state cabinet withdrew the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) talks with two Kuki-based militant outfits, Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Army.

SoO agreement is a ceasefire arrangement inked by the Centre, state government and Kuki outfits that began more than a decade ago.

The cabinet also reiterated its stance that the "state government will not compromise on steps taken to protect the state government's forest resources and for eradicating poppy cultivation".

Even as discontent grew over the eviction of the villagers, three churches in Imphal's Tribal colony area were demolished on April 11 for being "illegal constructions" on government land, leading to more discontent.

This meant that when the 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) was announced for Wednesday to protest the move to grant ST status to the Meitei community, there were justified apprehensions that this could lead to tension clashes.

The march was organised by Nagas and Kuki tribals after the Manipur High Court asked the state government last month to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status by the Meitei community.

However, no one imagined that it would degenerate into the spiral of violence which engulfed the state often called the jewel of the northeast like a forest fire, killing and wounding scores, forcing thousands of people to flee from their homes and see the central government rushing in large numbers of Army, Assam Rifles and central police forces to contain the situation.