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Mainpur - A State Divided by Violence

As the two largest groups, the majority Meitei (Manipur, Myanmar, and the neighboring regions are the ancestral home of the Meitei. While some adhere to the Sanamahi religion, the great majority are Hindu), and minority Kuki (primarily Christian, have dispersed over northeastern India, and many people in Manipur have Myanmar ancestry), fight for territory and power, ethnic violence has thrown the tiny Indian state of Manipur into what many have called a civil war.

Since May of last year, intercommunal conflicts over government subsidies and quotas in employment and education have resulted in at least 250 deaths and 60,000 displaced people in Manipur.

Image Source: In the village of Gamgiphai, Manipur state, India, a woman gestures while arguing with a member of the Indian army.(Manpreet Romana/The New York Times)

Why and what is going on in Manipur?

The violence started after the state government was requested by the Manipur High Court, last year to consider giving the Meitei group, which makes up the bulk of the state's population, Scheduled Tribe status. The Meitei would have greater access to benefits, such as reserved seats in the government, and protection under the Indian Constitution thanks to this status.

This designation had long been sought by the Meitei population in Manipur. But there were serious worries that this action might exacerbate ethnic tensions, especially between the Indigenous Kuki and Naga populations. In fact, the All-Tribal Students Union of Manipur staged a protest demonstration on May 3, 2023 shortly after the court's announcement.

The demonstration, which involved Kuki-Zo and other members of Manipur's larger tribal communities, who mostly reside in hilly regions where the Meitei would be permitted to buy land under the new ruling, turned violent when Meitei and Kuki-Zo clashed. In February 2024, the controversial order was reversed by the Manipur High Court.

However, that is merely a direct cause. There are additional causes for the long-simmering underlying rage. These are connected to the Kukis' sense of persecution as well as the government's crackdown on protected and reserved forests in the state's hill regions. The government's strict attitude against these alleged illegal immigrants has infuriated the Kukis, whose kin they are. A number of Chin, members of the same ethnic group, have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar and entered India.

Image Source: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh (File | PTI)

A number of factors, including the fact that many acres of land in the hills are being utilized for poppy cultivation, are contributing to the BJP Chief Minister's stern attitude against what he claims is tribal communities' encroachment into reserved and protected forest areas in the Manipur highlands. The government uses the phrase "drug lords" to refer to all Kuki people, even though it sees its attack on forest regions as part of a larger campaign against drugs.

Second, Manipur's land is under a lot of strain. They believe they have a historical and ancient right to populate the surrounding forest areas as their numbers in the tribal settlements grow. The government disputes this. While tribal people are able to purchase land in the valleys, the Meitei, who reside in the valleys, are incensed that they are not permitted to establish or purchase land in the hill regions.

Regarding how it intends to recognize new communities, the government has no clear policy. Furthermore, Manipur lacks a clear forest policy. Even inside its own party, this has caused animosity.

Since then, what has happened?

When the riots started, mobs plundered police stations, causing 600,000 rounds of ammunition and over 3,000 firearms to disappear, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
As many as 132 Hindu temples and more than 254 churches had been demolished till date, possibly many more than the recorded figures.

An Indian army soldier examines the remains of a Manipur church that was set on fire.[file: Arun Sankar/AFP]

At least two of the 26 homes within the Langol Reserve Forest were destroyed on April 11, 2023. After a Google Maps image revealed that there was no habitation in the region in 2020, residents of K. Songjang hamlet in Churachandpur were forced to leave their homes on February 21, 2023. The eviction occurred after 38 villages in the Churachandpur and Noney districts were de-identified by the forest department in November 2022, stating that they were part of the Churachandpur-Khoupum protected forest. According to the notification, an officer who lacked the necessary qualifications gave the communities permission to settle.
Violent protests followed by the discovery of the bodies of six people, three women and children each, who were allegedly kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Jiribam, an indefinite curfew has been enforced and internet services have been suspended.
Following a shootout between militants and security authorities that claimed ten rebel lives, the six people had been missing from a camp for the displaced in Jiribam since Monday.
On November 7, a woman who was supposedly from the Kuki community was raped and burned by members of an armed group in the Jiribam district of the state, sparking tensions.
A police station and a relief center that housed Meitei refugees in the region were attacked four days later. The attack was attributed to Kuki factions by the dominant community.
Ten armed men were shot dead by police that same day in what they claimed was a shoot-out, or "encounter" as it is known in India. According to Kuki organizations, the men were "village volunteers"- armed civilians defending the community - despite police accusations that they were suspected Kuki militants.
On Friday, November 15, 2024, members of the powerful Meitei group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity announced a civil disobedience movement, breaking the curfew to close down the Election Department and the GST Bhavan, among other government offices.
In Jiribam town near the Assamese border, a mob attacked the BJP and Congress offices on Sunday night, November 17, 2024, and the police are said to have opened fire. Khundrakpam Athouba was shot and killed, and K. Bishan, age 26, was injured.

Illustrative image showing empty building

Security personnel patrol in a sensitive area of Manipur. | Photo Credit: PTI

The government extended the two-day ban on Internet and mobile data in seven districts on Monday, November 18, 2024. These districts do not include Jiribam. Additionally, the curfew was extended in Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur, three districts in the Imphal Valley.
Three cases connected to the recent violence outbursts in Manipur, which caused a large number of fatalities and extensive disturbances to public order, have been taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Increased security: In the 3.2 million-person state, the administration has dispatched additional security personnel and pledged to take decisive action against violent members of both communities.
The Union Home Ministry stated that because the security situation in Manipur has been "fragile" during the past few days, all security forces stationed there have been instructed to take the required actions to bring peace and order back to the state.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was reinstated by the Center on Thursday in all six police station areas of Manipur, including the violent Jiribam, after realizing the precarious situation.
The MHA has sent an extra 2,000 members of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Manipur in an effort to defuse the situation, and more reinforcements may be needed if necessary. Because of the unstable situation in Manipur, Amit Shah canceled his rallies in Maharashtra, which is set to go to polls, and returned to Delhi.
Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, has been keeping a close eye on the situation. He presided at a high-level gathering of key officials in New Delhi on November 17, 2024, to evaluate the security situation. On Monday, there will be another high-level meeting to plan further actions to deal with the unrest.

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Written by Ruthvik Nayaka

Ruthvik Nayaka is a final year law student, his interests lies in areas including, but not limited to Corporate Law and taxation law. He is also the EN-ROADS Climate Ambassador. He facilities climate-workshop, climate action simulation game and group meetings.