This story first appeared in India Today
Manipur has continuously failed its people, but it has never been more evident than now. This crisis stood out for the way it seemed “engineered” as pointed out across the board by many sections of society.
By Hoihnu Hauzel: As I write this, a little over a month has passed since violence broke out in Manipur. Many of the hill tribes who called the valley their home are somewhere outside the state, trying to grapple with what has hit them. Almost in the same vein, many valley people who called the hills their home are in somewhat the same plight. I say ‘somewhat’ because as has been reported, they have the “backing of the state,” which is a big relief, unlike those whose fate hangs in the balance.
Just in the past month, over 75 lives have been lost, and about 38,988 people are internally displaced — the actual figures are unknown, as unclaimed bodies remain at hospitals unequipped to hold them. And to accommodate more coming in, the dead are even being deprived of their last rites. This is only a part of the harsh ground reality reported by many who are living it — a ban on the internet means that the truth is suppressed and only a sanitised version of the news is allowed to trickle out.
Even after the Home Minister visited the state on the 27th day of the crisis – he landed on May 29 – the silence of the dark continues to be haunted by firing — night after night. Our otherwise courteous Prime Minister, who never misses an opportunity to tweet or remark on any global issue, has not said a word nor tweeted on the crisis, dimming the hope of people from Manipur who thought their lives too mattered as much as those who succumbed to the most horrific train crash in Balasore last Friday.
Immediately after the accident was reported, there was a vow for “punishments over the deadly Odisha crash.” Not a word on the pain and anguish in Manipur. This is the stark reality of how Manipur, on the fringe of the nation’s mind space, is once again ignored. One wonders what would be needed to be taken seriously. Manipur has two seats in the Lok Sabha. Orissa has 21 seats. If it’s the number of parliamentary seats that determines a nation’s response to a crisis, then Manipur stands nowhere.
How did it all begin? Why was the arson that took place on May 3 termed “the most venomous annihilation ever manifested by the people of Manipur to itself”?
The crisis did not begin overnight. It had been simmering for the longest time. Successive governments that came and went in Manipur never had it easy. The very formation of the state came with its share of complications, and the state was embroiled in crises since its inception when, in the 70s and 80s, it saw the birth of separatist movements. It is against the backdrop of an already dysfunctional state that the seeds of hatred and misunderstanding were sown a long time ago.
A regressive mindset ensured division among the people. What Manipur has needed is strong leadership – the kind that would rise above ethnic divides and embrace every community; that would bind the people with a single thread and not divide them on every count. What could have been an opportunity for the majority to inclusively leverage the state’s rich diversity has been frittered away and left behind a fragmented society.
The spirit of inclusivity was replaced by hatred and fear with the minority tribal communities living on the outside of the circle of power and access. While accounting for more than 40 per cent of the total population of the state, only 19 seats are reserved for tribals out of the total 60 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The strategy of ensuring the tribals never played any substantial role in the decision-making process in the state is apparent.
For a state where conflict and ethnic feuds were part of its growing pains since statehood was granted back in 1972, assimilation of different communities, I believe, was already a big ask. But I also believe that dominant communities must be protective of smaller communities because each community has an identity, and it is a combination of all those identities that constitute the culture of a state. But that culture never existed even superficially in Manipur.
Manipur has continuously failed its people, but it has never been more evident than now. This crisis stood out for the way it seemed “engineered” as pointed out across the board by many sections of society. The precision and organised manner in which houses belonging to tribals in Imphal were identified and differentiated from adjoining Metei houses and burnt within 48 hours hinted that the attack was pre-planned.
Delayed action by those with the power to put an end to the violence meant people were pulled out of cars and mercilessly tortured till they died. If we take an example of how colonies were attacked in Imphal — people were hunted down, chased, and for every cylinder that burst or car set on fire, there were roars of joy and celebration. A neighbour I know jumped across a 5 ft fence to escape the mob fury and fractured her leg. More than 250 churches were torched, resulting in temples being destroyed in retaliation.
How tribal residents in Imphal were driven out with hateful slogans and what appears like an institutional and cultural annihilation is now compelling the hills to demand a separate administration within the ambit of the Constitution. The way forward for a long-lasting solution is to silence the guns and for the warring parties to sit across the table for a dialogue. But then anyone who dares to wave a white flag is silenced and those who take a neutral stance become outcasts. Take the case of Babloo Loitongbam, a champion of human rights. He is now under threat for speaking the truth.
Why is peace so elusive? Perhaps, it is best that the people of Manipur not answer this, especially since the very meaning of “being Manipuri” is in question. As of June 4, 2023, the Central Government has appointed a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incidents of violence and delve into the causes and its spread. The Commission’s mandate includes investigating any lapses or dereliction of duty and the adequacy of administrative measures to prevent and address the crisis. In a state wracked by violence, where women have suffered the most, an all-male fact-finding team comprising a retired judge, a retired policeman and a retired IAS officer — reflects another reality of a gender-blind and gender-insensitive system. Be that as it may, this Committee must function above the board and come up with something substantive and concrete within a stipulated timeline.
Meanwhile, the familiar silence of the mainstream media or their airing of a one-sided narrative continues. But then, we live in a time where truth is muddled and sane voices who speak the truth are few and far between. Perhaps, it is time for the rest of the Northeast political leadership to speak up for the need for peace in Manipur. After all, if one state is in turmoil, the spillover of that problem will affect the other sister states.
At least for their own selfish interest, they must seek and demand peace for Manipur. The future is bleak and dangerous as the youth are angry and armed and a vicious circle of gun culture will once again rule the roost. Once again, it is the innocent people of the state who are locked in what has become one of the fiercest battles along the most delicate lines of ethnicity.