In Manipur violence, the Chief Minister was targeted by the BJP MLA, who claimed that he “is known to be hand in glove” with radical organizations like Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol.
One of the ten tribal legislators from the northeastern state of Manipur, Paolienlal Haokip of the BJP, claimed the “complicity of the state” in the ethnic violence as one of the reasons why it took so long to subdue in a letter to the Chief Minister N Biren Singh in May.
The letter demanded a separate administration for the Kuki-dominated districts in the state.
“Proof of state complicity can clearly be discerned from the fact that what started out as a purely ethnic-communal violence was later on attempted to be portrayed by the Chief Minister as the state’s war on ‘narco terrorists’,” Mr. Haokip wrote in an opinion article for India Today.
The 10 MLAs who signed the letter in May, seven of whom were from the BJP, also claimed that the Meitei group, which makes up the majority in the valley, was responsible for the violence and that the BJP-controlled state government “tacitly supported” it.
In response to the demand for a separate government, the Chief Minister stated that “the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected.”
The ‘narco terrorists’ narrative seemed to be intended to justify the use of state forces to support the radicalized Meitei militia in attacking and destroying Kuki-Zo settlements in the foothills surrounding the Imphal valley, beyond which it doesn’t seem to hold much water, Paolienlal Haokip wrote, adding that conflict over constitutional rights that had been simmering since the pre-statehood days was another reason for the protracted violence.
The ethnic violence, according to Mr. Haokip, “is perceived as a war of liberation from such gross injustices by the tribal Kuki Zo people, while the Meitei militia sees it as a war to claim tribal land.”
He repeated claims made by several Kuki leaders of bias in resource allocation, stifling of the powers of the Hill Areas Committee, and vested parties “managing” reservations in state jobs to curtail due representation of Scheduled Tribes.
The BJP MLA further targeted the Chief Minister, claiming that he “is known to be hand in glove” with extremist organizations like Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol, who he claimed were “the main executors of the ethnic cleansing of the Kuki Zo community.”
Notably, Thounaojam Brinda, a former “super cop” in Manipur, said in a court document that Biren Singh had put “pressure” on her to free a “drug lord” from detention.
She later ran in the state’s assembly elections last year against a BJP candidate, who was supported by Home Minister Amit Shah, after returning the state’s Police Medal for Gallantry that had been given to her by the Biren Singh administration.
According to Mr. Haokip, “A biased government anywhere is harmful to peace, and although such bias was always present in Manipur to some extent, it was accentuated under the current Chief Minister.”
Another BJP MLA from Saikot in Manipur’s Churachandpur district stated in a separate interview with Newslaundry that he thinks Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “misplaced priorities” and that he and many other Manipur MLAs have continued to attempt to meet with PM Modi.
He continued, nonetheless, that he remained hopeful that only the federal government could bring about statewide peace.
The majority-hill Kukis claim the N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur has been deliberately pursuing them under the guise of the war on drugs in order to drive them out of the hills and their homes.
However, data from the state’s special anti-drug unit Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) shows that between 2017 and 2023, the area under poppy cultivation in Manipur increased to 15,400 acres in the hills.
The Meiteis are concerned that their position in the valley will decrease with time because they are unable to purchase land in the hills while the tribals who reside in the hills are permitted to do so.
The Kukis responds that if the Meiteis are granted ST status, they will spread out into the hills and seize their property.
The situation in Manipur remains highly complex and volatile, with allegations of state complicity in ethnic violence adding to the already deep-rooted tensions between the Meitei group and the Kuki-Zo community.
Moreover, the involvement of the federal government is seen as crucial in resolving the situation and achieving statewide peace.
Both the Meiteis and Kukis have concerns about their rights and territory, with tensions escalating due to perceived favoritism and unequal treatment.
The situation requires careful consideration of historical grievances and a commitment to addressing the root causes of the conflict to prevent further violence and loss of lives.