The conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki Communities in Manipur has been ongoing for almost two months. And now, the conflict has taken a new turn. This new turn came due to remarks made by the sole Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram, Mr K Vanlalvena. Mr K Vanlalvena in an interview remarked that the president’s rule should be imposed in the state of Manipur. Further, he stated that the Centre should intervene in this dispute as the BJP government led by Chief Minister Biren Singh is unable to resolve the situation. This situation has led to a huge displacement of people.
Such remarks made by the Mizoram politician are seen as interference in the internal affairs of the state. To which Mr. K Vanlalvena wrote on Twitter – Manipur’s many Mizo tribes may believe they lack a representative in the legislature. I want to inform them that I am their MP. Earlier, the MP belonging to the Mizo National Front had submitted a memorandum to the prime minister requesting him for constituting a parliamentary team to study this dispute.
The history behind the violence
The conflict between these communities has a long history. But the current dispute escalated When the High court of the state heard the demand for including the Meitei Community under the ambit of Schedule Tribes. After hearing the submissions, the court passed the directive to the government for recommending such status for the community to the Urban Tribal Affairs Ministry. This direction led to the organization of the “Tribal Solidarity March” protesting against the implementation of this directive. This protest leads to a clash between the communities.
But the real cause of this violence is the underlying anger between the communities. The reason for such anger is the feeling of persecution by the Kuki Community, protected hill forest areas, etc. The Naga and Kuki groups worry that the status change may lead to their gradual eviction from a protected territory they have occupied for decades, leaving them open to exploitation.
Further, If the Meitei community is given scheduled tribe status, other ethnic groups, many of whom are Christian, assert that they are concerned that they won’t have a fair chance to seek for jobs and other benefits.
Way Forward
While looking at the current crises, the members of the parliament remarked that there are only two things which can restore peace in the state. The first is to fulfill the demands of the communities. The demand of the communities is to create separate administration. In the present administration, the government has always been dominated by the Meitei community. But this demand runs contrary to what Union Minister Amit Shah assured of. While meeting the delegation from the Women Civil Society Organization, he assured the society that the administration in Manipur will not be divided into ethnic lines.
Another way is by the imposition of presidential rule in the state. This would lead to the dissolution of the current government of the state and bring the state administration under the control of the president. This is seen as a solution because the current government has failed to curb the situation and the police forces are biased. Such demand has also been made by various groups such as Kuki, Zomi, and Mizo.
