Manipur on Edge Again; Protests Intensify

Kolkata: Ethnic strife-scarred Manipur is on the edge again. This, barely two weeks after the spontaneous protests over masking the state’s name on a Manipur State Transport bus by security forces were halted after the administration promised a thorough probe.

The fresh eruption of violence, which prompted the authorities to suspend internet services in five Valley districts, followed heightened action by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that culminated in several arrests of Meitei radical outfit – Arambai Tenggol -- leaders, and some Kuki civil society members from Churchandpur and Morehin Tengnoupal district. The NIA and CBI were assisted by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police personnel.

The five Valley districts on the boil, where prohibitory orders have been in force in select pockets, in addition to blanket internet ban for five days from forenoon of June 7, are Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur.

The agitation against what are often termed as excesses by the security apparatus, are being decried by a good number of civil society organisations, which include several women’s outfits.

Then, border areas in Churachandpur district were raided on June 5 and 6, by personnel of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs, who claimed a huge success citing that the drive had led to seizure of contraband drugs, opium and cash worth close to Rs 56 crore. The drive, aided by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, also led to the arrest of five persons.

So, the first 11 days of June in Manipur have been action-packed – arrests of radical organisation leaders from among the Meiteis and persons from among the Kukis suspected to have fomented trouble and participated in acts of arson and looting of arms and ammunition.

The major protesting outfits include The Meitei Alliance, which claims to have offices in several Indian towns and cities and even abroad, and the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights. The former is dead against any extension of the Suspension of Operations (So0) which, in its view, lost all validity on February 29, 2024, when it was to be extended but the then Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh opted out of the SoO deal.

The Meitei Alliance has argued that only a live deal can be extended, not one which is not in force.

The Kuki organisation’s general secretary Kimneihoi Lhungdim has demanded release of all arbitrarily arrested individuals, an independent judicial inquiry into the arrests and the “broader pattern of profiling and harassment and protection of fundamental rights and dignity of all citizens, regardless of community or background.”

Manipur watchers say much of the blame for the prevailing state of affairs lies with New Delhi which, they think, is acting erratically. After a lot of efforts, it held a tripartite meeting involving the two warring sides in early April, and just when people were expecting a follow-up with a second tripartite exercise, the very idea of a tripartite was shelved. Instead, a meeting with the Meitei organisations was held in the course of May.

This gave rise to an expectation of a bipartite meeting with the Kuki-Zo representatives and prepare the ground for resumption of a tripartite dialogue. Instead, the Centre called a meeting with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups on June 9, in New Delhi to discuss SoO.

The Union government wants to have a new version of SoO with a reduced number of camps – seven as against 14 under the earlier version – and relocation of the camps will also be part of the agenda.

Those who kept track of the June 9 deliberations are of the view that early consent from the insurgent groups is unlikely as they would like to consult the sub-groups and allied units. Observers also wonder why the Union government has not bothered to post two-three senior, experienced persons as advisors to aid and assist the Governor and lessen his burden as also that of the chief secretary.

Traditionally, it has been customary for the Union government to post experienced senior persons as advisors to the Governor in a state under President’s Rule. The advisors enjoy a rank higher than that of departmental secretaries and even the chief secretary and subjects are allocated to them for decisions on departmental matters.

In Manipur, in the absence of advisors, the Governor and chief secretary are overburdened and in the given circumstances, they are required to devote considerable time to law & order issues and coordination with the security establishment.

It is close to four months since the imposition of President’s Rule with effect from February 13 last, and yet return of internally displaced persons to their homes is yet to gather momentum. Full-scale resumption of agricultural activity and commencement of development projects, listed for priority action by people’s organisations soon after the state came under President’s Rule, are awaiting appropriate initiatives.

It is ironical that when normalcy is eluding the state and warring sides are busy posturing, demand for a popular ministry is being raised every other day and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which commands the support of 36 MLAs in the 60 member-House, are not able to decide who their legislative party leader will be.

In this situation, names keep on floating and at the express desire of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, visits of MLAs to New Delhi have become a ritual. A few days ago, it was Speaker Satyabrata Singh. Names of some other MLAs – Radhyesyam, Biswajit Singh, Raghumani Singh (ex-IAS) and Govindas – are mentioned as possible ministers in case a ministry is formed. The latest to be in New Delhi on receiving summons from Shah are former chief minister N Biren Singh and current Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba (ex-royal family).

The writer is a veteran independent journalist based in Kolkata.