Manipur violence: The 10 pointer roadmap to peace amid Kuki-Meitei clashes

Manipur is under chaos and amidst fake narratives over social media, things are getting complicated with each passing day. The majority Meitei and minority Kuki-Zo communities are at war with each other while the lives of other communities like Naga, Nepali & Tamilians are getting affected due to frequent clashes in the state. Both Meitei & Kuki-Zo are blaming each other for wrongdoing and the elected government of Manipur under Mr N. Biren Singh is accused of not only abetting the riots but also supporting his community against the minorities. A big question to the nation is how we can achieve peace back in the state where brave warriors of the Indian National Army shed their blood and hoisted the tricolor much before the rest of India. Here is my suggestion and a ten-pointer roadmap to peace in Manipur.

Immediate presidential rule – There are serious allegations and evidence to suggest that the present government led by Mr N. Biren Singh not only failed to contain the situation but also openly helped rioters of a particular community. Due to this, the government has lost all faith in the tribal community and under such circumstances, bringing peace to the state will not be possible. The only solution is an immediate presidential rule so that situation can be monitored by the central government directly and things remain transparent.

More power to central forces and re-induction of AFSPA – Manipur state government has recently revoked Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Imphal Valley in March 2023. In view of the frequent armed clashes, loot of several thousands of sophisticated weapons from armories of police, and free movement of terrorists in the valley brandishing weapons, it is strongly recommended to impose AFSPA back in the entire Manipur with immediate effect. This will help central security forces to carry out searches to recover the looted weapons and act against the terror groups.

Movement of Women battalions to Manipur to handle Meirapaibis menace – The womenfolk (Meirapaibis) are creating big issues in Manipur. They are not only escorting the terrorists and armed rioters to the villages of other communities but also acting as a shield in front of central security forces when they go to arrest these armed terrorists. There have been incidents where they gathered in large numbers and freed the hardcore terrorists from the clutches of forces and did not allow forces to reach the burning villages of minority communities. This Meirapaibi menace has to be curbed immediately. Since Assam Rifles & Indian Army primarily have male soldiers posted in the state, it is difficult to control them. At this moment in time, it is essential to bring in women battalions of CRPF, RAF, and other paramilitary forces to Manipur to control this menace.

Action against extremist groups like Arambai Tenggol & Meitei Leepun – These two groups are in the news because of the fiery speeches of their leaders and their direct involvement in the riots. To date, Manipur state government failed to take any action which shows their intentions but strict action against them from the central government will not only help the violence to stop but also bring in the faith of other communities and this is very much required to institute peace.

Establish buffer zones at possible conflict areas– There are places where the communities are in direct contact as their villages are located nearby. In such a situation, central security forces should establish temporary buffer zones between these villages or localities so that the rioters are not able to move from one side to another thus saving precious lives. Transgressing through these buffer zones should be entirely prohibited till there is total peace in the state.

Strict enforcement of SoO with Kuki-Zo groups- Kuki-Zo extremist groups are also accused of taking an active part in the violence and it is the duty of the central government to keep this Suspension of Operations(SoO) groups under strict control. They should be limited to their camps with all their weapons well accounted for. This is also required for winning the faith of the majority community.

Catch the main perpetrators of the drug syndicate- The drug business has been one of the primary causes of the violence. It is an established fact that a large number of Kuki-Zo families are cultivating opium in border hills but the point to be investigated is who are the kingpins of this business? This scale of drug business cannot prosper without the help of terror groups and politicians, and it is the duty of the central government to catch the main perpetrators so that the drug menace can be curbed. Burning the poppy fields will only achieve limited and temporary success.

Involving community and religious leaders for prolonged peace& address the issues-The primary trigger of the violence were the forest act and inclusion of Meitei’s in ST which irked the Kuki-Zo community. These are sensitive issues and should have been dealt with carelessly. These issues cannot be resolved without taking social leaders of both the communities in the loop and central government and security forces like Assam Rifles can play a vital role in this. They should ensure that both communities arrive at a consensus rather than having a one-sided narrative to address the burning issues.

Central monitoring in disbursing relief to communities – The Manipur state government is also accused of doing partiality in distributing relief materials to the affected citizen and displaced people. Under such circumstances, it becomes inevitable for the central government to monitor the distribution of relief material in the state so that no partiality happens. At the same time, the reconstruction of the villages which are burnt and destroyed should also happen under central supervision.

High level inquiry at the level of Central government to find out the facts of violence- While the central government has already taken note of loot of weapons and sent a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team to Imphal for investigation, it is essential that another high-level team is formed by Central government to find out facts of violence and pinpoint the blame. This team should not only have subject matter experts, Military officers, senior bureaucrats, and members of the judiciary but the investigation should also be completed in a timely manner. The aim of this inquiry is to bring out names of actual perpetrators (Either internal or external) of the violence.

Manipur has been witnessing bloodshed and inter-community rivalries for a long time. The memories of Kuki-Naga clashes of nineties are still afresh. At the same time, it is impossible to carve out different states for different communities or give special privileges to these communities. Manipur belongs to all the communities, and they should stay peacefully. At this moment of time, the need is to have a strict enforcement of roadmap, involvement of all communities and work out a long-term plan keeping things totally transparent. Time is the biggest healer, and these scars will heal too.