Amid the mass protest over the killing of six civilians in fresh violence in the state, Manipur chief minister N Biren has called MLAs to Imphal for an emergency meeting.The meeting that is scheduled to happen at the chief minister’s bungalow is expected to be about the critical decisions concerning the recent attacks on civilians by armed men from elevated areas.
For the past 18 months the state has been consequently caged with the conflicts, and sudden escalation in the past five days. On Saturday morning six persons ruthlessly lost their lives in fresh violence in Jiribam district, while one person was shot dead in his sleep, the other four were killed in subsequent exchange of fire between the two communities.
Just before this mishap, militants had targeted two locations in Bishnupur with rockets leading to the death of an elderly man and five being injured. However the security did successfully foiled attempts by crowds in Imphal to raid the armories of the 2 manipur rifles and 7 manipur rifles on Friday night. With the rise in the violence the Manipur administration had asked all the school and educational institutions to be closed on Saturday. The chief minister also met with governor L acharya on Saturday evening amid fresh incidents of violence in the state that has killed seven people and left more than 15 injured. The Manipur violence has been going on since May 3,2023 and is a very complex issue that seems to have no immediate solution and has a very deep rooted cause .
Essentially it is an ethnic conflict between the Metei people who are the majority in the Imphal valley , and the kuki Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills. The conflict rose when the Manipur high court ordered the state government to consider the plea to accept the Metei ‘s demand for the status of scheduled tribe. This move was opposed by the kyuki people as they say it as a threat to their tribe rights and land ownership.
The long standing tensions between the two communities get fueled with consequent competition for land resources and political powers. The influx of refugees from Myanmar has added to the tension with some Meiteis viewing the kukis as illegal immigrants. Also the government has been alleged to favor the Meiteis community for their decisions of land use, forest conservation and tribal rights. The neighboring country China has also been alleged in fueling the conflict to destabilize the region. The continuous violence has resulted in devastating loss of human lives with over 221 people killed and 1,108 people injured as of May 3,2024. It has also caused the loss of numerous homes, temples and churches.
The situation has changed tragically and needs a diligent focus and a peaceful solution to prevent any further human losses. The government must find a balance between the conflicting communities regarding their interests. If a little ignorance is shown in this case then it can lead to a major loss for our country and its people.
Talking to true to life Ahana a student of polity department of Delhi university has raised her concern for this tragic mishappening in The Myanmar. She feels that there is a need for the government to put extra effort to neutralize the matter and provide a balanced solution for the communities assuring them of their safety and security.
True to life correspondent
Arya