Manipur tense

A FRESH outbreak of violence claimed two lives in Manipur on Sunday, even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh said about 40 militants involved in torching houses and firing at civilians had been killed by the security forces so far. Amid allegations of narco-terrorism and the Kukis being accused of attacking a Naga village, the situation is getting complicated in the northeastern state. Clashes broke out in the state around three weeks ago between two ethnic and indigenous groups — the dominant Meiteis who mostly live in and around Imphal valley, and the Kuki tribals, who live in the hills. It has led to bloodshed and trauma, besides houses and churches being burnt and the Internet suspended. Around 75 people have been killed, hundreds wounded and tens of thousands displaced and shifted to relief camps set up by the government with the Army’s help.

The two groups have been embroiled in a fight since March following the Manipur High Court’s direction to the state to consider including the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes list. The Kukis, who are mostly Christians, feel threatened as the move would pave the path for the largely Hindu Meiteis to own land in the forest and hill areas and get jobs at their expense.

Muddying the waters is the longstanding issue of migrants and indigenous people. The failure of the BJP-led state government to tackle the conflict has exacerbated polarisation. Now, with the Nagas, represented by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) — which has a truce treaty with the Centre — getting caught in the crossfire, a high-level intervention is needed to broker peace. The Army Chief visited the state on May 27-28 to take stock of the situation, while Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Manipur today. Efforts must be made to bring the warring groups to the negotiating table and iron out the differences through dialogue so that peace returns to the sensitive state.