Time to say No to separatist agenda
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It is a historical fact and an undeniable reality, even if some people don’t want to accept it, that Manipur has always been a multi-ethnic state. Manipur has been a common home to diverse ethnic groups since ages, though of late, this pluralistic identity and ethos are being challenged by a particular community. Although this challenge to the integrity and the multi-ethnic identity of Manipur became a visible threat after May 3, 2023, the conspiracy to disintegrate Manipur was there since many decades back. As pointed out several times earlier in this column, the massive, unprecedented violence which erupted on May 3, 2023 was not any sudden or spontaneous outburst of anger and grievances. It was a premeditated and well calculated military campaign designed to achieve the political goal of dismembering the age-old geopolitical entity called Manipur. The coordinated aggression which targeted unsuspecting and unarmed Meitei people was a violent manifestation of the decades old conspiracy to create an ethno-exclusive political unit at the cost of Manipur’s integrity. Soon after Meiteis were driven out of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh, Kuki-Chin militant groups and their frontal organisations wasted no time to claim that demographic separation of Meiteis and Kukis was complete, and Kukis must have an exclusive homeland which should be administered separately outside the purview of the government of Manipur. Just a week or so after the violence erupted, Chin-Kuki-Zo-Hmar Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly started a vigorous campaign for Chin-Kuki separate administration. All these manoeuvres pointed unmistakably to the fact that the May 3 violence was not any sporadic violence but a pre-planned and premeditated aggression in pursuit of a separatist agenda. It was this separatist agenda which drove out Meiteis from Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh and all other Kuki dominated areas. How security forces acted as mute bystanders when innocent citizens were slaughtered and tens of thousands of houses razed will not fade away from public memory anytime soon. It was this abject failure of the state which compelled a large number of youngsters to take up arms to defend themselves and their villages. The state is partially responsible, if not fully, for infiltration of weapons among the civilian population.
If one juxtaposes the facts that central security forces numbering 50,000 to 60,000 could not contain the violence for more than 20 months and the booming guns suddenly went silent after the imposition of the President’s Rule, one cannot help questioning the dubious role of the central government. No doubt, disarmament is a prerequisite to bring the violence to an end. All kinds of weapons in the possession of civilians must be recovered/seized. Then what about the weapons in the possession of militants under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement? Given the fact that SoO militants were/are directly or indirectly involved in the planned aggression, it is equally important to disarm all these militants. Disarmament should apply to both the Meiteis and the Kukis uniformly. However, so far there is very little seizure/recovery of weapons and the number of weapons surrendered in the hills is even smaller as compared to the valley. The state and its law enforcing agencies must take this into account. Disarming the valley youth only while keeping the Kuki-Chin militants and youth armed to the teeth would be nothing short of abetting genocide. With the imposition of the President’s Rule, the violence has subsided considerably and the Union Home Minister has instructed top civil and military officers to open all national highways and roads in Manipur but to no avail so far. Kukis are still blocking Imphal-Dimapur highway at Kangpokpi and the government of India has been watching silently as if it is totally helpless. How can the government of India watch silently when the Kukis are keeping the national highway on ransom in pursuit of their separatist agenda? By silently enduring the crippling impacts for the highway blockade for almost two years now, the people have made it clear that the highway may never open but it should not be allowed to be used as a bargaining chip for the illegitimate demand of separate administration. At the same time, New Delhi should not take undue advantage of the absence of a popular government in Manipur. Conceding to any Kuki demand without consulting other communities will have serious implications and repercussions. It’s time to say No to the Kuki separatist agenda, and stop appeasing its proponents.
If one juxtaposes the facts that central security forces numbering 50,000 to 60,000 could not contain the violence for more than 20 months and the booming guns suddenly went silent after the imposition of the President’s Rule, one cannot help questioning the dubious role of the central government. No doubt, disarmament is a prerequisite to bring the violence to an end. All kinds of weapons in the possession of civilians must be recovered/seized. Then what about the weapons in the possession of militants under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement? Given the fact that SoO militants were/are directly or indirectly involved in the planned aggression, it is equally important to disarm all these militants. Disarmament should apply to both the Meiteis and the Kukis uniformly. However, so far there is very little seizure/recovery of weapons and the number of weapons surrendered in the hills is even smaller as compared to the valley. The state and its law enforcing agencies must take this into account. Disarming the valley youth only while keeping the Kuki-Chin militants and youth armed to the teeth would be nothing short of abetting genocide. With the imposition of the President’s Rule, the violence has subsided considerably and the Union Home Minister has instructed top civil and military officers to open all national highways and roads in Manipur but to no avail so far. Kukis are still blocking Imphal-Dimapur highway at Kangpokpi and the government of India has been watching silently as if it is totally helpless. How can the government of India watch silently when the Kukis are keeping the national highway on ransom in pursuit of their separatist agenda? By silently enduring the crippling impacts for the highway blockade for almost two years now, the people have made it clear that the highway may never open but it should not be allowed to be used as a bargaining chip for the illegitimate demand of separate administration. At the same time, New Delhi should not take undue advantage of the absence of a popular government in Manipur. Conceding to any Kuki demand without consulting other communities will have serious implications and repercussions. It’s time to say No to the Kuki separatist agenda, and stop appeasing its proponents.