ETHNIC CLASHES THREATEN TO PUSH MANIPUR INTO CIVIL WAR

Manipur state is now carved up into two fiercely protected ethnic zones, with the lowlands and valleys controlled by the Meiteis, and the Kukis in control of the hills. Venturing into the territory of the opposing tribe is described as a “death sentence”. Curfews and restrictions remain in large parts of the state and the internet has repeatedly been shut down. Thousands of additional army and paramilitary personnel have been deployed, while both sides have formed their own vigilante armed groups. Government’s efforts to bring peace in the region have largely failed so far and the tensions could escalate further, risking destabilising other states in India’s volatile north-east region such as Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam. BJP state government in Manipur is dominated by the majority Meiteis, leading to mass distrust among Kuki leaders, while Modi has remained publicly silent on the conflict. The spark for the unrest was a state court ruling on 27 March which gave the dominant Meitei community “tribal status”, entitling them to the same economic benefits and quotas in government jobs and education as the minority Kuki community. The decision was later stayed by the Supreme Court, which called it “factually wrong”. A protest on 3 May by Kuki students over the court ruling was met with violence, and within hours’ ethnic groups had begun to clash. Houses, shops, churches, temples and businesses were destroyed and about 60 people were killed in the first two days of violence. Since then, clashes and the torching of villages have continued apace. More than 4,000 weapons have been looted from police armouries and officers say they are often unable to control the anarchy. Both sides have now bunkered down in an effort to protect their own territories. In Leimaran, a Meitei-controlled village surrounded by paddy fields, a group of “village defence volunteers” – made up of about 150 farmers, teachers and local businessmen – have all taken up arms in the conflict. Their village of just 400 households is just a few kilometres from a Kuki stronghold, making it effectively a frontier in this ethnic fight. Villagers have put up seven bunkers on the western side of the village and armed men keep a vigil day and night. In Kuki village of Maitain, where a border has been built with bunkers and sandbags, and where a similar group of Kuki locals keep watch for enemies who were once their neighbours. Like many Kukis, the sentries support calls for an independent Kuki state, arguing that they can no longer live alongside the Meiteis. The role of neighbouring Myanmar also threatens to further stir up the violence, with the country’s military junta backing the Meiteis and the rebel fighters of Myanmar supporting the Kukis. Activists from both sides acknowledge that the fighting is being fuelled by an inflow of weapons such as automatic rifles, grenades and rocket launchers from Myanmar into Manipur. Police, army officials and leaders from both communities have confirmed that militants fighting in Myanmar have also crossed over the border and are launching attacks on opposing communities. Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, “The violence in Manipur state since early May has left communities devastated, and it’s crucial for the government to restore order in a rights-respecting manner and hold to account those responsible for abuses.” The Manipur violence prompted United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to say that Indian government should “respond to the situation quickly, including by investigating and addressing root causes of the violence in line with their international human rights obligations.”