The 2023-2024 Manipur Violence: Ethnic Tensions Boil Over

INTRODUCTION:

Since the ethnic violence began on the May 3, 2023, Manipur in north eastern part of India has witnessed a terrible turn in its history. The unrest primarily involves two communities: The Meiteis, who are mainly settled in the plain of the valley of Imphal, and the Kuki-Zo clans who are the hill tribes. It resolved into the ordinance of violence, mass displacement and a humanitarian situation, which is progressive to date.

BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT:

On May 3, 2023, ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur between the Meitei people, who primarily reside in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal communities from the surrounding hills. The immediate trigger was a Manipur High Court order directing the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre regarding the Meitei community's demand to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
This court order was seen as provocative by the Kuki-Zo tribes, who organized a "Tribal Solidarity March" across Manipur's hill districts to protest the Meitei ST demand. However, the violence has deeper roots in the complex history of ethnic relations and competing claims over land and resources in the state.

SCALE OF THE VIOLENCE

As of January 2024, the violence has resulted in over 221 confirmed deaths, with unofficial estimates suggesting even higher numbers. Approximately 60,000 individuals have been displaced, many of whom are living in relief camps under dire conditions. The violence has also led to the destruction of thousands of homes and religious structures, with reports indicating that nearly 400 churches and 17 temples have been vandalized or destroyed. 
The conflict has not only been marked by ethnic violence but has also seen the weaponization of gender-based violence, with reports of sexual assaults used as a tool of intimidation. The situation has been exacerbated by the proliferation of firearms, with significant amounts of arms and ammunition looted from police stations and state armouries during the chaos.

CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE

According to the official statistics, as of 3rd May, 2024, 221citizens have been killed, and the number of those who became displaced reaches up to 60 000. The death toll was also seen at 175 from September 2023, out of which 98 were Kuki-Zo, 67 Meitei, 6 unknown bodies, and 6 security forces. Other statistics are a lot higher: 181 deaths occurred by July 2023 according to the estimations of different sources.
About 1150 people have been referred to the hospital with injuries while 32 people have been declared missing. The violence has been devastating as 5,780 houses were burnt down and 386 religious buildings, 400 churches and 17 temples were burnt or destroyed.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE AND MEDIA COVERAGE

The response which has been provided by both the state and central government have been deemed as inadequate. First, through announcing of curfews, suspending of the internet connection, and mobilizing security forces to gain control. But, these actions have not achieved the purpose of reducing violence in the country. In extreme situations, shoot at sight orders were given and this raised concerns on the side of humanity and other infringements of human rights as well as propensity of increased violence. Even after a powerful security forces including the Indian Army and Assam Rifles are stationed there, the area continues to be sensitive. Having focused on the military power, the government has been accused of disregarding the causes of the conflict. It has instead resulted in a deteriorating relationship between the communities and the security forces, since a good number of the individuals believe that the state is operating contrary to their welfare.
Realizing the increasing violence in the region the Manipur government empowered the district magistrates to issue shoot-at-sight orders. The Centre said that under Article 355 of the Constitution it has been given the authority to do what is required to safeguard a state against internal strife.
Hybrid media system in India demonstrated that mainstream media completely excluded the story for weeks until a video clip of two semi-naked women being Humiliated by a group of men circulated on social media. But a study done unveiled that Kuki sources were reported in news much more than Meitei sources and first and foremost English newspapers did not report Violence on Christian majority Kukis while reporting Violence of Kuki militants.

UNDERLYING ISSUES AND DEMANDS

Pre-merger with India the Meitei community was demanding the ST status for the Meitei community which is another reason behind the violence. They opine that without ST status they can hardly preserve their culture and get enough openings as the major population influx is due to migration from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
However, several other tribes vehemently reject this demand saying that the already dominant, privileged and educated Meiteis will subjugate them even more if Given ST status. Thus, the Kuki-Zo tribes have tabled a demand for the creation of Union Territory having legislative assembly under 239(A) of Indian Constitution to protect their rights and bring lasting solution to the problem of Manipur.

CALLS FOR RESOLUTION AND POLITICAL SOLUTION

The people of Manipur wished to sort out the issue and bring back the normalcy to the region. In the Imphal Valley organizations have demanded that the Centre come in while normal life was brought to a standstill in Kuki-Zo dominated areas for a separate administration.
Protesting women in the valley have called for the withdrawal of the central forces which they accused of partiality in dealing with village guards. The forum of indigenous tribal leaders ITLF has staged agitation meetings and presented memoranda to the Union Home Minister for political reasons and an early consideration of their demand for a new Union Territory.

THE PATH FORWARD

The tension in Manipur as of the early 2024 had not come down and there were incidences of more violence being reported. The problem of conflict has become more acute with time, and people are in dire need of the best effective and efficient approach to solving them. This will entail as a part of conflict transformation mechanisms to address the rightful grievances of both the Meitei and Kuki people, encourage dialogue and hence improvement of social harmony policies on equity and development. This calls for a people-centric approach that must be at the center of the Indian governments’ agenda besides military actions. It entails the identification of permanent commitments that seek to solve the conflict by involving and consulting the leaders and the people of the area infected by the strife. Moreover, trying to establish individual responsibility for human rights abuses and providing assistance to the refugees are the key factors towards bolstering people’s trust and achieving the long-awaited stability in the areas in question.

CONCLUSION

The ethnic tensions and competition to the claims in the Manipur were revealed in 2023-2024 and the communal clash also shows that there are deep rooted problems. Despite the fact that the problem began with the court decision, the reason for conflict lies in the historical events and the constant struggle for the possession of territory and resource and political power between different groups of people.
For ending perpetual strife in Manipur, the state has to address the real issues and deliver a political outcome that will protect the interest of all communities. This may call for increased decentralisation in order to devolve more powers to the tribal regions, in order to bring about balanced and fair development of the area and in order to foster more communications and reconciliation between the different communities.
The media has an important function to perform in as well, in presenting the conflict from a fair, balanced and accurate perspective and not taking sides. Thus, the Manipur crisis can only be solved by taking the approach that addresses all the sides and serves the goal of building an effective and inclusive society and governance in Manipur.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQS):

1. What provoked the latest acts of violence in Manipur? 
The following conflict in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, mainly due to a Manipur High Court order for the state govt to make a recommendation fro ST for the Meitei community. This decision brought anger and protests from the Kuki and other tribal communities who felt if the ST status is given to the Meiteis they will be even more displaced and denied their favourite reservation privileges. The troubles began during one of the "Tribal Solidarity Marches" initiated by the tribal groups when the members of the two communities engaged in physical confrontation. 

2. Who are some of the important ethnic groups in the conflict? 
The conflict primarily involves two ethnic groups: Two ethnic groups namely: the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo tribes. The Meiteis form the largest chunk of the state’s population, constituting roughly 53% of the residents and normally live in the Imphal Valley while the Kuki and other tribal communities are found mainly in the hills. It is these factors that have kept the relationship between these two groups strained over the years especially in areas to do with land, political power and cultural identity. 

3. What has been the effect of the violence to the people in the region? 
It has devastating impact to the local people in regard to the violent nature of the conflict. By the beginning of 2024 over 221 people have been mentioned to have been killed and over 60 thousand people have been forced to flee from their homes Accounting. The conflict has also led to loss of at least two thousand churches and homes besides contributing to worsening humanitarian situation in the affected region. Most of the displaced persons are struggling to meet their basic needs in the camps and or are languishing in bad camps.

4. What has been the intervention of the government towards the unrest? 
The measures taken by the government have been through the use of curtailment, putting security personnel on the streets, and even giving a shoot-at-sight order where necessary. But these measures have been criticised as being inadequate and not being pro-active enough to address the sources of the disturbances. It has been testified that the substantial reliance on military force has only deprived relations of the local people and security forces of trust. The attempts to negotiate and attempt a political settlement have been few and far between, which has helped keep the violence and unrest going on. 

5. What is likely to happen for the prospect of a peaceful solution in Manipur? 
These are what can be explained as scenarios of uncertain peace in Manipur. According to the professionals, a systemic approach is required in such situations, where it is necessary to resolve conflicts between two groups of people, promote states for economic justice, and provide equal political rights to all sections of the society. In order to promote the process of reconciliation the central government needs to focus more on people-oriented policies rather than security-oriented ones. In the absence of such interventions, violence and displacement will persist in fuelling recurrent conflicts that remain a major threat for stability and security in the region.

REFERENCES:

1. TIMES OF INDIA
2. ECONOMIC TIMES
3. HINDUSTAN TIMES
4. INDIAN EXPRESS
5. THE HINDU
6. WIKIPEDIA