Manipur Violence

As the violence in Manipur between Kuki and Meitei communities continues for nearly a month, The Wire spoke to Naga elder statesman Niketu Iralu about the situation in the state and his perception of the clash as an independent, outside observer. In an interview with Karan Thapar, published on June 1, Iralu said that the failure of the Indian paramilitary forces to restore order in Nagaland seems “deliberate”. https://thewire.in/rights/full-text-niketu-iralu-karan-thapar-manipur-violence 

Iralu, who is the nephew of the legendary leader A.Z. Phizo, also said that the home minister’s delay in coming to Manipur was a cause of great suspicion and concern. He added that the targeting of some 200 churches, including Meitei churches, raises suspicions that the RSS and other Hindutva forces are deliberately giving a religious colour to the troubles in Manipur.

by Karan Thapar

02/06/2023

https://newlinesmag.com/argument/indigenous-politics-leads-to-ethnic-clashes-in-indias-far-eastern-corner/ 

The clashes, which several international media have also tried to make sense of, began after a joint solidarity march in the hill district of Churachandpur by the All Tribal Students Union, a civil society representative group of hill tribes.
In Manipur, the dominant community of the Meiteis is further split into Hindus and Muslims (also known as Pangals), in addition to a small percentage of Christians. The Hindus adopted Vaishnavism (a sect of Hinduism) and abandoned their Indigenous faith of Sanamahism in the 18th century, and the community has been included in various categories — General, Scheduled Castes or Other Backward Classes — depending on their place in India’s rigid caste hierarchy.

This is why tribal communities have been opposed to the Meiteis’ demand for ST status: They have already been included in two special categories. Moreover, Meiteis have major influence in the state’s politics, holding 40 out of 60 seats in the assembly, and their language, Meitei Lon, is both the official state language and the lingua franca between the diverse communities.

While the recent solidarity marches were held simultaneously in Kuki- and Naga-dominated districts, the spate of attacks has particularly targeted Kuki tribes in the valley. Nagas and their areas have been left untouched. a strategic compromise has been reached between the Nagas and the Meiteis, and the Kukis have been rendered the “other.”

Under a special provision of the Indian constitution, Meiteis are not allowed to purchase land in the hill districts of Manipur. There are limits to land ownership and resources that have been reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, and land in the hills is larger than that in the valley, where Meiteis are dominant. 

Secular activists denounce violence against Manipur Christians https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/secular-activists-denounce-violence-against-manipur-christians/articleshow/100168864.cms Bella Jaisinghani  May 11, 2023,
Speakers including Catholic priest  SJ, activists Irfan Engineer and Salim Khan, as well as journalist Niranjan Takle urged Mumbaikars to "stand in solidarity with minorities in other states, lest the danger that has knocked on the neighbour's door arrive at our doorstep."
The speakers unanimously blamed the rise of right wing governments nationwide for the increase in "subjugation and discrimination" against minorities in various states. Fr Fr Frazer Mascarenhas said, "The state governments' deliberate delay in containing violence against minorities, as in Gujarat (2002) and Kandhamal (Odisha, 2008), makes one wonder if the state was complicit in these riots." He said fellow Jesuits who run schools, colleges and medical facilities in Manipur were attacked and forced to flee for their lives.
Niranjan Takle, , alluded to the arrival of members of a saffron outfit named Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram just days before violence erupted in Manipur.
The panelists defended the tribal Christian Kukis and Nagas' opposition to the state's proposal to grant ST status to the majority Hindu Meitei community. Irfan Engineer blamed the state government for disregarding early warning signs of conflict, leading to a major conflagration.