Exactly two months after violence first broke out in Manipur, reports of killings continue to come in, with four people having been killed on July 2 alone – one of them beheaded. These gruesome killings happened when there were some positive signs for peace and normalcy returning as two Kuki groups announced that they would lift the blockade on the National Highway in Kangpokpi district which is said to be the lifeline of Manipur. This blockade had only been briefly lifted during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state but was imposed again when three people from the Kuki-Zomi community were killed in Kangpokpi district on June 9 as per media reports. The report said that the United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organization have released a statement saying that the blockade would be lifted to ensure the supply of essential commodities into the state. Both organizations are signatories to the Suspension of Operations agreement of 2008, with the Union government.
The question now in every observer’s mind is whether there is any likelihood for sustained peace and normalcy in Manipur after everything that has happened in the past two months. The likelihood of peace in Manipur is a complex question with no easy answer at this juncture. There are many factors that could possibly contribute to peace, including the willingness of the different ethnic groups to compromise, and the commitment of the Indian government to a peaceful solution. However, it is not happening. The ethnic groups are not likely to compromise after all the blood that has been spilled and the Indian government’s commitment is questionable judging by the Prime Minister’s action – or inaction, rather.
The ongoing conflict, it can be said, has been exacerbated by the rise of Hindu nationalism in India, which has led to increased discrimination against the minority tribal communities. The lack of trust between the different ethnic groups in Manipur is a known truth. The different groups have always had different visions for the future of the state, and they have often been suspicious of each other’s motives. This lack of trust made it difficult to achieve lasting peace in Manipur – and that was before the latest spree of violence and mayhem. The problem has now become even more complex and it looks like there is no way out for Manipur from the mess it is in today. There seems to be no solution at all. Everybody is at a loss, including the Prime Minister himself. His stoic silence proves it. The only lesson that one can learn from the ongoing violence in Manipur is that it is always the innocent people that suffer when ethnic violence breaks out and that precious lives are lost when issues can be settled with mutual respect and peaceful means. Manipur will never be the same again; the ‘Jewel of India’ is lost.