On Manipur Crisis

The ongoing violence in Manipur is something that no one expected. There has always been communal tension in Manipur and the valley-hills divide has always been in the news. However, the kind of violence that has happened since the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur undertook that Tribal Solidarity March is beyond our comprehension. For those of us who are not on the ground, we can only rely on the news outlets to get an idea of the situation there. And if the news outlets are to be believed, the situation there is not only violent but also reprehensible.

Generally speaking, the solution to any kind of violence depends on a variety of factors and can be complex. In order to solve the problem, it is important to address the root causes of the violence, which may involve addressing political, economic, or social issues. This can involve engaging with all parties involved in the conflict, including community leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders, to understand their perspectives and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution.

Additionally, efforts can be made to build trust and promote dialogue among different groups, and to create mechanisms for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. This can involve education and awareness-raising campaigns, as well as the involvement of mediators or other third-party actors. Ultimately, any solution to the ongoing violence in Manipur will need to be tailored to the specific context and involve the active participation and commitment of all parties involved in the conflict.

That being said, it is difficult to believe that the conflicting parties will be willing to dialogue with one another now after everything that has happened in the last few days. Communal harmony and peaceful existence between the Christian majority tribal of the hill areas and Hindu majority Meities of the valley seem to be unachievable, at least not in the near future. Leaving aside the gross violation of human rights, arson and killings, which will take a long time to heal, it appears the best viable option now for the Centre to solve the problem for the long term is to bifurcate the state of Manipur.

Bifurcating the state will certainly have political repercussions across the region and the country but to bring order out of the chaos in Manipur, there seems to be no other better option. The Manipur problem is not simple and there is a long history of conflict. There has been a lot of hurt and friction. It will require a major political decision on the part of the Centre if at all the problem is to be solved.

Unfortunately, the attention of the government at the Centre seems to be more focused on the Karnataka elections rather than on the crisis in Manipur. Further, sections of the Indian mainstream media churning out biased and sensationalized narratives are not helping the situation improve either. How the Centre handles the Manipur crisis will tell a lot about how capable or ready it is to solve other issues in the region, like the Naga political problem.