It has been 56 days since an ethnic conflict broke out in Manipur that killed and injured hundreds. After almost two months, Union home minister Amit Shah convened an all-party meeting on Sunday. State chief minister N Biren Singh called the situation “very chaotic”, but iterated that the violence has been “controlled” to a great extent in the past weeks. Amidst multiple efforts made to contain the violence, the Kuki MLAs in the BJP said no effort, apart from initiating a process of “separation”, would bring lasting peace.
Calling the Centre’s efforts as only “painkillers” and not “cure”, the Kuki MLAs said if it fails to bring a practical solution, they can quit the BJP and the state government. Some Kuki MLAs in the BJP, who were camping in Delhi last week, said nothing short of “separation” will bring “lasting peace and cure to the age old conflict” in the state.
Letzamang Haokip, a Kuki MLA of BJP from Churachandpur, told News18, “Our state is politically and economically being crippled. We camped in Delhi, met senior cabinet ministers in the government and senior leaders seeking redressal. But what the Centre is trying to administer painkillers to alleviate the pain, but we are looking for a cure. For us, the only workable solution is separation from Manipur.”
“We are still waiting for a practical solution, but if the Centre does not arrive there, we may quit the Manipur government and BJP. There are currently seven Kuki MLAs in BJP and Biren Singh-led government in the state,” added Haokip.
Peace Attempts by Church and RSS
The government and the political stakeholders are now looking at the peace meeting called by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) in Manipur for the “suffering people”.
As violence flares up, the government and political leaders have been trying to reach out to the church and other religious leaders for preaching peace. The peace meeting is scheduled to take place in Manipur and across the country on Sunday, said a statement by CBCI.
Expressing “doubt” over any positive results from the peace meeting, the Kuki MLA of BJP said, “We are sceptical at this point and not sure if any peace meeting by the church or any organisation will bring the desired results. Our people want to realise their political dreams. Even though the attacks have died down, tension is simmering. We will take decades to heal.”
Meanwhile, the RSS has also issued a statement last week appealing for peace. Kuki tribes are primarily Christians, while the majority of Meiteis are Hindus. “It can be resolved by addressing the sense of insecurity and helplessness among the Meiteis and genuine concerns of the Kuki community simultaneously,” Dattatreya Hosabale, general secretary of RSS, said in the statement.
A senior RSS functionary said, “The conflict is about land, opium cultivation and control of turf. It is fuelled by foreigners coming from across the border (Myanmar). The militants are not local, they came from outside to create unrest. We want peace first and the rest of the issues can be discussed later.”
He further said the local volunteers have been running multiple relief camps for both Meiteis and Kukis so it is “not a fight between Hindus and Christians, but some political forces are trying to make it look like that for their vested interest”.
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