A video of two Kuki women being paraded naked in Manipur went viral on July 19th, sparking nationwide protests. The incident occurred on May 4th, but no FIRs or actions were taken by the state government until the video went viral. Our “Hindu nationalist” PM Narendra Modi remained silent for 70 days before addressing this issue that has resulted in over 160 deaths, burnt churches, and 60,000 displaced just for a few minutes. The ethnic tension between Christian-majority Kukis-Nagas and Hindu-majority Meitei have intensified, leading to demands for separate administration in Manipur’s hill and valley regions.
Addressing the media, Modi deliberately avoided to single out Manipur. The Lok Sabha was adjourned again on 25th July amid protest by opposition parties on this issue and a motion of no confidence was planned to be passed by the opposition. Amidst all these mayhem, why is Modi not asking the BJP CM Biren Singh to resign and address the issue? The answer has to be found in the politics of RSS whose electoral front BJP spearheads a Hindutva fascist rule. Fascists typically identify a particular group, often based on ethnicity, religion, race, or political beliefs, as the enemy or threat to their vision of society. Biren Singh is carrying forward the politics of communalized-majoritarianism by otherizing the minority Kuki community, following the model brought in by RSS-BJP to consolidate its rule.
One can easily draw parallels with the role of Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots and the role of Biren Singh in Manipur. Treatment of sexual violence in Manipur reminds us of Bilkis Bano. Ehsan Jafri is reminded when we learn the news of a close associate and neighbour of Biren Singh, a Kuki minister Letpao Haokip’s house being burnt to ashes. In spite of Mr. Haokip’s call for help to Biren Singh, no help was extended. Biren Singh is nothing but a reflection of 2002’s Modi and Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sharma.
While contradictions between dominant Meitei community and tribals are longstanding, a communal colour is being given to it by the RSS-BJP double-engine sarkara which has made Meiteis their base to dominate the region. General Secretary of Kuki People’s Alliance stated in an interview that Biren Singh government deliberately heckles the Kuki people in the name of forest conservation laws and poppy cultivation. He says that all the communities in Manipur have stayed peacefully for years but in the last 4-5 years BJP’s Biren Singh have converted the Manipur government to a Meitei Government facilitating ethno- communal-radical organizations like Arambai Tengol and Meitei Lepun thus worsening the situation.
Meitei Lepun Chief Mr. Pramot Singh openly “worships” BJP CM Biren Singh for his anti-Kuki stand saying that he has been heavily influenced by the ABVP. He calls for “annihilation” and “wiping out” of the Kukis. This group has been at the forefront of the conflict exemplifying the injection of Hindutva venom in Manipur using longstanding ethno- national contradictions among different groups. This results in worsening of this conflict, suppressing the regional and democratic aspirations of the people.
In Manipur, the Meitei community is numerically dominant, making upto 53% of the population and holding political power, mainly in the plains of Imphal valley, which covers only 10% of the state. On the other hand, the Naga and Kuki tribes form 36% of the population but inhabit 90% of the geographical area. Despite the hills being 90%, it is mostly uninhabitable and tribal communities argue for equal land pressure. This population-power versus land-natural resource distribution imbalance forms the core of the ongoing conflict. Unemployment among Meitei youth adds to the tension who along with other democratic forces have been opposing the AFSPA for decades.
Some Meitei leaders had sought tribal status through the court to gain access to tribal land. A judge ordered the Manipur government to consider giving them tribal status. Later, the government evicted Kuki families using an old boundary notification. These events combined to light the fuse, tensions escalated, and violence erupted on May 3rd during a Naga-Kuki demonstration against the court’s judgment.
One of the prevalent arguments in widely circulated narratives is that the Kuki-Zo people are not the original inhabitants of Manipur. They are insulted as immigrants, refugees, and foreigners from Myanmar and Bangladesh. However, census records from 1901 to 2011 show only a 1.5% increase in the Kuki population over 110 years, debunking claims of massive infiltration. This narrative originated from British times when the Kukis resisted serving as porters in the first World War and faced British army attacks. After their defeat in the Anglo- Kuki war of 1917-19, the British evicted and dispersed them, justifying their actions with a myth that the Kukis were encroaching nomads.
At the root of the present conflict as well as the one going on for a long time is the question of controlling land and resources of the region. In April, an agitation occurred against attempts to displace tribals from their lands under the guise of creating a wildlife sanctuary. The government’s interest in wildlife conservation is a camouflage to hand over tribal land to corporate interests, a trend seen all over the country. The implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 has been poor, while the Forest Conservation Rules, 2022, and proposed changes in Forest Act further exacerbated the situation, reflecting the neoliberal Hindutva agenda. Tribal land, livelihood, and identity face significant threats from ruling classes seeking to exploit the region’s mineral and forest wealth. Development projects are used as a pretext to displace tribals from their ancestral lands and habitats. Democratic and progressive citizens should condemn Manipur’s Biren Singh- led RSS-BJP government for its attacks on tribals and demand his resignation.
Protecting tribal rights over their land and habitat, without any dilution, should be demanded. Mediation between community leaders should be facilitated to restore peace. Development without displacement should be demanded. The evil designs of corporate backed Hindutva rulers to divide and displace should be resisted. Further, AFSPA should be withdrawn from the state immediately.
