With a death toll of more than 250 and with 60,000 people being displaced, Manipur has been burning since May 2023 with periodic upsurge in violence and counter violence with the Union and State governments miserably failing to handle the situation. More recently the situation escalated with the burning of a woman, then an encounter in which 11 persons were killed, and then the abduction and murder of these women and children. In this prevailing scenario, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah saw it better to impose the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in six police station limits of the valley districts on November 14th, 2024.
Amidst the continued internet blackouts, curfews and the raging violence, the imposition of AFSPA was justified by the Union Government by stating “volatile” situation and “active participation of insurgent groups in heinous acts of violence” as the reasons. We assert that AFSPA is not an answer to the ethnic divide that has been manufactured by the BJP-RSS in Manipur, but is being used as a tool to further the BJP-RSS agenda to sow hatred.
While either the Central or State Government can issue AFSPA notifications in Manipur, AFSPA has been imposed this time in the valley districts despite the disapproval of the state government. must be noted that the provisions of the Act were withdrawn from Imphal Municipality area in 2004, with six districts being removed from under AFSPA in April 2022 and the disturbed area notification being withdrawn in April 2023 from four other police station limits. However, the hill districts of Manipur saw the extension of AFSPA for another six months in September 2024. This exposes the hypocrisy of the Central Government in its selective use of AFSPA in the hill and valley districts of Manipur, which is further fueling the ethnic violence. AFSPA is a brutal denial of basic liberty to the people. Kashmir, to Chhattisgarh, Manipur to Mizoram, the “special powers” granted to armed forces has only seen mass rapes, killing, abductions and illegal detentions.
The use of AFSPA has been accompanied by repeated complaints of torture, murder and rape. Can we ever forget Kunan Poshpora or the Mothers of Manipur’s protest in Imphal against the rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama, while holding the banner “Indian Army Rape Us”? So, the question really is whether AFSPA imposition would bring about peace or political resolution in Manipur.
The twin-BJP governments have orchestrated an ethnic divide, which they will communally exploit. The BJP did what it is best at, that is to widen existing fault lines in a society and feed a chauvinistic narrative. AFSPA is the latest weapon to further fuel this ethnic conflict.
It is now clear that the Union or State Government has overseen the segregation of communities and increasing hostilities, and both are to be held responsible for the violence. PM Modi has not even visited Manipur yet, while Amit Shah has failed miserably as the Home Minister. The recent leaked audio tapes show the partisan approach of the CM, with no concern for the well- being of Manipuri society. They all must step down unequivocally.
