Manipur has been engulfed in violence for over a year, with the crisis remaining unresolved and the government facing constant criticism for its perceived inaction. Outlook has dealt with the conflict in the state in its earlier issues.
Ethnic tensions in Manipur have once again reached a boiling point, with violence erupting across the state. A curfew has been imposed, and internet services remain suspended. Protesters have taken to the streets, ransacking and burning the homes of legislators.
The ethnic clashes have had a political fallout, with the National People's Party (NPP) withdrawing its support to the BJP government. The Conrad Sangma led NPP said the Biren Singh-led government has "completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy”. The BJP, which has a 37-seat majority and other allies in the 60-seat Manipur Assembly, does not face an immediate threat to its government.
Meanwhile, a high level meeting held by Unio Home Minister Amit Shah is believed to be under way on the situation in Manipur.
This round of violence in Manipur has been marked by a series of brutal back-and-forth attacks earlier this month. On November 7, suspected Meitei militants killed a woman from the Hmar tribe, with her husband alleging she was raped before being murdered. Days later, on November 9, suspected Kuki militants shot dead a 34-year-old Meitei woman farmer while she was working in a paddy field. The violence escalated on November 11 when security forces killed at least 11 suspected Kuki militants in an encounter in Jiribam following incidents of militants torching shops, attacking houses, a CRPF camp, and a local police station.
Later, six members of a Meitei family—three women and three children—were reportedly abducted by armed Kuki militants in Jiribam. Over the past few days, several bodies have been discovered, though identification remains pending. On Friday, the decomposed bodies of a woman and her grandson were found in a river, a week after their reported abduction from a relief camp. In a separate incident, the bodies of a woman and a young girl were found in a gunny sack washed ashore in Assam’s Barak River on Sunday. A total of six bodies, including those of children, are currently at a hospital in Cachar district, as reported by The Print on Sunday.
Manipur has been engulfed in violence for over a year, with the crisis remaining unresolved and the government facing constant criticism for its perceived inaction. Ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities first erupted on May 3, 2023, leaving residents grappling with fear and uncertainty.
In June 2023, Outlook released its “Inferno” issue, on the violent clashes erupting in Manipur. Executive Editor at The Frontier Manipur, Paojel Chaoba wrote of the “deceptive calm” which had settled after two weeks of heavy violence. The story warned of the possibility of “future conflicts” as the “wounds inflicted over the past few days wait(ed) to heal”.
Rakhi Bose who visited the war-torn state wrote how women, elderly and children were the worst affected by the violent clashes in Manipur, who now face an uncertain future. She also covered a story asking the question which haunted everyone, where was the government as Manipur burned?