Manipur Burns As Kukis And Meiteis Reject Peace Commission

Incidents of violence continue to plague Manipur as the north-eastern state remains doused in conflict since May 3 when ethnic violence broke out between the majority Meiteis and the tribal Kukis. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused an urgent hearing on a plea seeking Army protection for minority Kuki tribals who have been reporting frequent attacks on their villages, allegedly by Meitei militants. Kukis have alleged that the attackers come with Manipur state commandos and some even don uniforms. 

“The situation is very volatile, Kukis are not safe at all. We have been requesting help from the Centre and from the SC but no one is listening. Manipur is burning due to malice. A section of people are trying to paint Kukis as illegal immigrants and criminals,” says Manipur Kuki Innpi President Alang Khongsai. 

Khongsai, whose name was part of the 51-member peace committee formed by the union home ministry to broker peace in the violence-struck state, says that the committee is not functional. “We don’t support this committee as it has members from the Meitei community including Chief Minster Biren Singh himself. Many of the members including Khongsai claim that they were not consulted ahead of the body’s formation.

“It’s not that Kukis don’t want to enter into the peace process. But violence must stop first.  Only then can we sit together,” Khongsai says. “Peace cannot be imposed in the guise of normalcy when so much violence is going on,” he adds. 

The Manipur Tribal Forum has alleged that the Central government and the chief minister of Manipur have jointly embarked on a communal agenda aimed at "ethnic cleansing" of Kuki tribals in the northeastern state. 

During his visit between May 29 and June 1 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to all sides through closed-door meetings as well as a public press conference to maintain peace for the next 15 days following his departure, within which a political solution and peaceful resolution would be worked out. However, the past fortnight has been anything but peaceful. 

A report by the Lamka Resurgence Squad states that even while Shah was present in the state, the Meitei militant group named ‘Arambai Tenggol’ and along with Manipur state forces carried out unprovoked attacks against various Zomi-Kuki villages including Leimakhong, Nongdam Kuki, S Bongjang, Khodang, Leisan, Saichang, L Songphel, Kamusaichang, Molnom, Molkon, and Chaningpokpi.

Many villagers like Nehmang Kipgen (43), a resident of Phailengkot Village, were brutally killed. Kipgen was reportedly kidnapped, had his arms and legs cut off, and was then burned alive by the Meitei secessionist militant outfits. On June 1, P Doungel, the current Director-General of Police (DGP), Manipur, was removed from his post on account of being a Kuki.

Members of the community cannot enter into valley areas in and around Imphal since the violence. 

Demands for the CM’s resignation have grown to a steady chorus with the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF) and Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) issuing a press release stating that Singh should be removed as he is a Meitei. 

Meanwhile, locals claim that central forces have supported in helping rescue the Kukis. “Village volunteers are guarding village borders at night but not all civilians have high-grade arms like the Meitei militants and Manipur Police Commandos. Assam Rifles have been saving lives and thus the Meitei militants have now started a hate campaign against them and are claiming that the Army supports the Kukis,” says KSO General Secretary DJ Haokip from Churachandpur. 

Violence erupted again on June 4 when alleged Police Commandos and Arambai Tenggol clashed in Zomi-Kuki villages including Nazareth, Dongjang, Serou, Lonpikhonou, Sohomphai, Kotsohoi and Thingkangphai. The LRS report notes that snipers, machine guns, and bombs were used against the tribal villagers, and 4 tribal individuals were reported to have suffered critical injuries. On the same day, a bus carrying a Kuki woman and her infant son along with a Meitei person was burnt on their way to a hospital. 

“This cycle of violence can only stop when we get army protection,” Grace from ITLF states. “Kukis are being hunted like rats,” she adds.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur that broke out over a month ago. 

While Kuki groups have refused to sit for peace talks with Meiteis, the latter are also rejecting the home ministry’s peace talks offer. The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a valley-based organization, called for a convention at Imphal on June 8 and openly rejected the Home Minister’s request for peace in Manipur. Meitei Leepun head Parmot Singh also made open threats against Kukis in an interview with Karan Thapar. He had added that unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervenes, Manipur is heading towards civil war. 

Meanwhile, PM Modi has remained silent on the matter and despite several calls for his involvement, hasn’t visited the violence-struck districts yet.