Political Solution Must Go Hand in Hand With Socio-Economic Solution

It has been more than a year since an ethnic cleansing genocide pogrom has been executed against the Kukis, but apropos to the anticipation, the Budget has no special package that can provide relief and hope to the internally displaced persons due to the ongoing conflict. The sole responsibility of the conflict has to be credited primarily to the state government for its failure to maintain law and order and for enabling an ecosystem that threatens and targets a particular community. Thus, it comes with no surprise at all when the chief minister of Manipur applauded the Budget as his apathy to the Kukis is a well established fact by now.

Today IDPs are becoming victims of not the atrocities and torture of the culprits of the ethnic cleansing and their enablers but also the victims of gross human rights violation, economic injustice and deprivation of developmental programme. Nutrition deficiency, unemployment, poverty, health issues and drop- out of children from schools are the realities that exist in the Relief centres generally and in the Kuki areas particularly. Tens and hundreds have died and thousands suffer not from the atrocities of terrorist organisations like the Arambai Tenggol or UNLF, but due to apathy by the government.

The 2024-25 budget is rubbing salt on their wounds. “We have already given it to the state government” cannot be an excuse by the central government, for they know what the State government symbolises to the Kukis. Any self respecting human will never beg from the hands that owe the lives of his tribesmen and his family. Giving the responsibility of their welfare and recovery to the state government who have caused all their suffering and injustice today is nothing but a cruelty in itself. Would any sane human entrust the responsibility of looking after a victim to the culprit? It just takes common sense to realise the illogical rationale behind the decision

As humans living in reality, real life problems need realistic solutions. The government of Manipur’s apathy and discriminatory policies towards the Kukis post the conflict is evident in their official, administrative and executive decisions. They no longer make attempt to discreetly discriminate against the Kukis. Ranging from job recruitment to development programme, education to sports quotas, MLAs to government servants in the decision making process, Kukis are totally sidelined. Thus, despite the advance demands of economic package one after the other by the chief minister on multiple occasion, the Kukis are denied the access. Today Manipur is only territorially integrated, but it is already separated from the economic development, rights and benefits of the citizens from the state by the state government itself. Thus the allocation of responsibility in the state of Manipur between the CM and Home Minister of India should expand beyond law and order issues, and must be extended to the administration, legislation and executive sphere as well until a political solution is found.

If the home minister thinks he has enough on his plate, The home minister can work together with the 10 Kuki MLAs. He can give them different responsibilities to cater the needs of the people accordingly, after all they are elected representative as well. They can in turn co-ordinate and co-operate with the district administration . Here the CSOs can act as a watchdog to hold the elected representatives accountable. Political solution must go hand in hand hand with socio-economic solution. In a capital where the safety and protection of MLAs and ministers belonging to the majority community is not guaranteed, the safety and security of Kuki MLAs needs no explanation. And nothing good for Kukis will come out from the house whose members compromised their constitutional duty and responsibility to a terrorist at Kangla Fort. Why should they risk their lives? A parallel form of government headed by the home minister of India in co-ordination with the 10 Kuki MLAs is the need of the hour to cater the socio-economic problems the Kukis are inflicted with due to the conflict.

Yesterday, a father died, due to stress and depression. He saw himself as a weak father who could not provide for his own family. Situation compelled him to sent his sons and daughter to different places, because after losing everything in the conflict, there is no market for employment in the town. Faced with the dilemma either to die together or send them to orphanage and as house helpers to others, he opted the later. But his guilt as a helpless and weak father took his life in the process. Most IDPs live his live today. The fact that it happens to a citizens in the country which currently is the 5th largest economy in the world, is indeed a shame and irony.

Today the Kukis are denied justice - social, economic and political; equality of statue and opportunity and to promote among them all, and fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual, that we as the people of India had adopted, enacted and given to ourselves in the constitution to be implemented and executed by the Legislature and Executive of the government. Poverty is the mother of all crimes. The victims need to be applauded for keeping the insanity so far away that the Kuki areas haven’t witness a spike in crime rates despite the vulnerable and difficult situation they live. Thus if tomorrow, they resort to illegal means to live, eat and provide their family, who shall be responsible? It will be easy to put the blame on them tomorrow unless we understand what they have gone through today. Thus socio-economic recovery should not be postponed. It has to go hand in hand with the political solution.