BJP Government’s Diversionary Tactics Will Not Solve Manipur Violence

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for an investigation into allegations of sexual violence committed during the October 7 Hamas massacres. “There are numerous accounts of sexual violence during the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on 7 October that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. Gender-based violence must be condemned. Anytime. Anywhere,” Guterres said on his official X account.

On the ethnic violence in Manipur, the Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations had also raised concerns about “serious human rights violations and abuses” in the Northeast state of Manipur, including alleged acts of “sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment”. Stating that there was an “inadequate humanitarian response” in the wake of ethnic violence in Manipur, the UN experts, who work independently, said that they were “appalled” by the reports and images of gender-based violence targeting hundreds of women and girls of all ages, and predominantly of the Kuki ethnic minority. “The alleged violence includes gang rape, parading women naked in the street, severe beatings causing death, and burning them alive or dead,” they had said.

However, there is no progress or little progress in the delivery of justice to the minority Kuki people even after seven months of riots under the BJP governments at the Centre and State. All the perpetrators of the heinous crimes still walk free and the State-sponsored ethnic cleansing pogrom on the minority tribal community continues unabated.

Instead of solving the core issues at hand, the “double-engine” government is still playing diversionary tactics to escape the responsibility for what has happened in the state since May 3 under its watch. There is no accountability fixed till date on the series of human rights violations by the Meitei criminals.

The signing of “peace pact” with the notorous Meitei militant group UNLF yesterday by the BJP governments is a clear example of covering up of their serious shortcomings in the strife-torn Manipur. Lest the Kukis forget the militant groups’ heinous crimes against the Kuki-Zo women and various atrocities meted out to the tribal community in the past. Any attempt to cover up the serious shortcomings of the governments could rather undermine peace in the long run.

While the minority Kuki-Zo community has been crying foul over the alleged partisan attitude of the state government, the ruling BJP government at the centre still lacks the trust of the tribal community. Instead of seeking ways to build bridges between the two estranged communities in the state and forge ways for lasting peace, the government appears to be travelling in the opposite direction.

Will the “peace pact” bring peace to the hill areas of Manipur and the Kuki-Zo community which have suffered for more than 200 days?

It seems that a de facto agreement was already in place between the Meitei terrorist groups and BJP government. The understanding was that Meitei terrorists would operate freely in Manipur and carry out dirty tasks: terrorising the minorities and also helping BJP win elections. The official peace agreement now with the Meitei terrorist group is to provide them a more legal protection/cover and a safe haven to operate freely in Manipur. The deal was necessary because the safe haven for Meitei terrorists group in Myanmar have been destroyed by the PDF.

While the Meiteis might wholeheartedly welcome this friendly attitude of BJP towards the Meitei terrorists groups but it is a deal with devil, making the Meitei politicians beholden to BJP - the same deal BJP has with radical Meitei groups like the Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun. They are allowed to operate freely as long they are willing to be useful to the BJP.

It is to be noted that the sound of the gunfirings and screams of violence still continue in the state. Lakhs of arms and ammunitions stolen from the state armouries are still in the hands of the radicised Meitei militia groups. The state government, however, has never taken the issue with the seriousness it warrants, and security experts would blame those arms for the continued gunfight in the state’s villages now.

It is time the Union government should strive beyond party politics and tell the rulers in state that peace is not a target that can be achieved in a piecemeal way; a government must be able to look at the problem in its entirety. Without such a vision, and action that follows it, talks of peace agreements should be seen as nothing but diversionary tactics.