Disinformation as a Tool in Manipur Conflict

The ongoing conflict between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur has been continuing for over a month now. While there was a temporary cessation in hostilities after the Home Minister called for a 15-day period of peace, sporadic violence still occurs. However, it is clear that this conflict is highly unbalanced. The Meitei community, which holds the majority of seats in the assembly (40 out of 60), wields significant power while the Kuki-Zo tribes represent less than 16% of the population. The power imbalance is especially evident in the media landscape, where the Meitei community, with their strong control over the state’s top positions, including the Chief Ministership, as well as their dominance in major media outlets, enjoy an unparalleled platform to promote their preferred narratives.

The Kukis have been subjected to extremely derogatory language in the realm of politics. Recently, they have been accused of terrorism and narco-terrorism, which are highly stigmatizing allegations. This situation originated from Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s statement on May 29, where he claimed that 40 Kuki militants were killed and referred to them as “Kuki terrorists.” By using this narrative, the Chief Minister tried to portray the conflict as solely between Kuki terrorists and security forces, denying the presence of any inter-community tensions.

However, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, strongly disagreed with this view and emphasized that the violence in Manipur was not related to counter-insurgency efforts but rather stemmed from ethnic clashes. In response, on May 31, a self-proclaimed NGO called the “People’s Alliance for Peace and Progress, Manipur,” contested the Chief of Defence Staff’s position and filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court. They demanded that the government take action against Kuki militants allegedly involved in narco-terrorism in Manipur. Unfortunately, this legal action led to an unfair association of the terms terrorism and narco-terrorism with the Kuki community.

However, the basis of these allegations, namely the Chief Minister’s assertion of eliminating 40 Kuki terrorists, has been strongly refuted as “disinformation” by Lieutenant General HS Panag (Retd). He accused the Chief Minister of promoting, “ethnicity-driven disinformation.” It is clear that the Chief Minister is actively involved in fabricating and spreading disinformation to defame and undermine the Kuki community, with the support of certain self-proclaimed NGOs. It is disheartening to witness the state of politics and discourse in Manipur, where even the Supreme Court of India is being exploited to advance their propaganda.

However, the deliberate actions of the Chief Minister have successfully yielded the desired outcome. Major newspapers in Manipur are filled with attention-grabbing headlines, focusing on the alleged attacks carried out by Kuki militants or, in a malicious manner, labelling them as “Kuki terrorists.” This well-orchestrated effort, even with the support of opposition political parties as well, aims to attribute all acts of violence and ongoing conflicts solely to these individuals labelled as “Kuki militants.”

To fully understand this coordinated campaign, it is crucial to consider the context of the existing ceasefire agreement between the central government and Kuki outfits. The Kuki-Zo insurgents, consisting of 24 groups under the collective banners of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF), have been observing a Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with both the central and state governments since August 2008. These groups have been actively engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations with the central authorities. In fact, “The Hindu” even reported that they were close to reaching an agreement on granting “local self-governance” to Kuki tribal areas in Manipur, until the recent outbreak of violence on May 3, disrupted the progress. The persistent campaign demanding the suspension of the SoO pact reflects the opposition of the Meitei community towards the very concept of self-governance for the Kuki tribals.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), all eight terrorist or unlawful groups operating in Manipur belong to the Meitei community. These groups include the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Manipur People’s Army (MPA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), Coordination Committee (Cor-Com), Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), and Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF). It is important to note that the PLA and KYKL even maintain an informal alliance with the Myanmar Military to combat the People’s Defence Forces, a resistance group. Despite the Chief Minister’s desperate efforts to label the Kuki groups as “terrorists,” the true security threat to Manipur and India lies elsewhere.

The dissemination of disinformation targeting the Kuki community in Manipur is not a new phenomenon. One particular instance revolves around the widespread perception of a significant influx of refugees from neighbouring Myanmar, a country currently undergoing political turmoil. About one month before the eruption of violence, the state government allegedly launched a “War-On-Illegal-Migrants” campaign, as reported by “Organizer,” a mouthpiece of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), with the Chief Minister labelling the Kukis as “foreigners,” despite acknowledging that there are about 2,000 Myanmarese nationals residing in Manipur.

Another reason behind the stigmatization of the Kuki-Zo tribes as illegal immigrants is the insinuation of continuous tribal migration from Myanmar and Bangladesh since the 1950s. However, these claims lack factual evidence. Census records of Manipur spanning from 1901 to 2011 indicate that the proportion of the Kuki population has remained relatively stable, with figures of 14.5 percent and 15.7 percent respectively—a mere 1.2 percent variation over a span of 110 years. This highlights the necessity of critically examining and challenging the false narratives and disinformation that are being deliberately propagated to delegitimize and discriminate against the Kuki-Zo community.

Moreover, the Kuki-Zo tribes have been subjected to various derogatory labels such as “drug traffickers,” “poppy cultivators,” and “protected forest encroachers.” The continuous dissemination of false information and the smear campaign orchestrated by the Meitei majority community, spearheaded by the Chief Minister himself, raises serious concerns about the potential for peaceful coexistence between these two communities. Such actions can be seen as intentional efforts to degrade, dehumanize, and deny the Kuki-Zo tribes their fundamental human rights. The deep-rooted mistrust that exists makes it increasingly challenging to envision a future of harmony for both communities. Given these circumstances, it may be necessary for the central government to officially recognize the existing communal and geographical divide between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

Meitei scholar and JNU faculty Dr Bimol Akoijam, has likened this division to the partition of India in 1947. This would entail granting a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo tribes, allowing them to govern their affairs autonomously. While such a solution may appear drastic, it reflects the grim reality of the situation and the pressing need to address the deep-seated tensions and mistrust that plague the relationship between these communities.