In the Melee of Narratives Warfare, N Biren Singh on the Path of Becoming the Cheap Minister

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is sinking lower with each passing day with his anti-Kuki rhetoric, Kuki bashing and false pride. He manipulates the State’s machineries either to fight or vituperate his projected ‘enemies’ or justify his sinister deeds. The use of State forces (Police Dept) in launching physical attack on Kukis; and other departments in vilifying the Kukis is a familiar and undeniable fact. Perhaps he is applying the maxim ‘Everything is fair in love and war.’ The case in point here is the rebuttal to The Hindu newspaper’s editorial titled ‘Lame Excuses: On Manipur and the Ethnic Conflict,’ issued by the State’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

When the whole world is well aware of the reasons behind the ethnic cleansing pogrom unleashed against the Kukis by N Biren Singh since May 3 last year, he is yet scurrying here and there to cover or justify his deeds with what The Hindu editor(s) aptly say is ‘Lame Excuses.’ What N Biren Singh and his Bhakts frequently use the term ‘not having a clear understanding of the deeper issues’ or ‘the in things’ (manung gi wari) is appalling and already reaching a sickening level. In reality, the ‘deeper issue’ they often refer to is their extreme hatred for the Kukis and nothing more or nothing less.

The detection of 5,457 ‘illegal immigrants’ (though they are actually those who fled their country seeking safety due to the ongoing unrest in Myanmar) and ‘996 new villages’ are poles apart and cannot be related except for the communal prism of Biren Singh and his stooges. Though he became the Chief Minister of Manipur (by mobilizing and exploiting the anti-Kuki sentiments of the Meiteis), N Biren Singh lacks or feigns one such knowledge of the worldviews of the communities living in the State. Unlike other communities, the customs and traditions of the Kukis permit the setting up of a village under certain circumstances. As such, these ‘996’ villages are not set up by ‘immigrants’ as claimed by N Biren Singh. It is only his figment of imagination that these 996 villages are the results of unchecked influx of ‘illegal immigrants.’

Contrary to the perceived and overhyped claim, there was no panic when the State Government identified those fleeing Myanmar due to the turmoil in the neighbouring country. No sane beings would ever imagine that ‘illegal immigrants’ would cause crisis as big as witnessed in Manipur now. There was not even an iota of fear or panic among residents on the government’s drive to identify illegal immigrants not to speak of that being “one of the reasons for the violence that broke out in Manipur”. Rather, the Kuki people were alarmed by the rising hate campaigns against them and the systematic mobilization of anti-Kuki sentiments under the tutelage of N Biren Singh vis-à-vis promoting the armed Meitei radicals. What the DIPR release romantically mentioned about the ‘influxes in 1962 and 1988 had been freely allowed to encroach on and settle upon Protected Forest areas of the State’ amounts to what The Hindu editorial appropriately termed ‘is both an over-simplification and a biased view.’

The DIPR release also denied the CM of being ‘biased against any ethnic community.’ Juxtapose this claim with the preceding and succeeding paras where data relating to one particular community were mentioned. The deep ill feelings harboured against the Kuki community were largely reflected in the DIPR’s release when it compared the number of Kuki MLAs in 1972 and now. One simple explanation is that Heingang AC –which N Biren Singh now represents – was not there in 1972. Does this mean that N Biren Singh is an ‘illegal immigrant’ and his AC is constituted by illegal immigrants? N Biren Singh and his publicity tool DIPR chose to overlook this issue.

The statement boldly pointed out that around 16,161 acres of poppy cultivation in the Kuki-Zo dominated areas in the districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi were destroyed under the War on Drugs campaign of the government. However, it remains silent on the destruction of poppy cultivation in areas/districts dominated by other communities. Had this not been a ‘biased view and oversimplification,’ what else could it be? Further, the DIPR release mentioned that drugs amounting to Rs. 7887,76,32,330 have been seized and a total of 2351 cases have been registered and as many as 2943 persons have been arrested since 2017. The question is where are those drugs? Are they disposed of? Or are those drugs in the hands of the ‘owners’? N Biren Singh and DIPR should not shy away from telling the public the whereabouts of the seized drugs.

And now coming to the conduct of the State’s DIPR in issuing a biased statement, the Director or the Commissioner owes public explanation on why the department jumps the gun and allows the department to be used as a hate campaign machine of parochial and intolerant politicians. Indeed, it is the prerogative of the CM to use departments under the government to further the activities of the State. But blindly towing the lines and succumbing to the pressure of bigoted and fascist politicians driven by divisive agendas is unbecoming of civil servants who helm the departments. The DIPR is not supposed to react to editorial comments of newspapers in the manner it does.

It is very shameful on the part of the DIPR to accuse a media house of ‘murdering all ethical journalism and standards’ when it fails to respect free speech and allows itself to be a cheap propaganda tool of fascistic politicians. This has lowered the prestige of DIPR and its district offices including those in the hill areas. Definitely, such ‘rebuttal’ can simply be done by any sycophant MLA or Minister or bootlickers. The department is levelled down to the ground. The sanctity of the DIPR is defiled that it chooses side with divisive forces when it is supposed to act as a cohesive agent.

To put it bluntly, the communal agenda of N Biren Singh, his extreme hatred for the Kuki minorities, his biased and overjealousness, his Meitei-centric agenda, and importantly, his inability to keep his flocks (of rebellious Ministers and MLAs), his overambitiousness to occupy his post (despite his incompetence) are at the root of the present crisis in Manipur. The only significant achievement accomplished during his 7 years of Chief Ministership is creating the siege mentality. Perhaps his own ghost is starting to haunt him that he resorts to ‘lame and ridiculous excuses’ to justify the pogrom he unleashed against the Kuki tribal minority group by taking recourse to third party intervention with the objective to make them scapegoats. Instead of making the face saving exercises by resorting to lies after lies, N Biren Singh should boldly admit his mistakes and mend his ways.

Without a doubt, the DIPR has issued the ‘rebuttal’ due to the suggestion by The Hindu editorial which writes – ‘Unless there is a change, both in approach and in leadership in Manipur and the way it has treated the conflict, the situation will continue to fester.’ Because, truth is hard to swallow; particularly for N Biren Singh, that too at this point of time when the TRUTH behind the mayhem is gradually being revealed. Certainly, it is going to make Mr N Biren Singh the Cheap Minister!