Shifting Narratives of Meitei Community vis-a-vis Manipur Violence

Prior to 3rd May 2023, the focus was Go to Hills, Go to Village, Meeyamgi Numit, War on Drugs, Reserved Forest, Protected Forest, Wetland conservations and inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India. There were meetings after meetings held for these welfare projects while the pot was slowly heating up. These projects led to the logic of ‘Where there is smoke, there is fire’. Smoke and fire came from the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial gate in Lamka on that fatal day. Then narratives began pouring in.

Illegal immigrant narrative

On the 3rd of May 2023, the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) took out a rally in opposition to the inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe list fearing that their Schedule Tribe rights and privileges will be compromised. That evening and the following day, about 100 innocent Kuki-Zo people were molested, raped and killed in Imphal valley because they were alleged to be illegal immigrants.

The Honorable Supreme Court of India directed the Manipur government for the decent burial of hundreds of people who were in the mortuaries of Manipur. It was done. Today, they all are buried as citizens of India within the territory of India. The first narrative (reason) for killing Kuki-Zo people failed miserably.

Narco-terrorists

The second narrative was killing of ‘narco-terrorists’

– but they have no names (narco-terrorists) and proof after killing so many people. Killing began first before identifying narco-terrorists. Two right thinking persons (Brinda Thounaojam & Babloo Loitongbam) spoke the truth and they were targeted and silenced by the militia. Records show that the largest drug cartels are in the valley of Manipur, then comes some sections of Kuk-Zo and then some sections of Naga areas. Because of few individuals, it is illogical to generalize the whole community.

Village volunteer narrative

Village volunteers are supposed to guard their own villages. But in reality, most of the valley men who died were persons who went to attack Kuki-Zo villages at the peripheries and died there in Kukiland. Which villages were they guarding? Village volunteers became aggressive volunteers. The village volunteer narrative was also defeated. Now, they are openly going around with the terrorists declared by the Ministry of Home affairs, Government of India.

Control Moreh narrative

Moreh being the gateway of India to Southeast Asia (through the Look East Policy) is a strategic place. There have been many struggles to control Moreh way back in 1990s up till now. There were skirmishes between communities and the rest is history. Manipur (Meitei) Police Commandos carried out arson and destruction on the houses, schools and property of Moreh, thereby causing fear and insecurity. The incumbent Arambai led Biren’s government must have shelled out the public money in transporting valley based insurgent groups disguised as state forces. There was another twist in trying to control Moreh town. The militia commander-in- chief alleged that there were foreign militants attacking the Police commandos, but the Security Advisor (Mr Kuldiep Singh) said, it is not confirmed. The foreign militants attacking Manipur (Meitei) Police Commandos narrative is also debunked.

Seeking elder brother’s help

Biren went to Ukhrul district headquater and declared that the Lairum phi was the common property of Tangkhuls and Meiteis. Mr David K Shimrey, the TNL President said that TNL and the Tangkhul community are competent enough to know own history. TNL also believe in their destiny as an integral part of the Naga nation and do not wish their land to become a Summer Capital of Manipur. Elder-younger brother narrative was snubbed at its bud.

Removal of Kuki-Zo from Scheduled Tribe list narrative They are trying to shift the ball to the Government of India. To their desperation, they are now asking the Government of India to remove the Kuk-Zo tribes from ST list so that they can be included in the ST list. They are haphazardly led by self-style leaders like Pramot Singh, Koroungaba Khuman, etc, who have no civil, social, religious and scientific acumen and far from being well-read. Any right-thinking person will be baffled at the various shifting narratives these tabula rasa group of people are pursuing. They don’t even have the same colours in their high voltage propagandist salai-taret flag.

Hiding deaths narratives

In many of the cases, the number of deaths is not revealed, lest the militia will be disowned by the masses. The poor people at the periphery are dying and suffering a lot while the rich and influencers are churning the pot hot and maintaining turmoil. Few rich people who died were given solemn burial while the poor, illiterate and voiceless indoctrinated guys who died are just hidden; perhaps will never appear again and may be listed as ‘missing’ in the history of Kangleipak.

Patriotism narrative

The constitutionally elected Meitei MLAs have taken an oath under the Arambai Tenggol to safeguard their territory as patriots. Fear and compulsion must have let those spineless legislatures to sign and be subservient to the militia. They know what they are doing is not right, but they need to survive and protect their properties anyhow. Anyway, Manipur’s territory cannot be safeguarded by only one community. Even if all the communities try to safeguard also, it may not be easily achieved. Let the train reach Imphal; we shall see what happens. Let’s see which patriotic persons can protect the valley areas of Kangleipak.

Being tribal narrative

The majority group has been at a crossroads for about a decade now. The Sanamahism group wants revival while the affluent Meiteis need wealth and fame and their adopted religion (Vaisnavite Hinduism). To showcase their tribalness, they have recently invented some mufflers with salai-taret colour and lairum phi design. They are now inventing waistcoats with lairum phi design on the front and the snake symbol (lairen-pakhangba) at the back. These are recent things. Now they are burying their dead

– maybe to claim that they are tribals or to occupy those hills and mountains near the valley area. Which sensible human beings can trust all these?

FMR and border fencing narrative

They are now objecting the Free Movement Regime (FMR) of the Government of India which has been taken up as an initiative for Look East Policy bilateral ties. They are now betting for border fencing for the whole Northeast. Nagaland and Mizoram people are tooth and nail against this idea as it would completely disconnect their kith and kin who are living at the other side of the border. The narrative and ripple effect is getting bigger day by day.

The Meitei must be totally confused. Their children and younger generation may be thinking, ‘kya hua?’. Wat started with a demand for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe list, they are now busy with border fencing narrative between India and Myanmar. The narratives are changing as I write this piece and as you are reading it.

One may ask, ‘Whose strategy is this?’ This is an important question. All right-thinking people should ask and find the answer as early as possible. If not, there will be more enmity, separation, deaths and of course perpetual trust deficit and imminent total separation.