Why Separate Administration is the Right Solution in Manipur?

On 3 May 3 2023, at 4 pm when the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) in all the hill districts of Manipur against the Meitei’s demand for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Tribes ended peacefully, the tribal students in Churachandpur got provoked by the news that certain Meitei miscreant youths came from the neighbouring Bishnupur district and had set on fire the Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate at Leisang, a village located within Churachandpur along the district highway closed to the district boundary with Bishnupur.

On reaching the spot, the Kuki youths found a Meitei journalist recording the burning flame of tyres at the right foot of the gate’s column. As they learned the perpetrators, who came in a white bolero vehicle, had returned to Bishnupur, the pursuing Kuki youths moved to the next mixed settled village, Torbung, where a group of Meiteis had already gathered on the road. Amid the commotion, the Kuki youths raised the issue and tried to resolve it amicably, but the Meitei youths resorted to violence and led the first assault as they began pelting stones and then torching Kuki villages in Kangvai, a village adjoining Torbung.

The retaliation resulted in a communal clash that spread like wildfire to the Imphal valley. By nightfall, the dominant Meitei community had started unleashing genocide attack upon the Kukis in the capital city of Imphal where thousands of Kuki homes were vandalised, looted, and set on fire, including churches, while the state government remained a mute spectator. A targeted killing spree went on in the midst of an anarchic capital city. Two Kuki young girls at Palace Gate, a stone’s throw away from the Chief Minister’s bungalow, were handed over by their landlord into the hands of Meitei miscreants, who mercilessly gang raped and then murdered them. Their dead bodies are still lying at the RIMS hospital mortuary.

The tone and abusive language (such as haothu hatlo) used as well as the beastly attack on fellow human beings as seen and heard from the viral video clips on social media are sickening and unbelievable as they appear like a nightmare worse than can be imagined, more so when all these attacks are taking place within a one kilometre radius from the Chief Minister’s bungalow. The unprecedented violence of such scale could have been prevented had the CM, N. Biren Singh, taken precautionary measures, or at least the damage to properties and casualties could have been less disastrous had the state timely intervened. But the state-sponsored genocide was let loose for the maximum possible catastrophe.

A series of actions, notifications and press briefings of the state government put together in proper sequence reveals direct involvement of the state in the ethnic crisis with the sole motive of ensuring the majority community Meitei takeover possession of the tribal hills through three deliberated means: (i) by getting ST recognition, (ii) by eviction of tribal villages in the garb of Reserved or Protected Forest, which may later be used for settlement; and (iii) by unleashing communal violence to drive the minority tribals out of their land. The sequence of preparation may be highlighted as follows:

Meitei’s demand for ST recognition

The Meitei community, led by the Scheduled Tribes Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM), which has been demanding ST status since 2012 had filed an appeal before the High Court of Manipur pleading that granting them ST status will “preserve” the community and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture, and language”. They also argued that the Meitei community was recognised as a tribe before the merger of the princely state of Manipur with the Union of India in 1949. The truth, however, is that ST recognition comes with the constitution of India, which was adopted only in 1950, and there was no ST recognition before it.

The single-judge bench of the High Court, vide its order dated 14.04.2023 directed the state government to submit its recommendation after considering the case of the petitioners, “preferably within four weeks” of receipt of the order. The tribal groups, opposed the court’s direction because granting ST status to the Meiteis, who are more prosperous and socially more privileged, is clearly a ploy to grab the tribal’s land in the hills. Initially the demand was kept a secretive, but now the Meiteis are openly questioning why they should not be allowed to settle in the tribal hills. This ST demand, out of covetousness for tribal land, has sparked off the current violence.

Eviction in the garb of RF/PF

The chief minister, through forest department officers, started issuing irregular show cause notices to hundreds of Kuki villages for eviction, alleging they had settled within protected forest (PF) or reserved forest (RF). For instance, K Songjang village, which is alleged to be within Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest in Churachandpur district, was issued a show caused notice for eviction by the District Forest Officer of Noney district but was finally evicted on February 20, 2023, by Bishnupur district police. Almost all PF/RF were declared without following the prescribed rules and are therefore null and void. Even the villages alleged to be encroachers are not aware of the existence of RF/PF.

With the sole aim of evicting the tribal residents living in the heart of their hometown, Churachandpur, the chief minister proposed to carry out surveys on the RF, PF, wetland preservation, and wildlife sanctuary while simultaneously planning to complete the cancellation of ‘pattas’ and ‘jamabandis’ on April 30, 2023. Earlier, the chief minister also issued show cause notices for the eviction of more than 200 villages in Kangpoki districts. The motive is to intimidate the Kukis and suppress their morale enough that they may accept his (CM) terms even at their peril.

When they realized that the government’s systematic oppression has no end, the Kuki tribals decided to launch a non-cooperation movement against the Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, so that he had to cancel his visit to Churachandpur district, where he was scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka Town and inaugurate an open gym at the PT Sports Complex on 28th April, 2023 as the people who were angry with his proposal to carry out a survey in Churachandpur town had set ablaze the venue, burned chairs, and damaged other materials.

Unleashing Communal Violence

In the capital city of Imphal, the Royal Army, or a civil militia called Arambai Tenggol, was formed by recruiting the Meitei youths in thousands and they were given training in batches. Besides martial arts, warfare and the art of throwing dart weapons (or Arambais), they were also brainwashed by injecting militancy with Meitei-centric radical ideology, radicalizing them with false narratives so that these innocent youths began to consider the Kukis a threat to their existence or survival. So, they are trained and reserved to hate, intimidate, assault, and exterminate the Kukis.

As per their Facebook post on 28th October, 2022, Arambal Tenggol also claims to have Units 1 to 9, of which Unit-8 (outstation unit) is composed of those who have taken the oath but are staying outside the state of Manipur while Unit-9 or RAT (Reserved Arambai Tenggol) is formed by the Meitei youths serving in the defence and para-military forces of the central government and those employed in the state forces. The oath taking ceremonies after completing training are held at Sanakonung (Palace Compound), led by the titular king of Manipur and Raja Sabha MP, Sanajaoba Leishemba who is said to be the militia’s chairman as well.

Having prepared the Arambai Tenggol for combat, the chief minister, N Biren Singh, began to publicly insult the Kukis through his official Facebook post, press statements, official orders, promulgations, etc., at times even name calling or branding the Kukis as illegal immigrants. The Kuki youths who refuted or made negative comments about his post were either threatened, arrested or both. On the other hand, the Meitei radical groups were left unrestrained to freely make all sorts of communal remarks against the Kukis.

As the Kukis remained unprovoked in spite of the chief minister’s action stated above, the well-known balanced Meiteis individuals had also begun following suit in using the term ‘illegal immigrants’ to refer to the Kukis almost in every TV discussion without any restraint or responsibility. One prevalent false narrative is that the population of Kukis in Manipur was just 1% in 1901, but it is now 29%, the figures of which are totally fabricated. Based on these fabricated statistics, the Meiteis demand the implementation of the NRC in Manipur, taking 1951 as the base year.

Even if 1951 is fixed as the base year for NRC, it may be noted that in the year 1951 the State was divided into 3 Plains and 5 Hills Subdivisions of which Sadar sub-division which is now Kangpokpi was recorded as having the highest population of 2,70,972 and Thoubal sub-division recorded with 1,23,754 population was the second largest. Today, Thoubal has 6 MLA’s whereas Kangpokpi has only 3 MLA’s. This alone stands proof that there is no any abnormal growth of Kuki population as alleged.

Another proof that it is a systematic and targeted genocide perpetrated upon the Kukis is that prior to May 3, the Kuki houses in Imphal especially where there are mixed ethnic settlements, were secretly marked with red paint on the front gates or fencing walls of every Kuki home. Many victims recollect that certain Meitei youths who claimed to be health workers visited them and showed them their identity card, which, they realized now, was for the Red Marks. A peace loving people that they are, not a single Kuki resident in Imphal suspected any impending misfortune out of it. Even on the 3rd day of violence, an unsuspecting Kuki boy went to his Meitei friend’s to keep his car safe but was waylaid, murdered and his body burned with his car.

Starting from mid 2021, the state government had selectively collected all license arms through District Magistrates in the Kuki dominated districts with the warning that those who failed to deposit would face cancellation of their license. In contrast, it has now come to light that the Arambai Tenggols led Meitei miscreants had looted about 4000 sophisticated weapons from the state armoury along with 5 lakh rounds of ammunitions with the tacit understanding of the state government. These arms were used in attacking and burning down of Kuki villages.

Not only that, attempts were made by certain individuals who were working hand in glove with the state to empty PDS (Public Distribution System) rice stock at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown at Tualnuam, Churachandpur. In one such attempt, six heavy vehicles found loaded with 2246 ‘stolen’ PDS rice bags caught while taking the rice bags to Imphal on 22 March, 2023. This is to nothing but a part of the game plan to make the Kukis suffer in hunger when the deliberated genocide unfolded.

Immediate Cause

It appears that the Meiteis got frustrated when their first two deliberate attempts to encroach on the hills as mentioned above, met with resistance and were unsuccessful. This probably might have compelled them to opt for the third and last plan i.e., to ‘Unleashing Communal Violence to drive the minority tribals out of their land.’ However, the communal clash failed to flare up as they wished due to the extraordinary patience of the Kukis in spite of racist remarks, arrests, evictions, etc. But they were determined not to give up provoking the Kukis by hook or by crook. Otherwise, their preparation would go futile.

A choice had to be made for the kind of action at the right time that would be most provocative for the Kukis that would surely be reacted. Obviously, burning the Anglo-Kuki Centenary Gate at Leisang was the best choice. Again, they rightly chose to wait for the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ to end. So, the Meiteis successfully manipulated the situation, ignited the Kuki-Meitei communal clash, and smartly executed their premeditated and targeted genocide or ethnic cleansing against the Kukis.

Though they have filed an appeal before the High Court and the High Court has also directed the state government to submit its recommendation for inclusion of the Meiteis in the lists of ST, the Meiteis themselves know well that their legal pursuit for ST status is like chasing the wind. They therefore have no patience to wait for the final result and have thus switched over to the path of violence to achieve their target of settling in the tribal hills.

In short, the present violent situation is what the Chief Minister has been eagerly waiting for the past many years particularly after his party got an absolute majority in the March 2022 Assembly Election. Had it been a case of mere misunderstanding between two groups in which he was not directly involved, he would have used all the state’s security forces to quell the situation. Even the army and paramilitary forces already there in the state are sufficient to quell the situation. No extra security forces are required from outside the state.

The fact is that he monitors, directs and oversees to make sure that his Meitei community completely reigns over the Kukis and that the latter will forever remain submissive and servile to the former. He wants to inflict the Kukis with the most devastating effect that the Kukis may not rise again. Irrational as it may sound, the Meiteis with a population of 57% having 40 MLA’s feel insecure because the Kuki with a population of 18% have 10 MLA’s. It’s a case of ‘Might is Right’, like in the story of ‘The Wolf and the Lamb”, where the wolf blamed a lamb down-stream for making the water muddy.

Why Nagas are not targeted?

It may be surprising for many as to why the Naga tribals have not been targeted despite the fact that they have also participated in the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ on May 3, 2023 organized by ATSUM in all the hill districts, including the Naga dominated districts. This is conspicuous of the policy of ‘divide and rule’. Until a few years ago, the Meiteis used to invite the Kuki civil society leaders to organized rallies opposing the Naga’s political demand for integration of all Naga inhabited areas. The Kukis then shouted the slogan ‘The integrity of Manipur should not be disturbed’.

This time, the Kukis are not only sidestepped but also tagged with all kinds of hate speeches. Though poppy is cultivated in all the hill areas, the Meiteis selectively choose to project the Kukis as the only cultivators. The fact is that the Meiteis investors are behind this cultivation. When a Kuki is arrested for drug possession, the Chief Minister himself immediately posts the news on social media with ‘discriminatory label’ but he remains silent when a Meitei is arrested. Recently, Delhi Police arrested the Meitei drug cartels - Ranveer Singh and Loyangamba on February 17, 2023 with 50 kg of opium worth Rs 10 crore, but the chief minister had not uttered a word. Had they been Kukis, he would have surely conducted a press conference.

Also, interrogation of Chandal Gupta Vijendra, kingpin of the drug smugglers hailing from Senapati district of Manipur revealed that a total of 562 shops located in Dimapur, Assam, and Senapati district of Manipur were involved in the clandestine sale of the illegal drugs, which include high-quality heroin, opium, methamphetamine tablets, and brown sugar. However, Senapati district being a Naga dominated district, the chief minister never uttered a word or even made a veil reference to highlight this particular revelation. So, it is clearly a ‘selective target’ against the Kukis.

What the Meiteis want besides land?

In order to understand what the Meiteis want from the current violence in Manipur besides land, we need to look at the government of Manipur’s budget for the past four years, i.e., 2017-18 to 2020-21, and the actual expenditure incurred for the Hill districts during the said years is as follows:

i) For the financial year 2017-18, out of the state’s budget of Rs. 5000 cr, only Rs.108 cr i.e. 2.16% of the budget was actually spent for the hill districts.

ii) For the financial year 2018-19, out of the state’s budget of Rs.4900 cr, only Rs.150 cr i.e. 3.06% of the budget was actually spent for the hill districts.

iii) For the financial year 2019-20, out of the state’s budget of Rs.5000 cr, only Rs.120 cr i.e. 2.4% of the budget was actually spent for the hill districts.

iv) For the financial year 2020-21, out of the state’s budget of Rs.7000 cr, only Rs.41 cr i.e. 0.58% of the budget was actually spent for the hill districts.

Now, the total sanctioned budget for the state during the above four financial years is Rs. 21,900 crores as against the total actual expenditure for the hills during the relevant period of Rs. 419 crores which is only 1.91%. This means, the tribals of Manipur with 43% of the state’s population living in the hill which is about 90% of its geographical area, have received less than 2% of the state’s budget during the above four years. In other words, the Kukis and the Nagas together are sharing this meagre amount of less than 2% of the sanctioned budget for the development of the Hills. This alternately means that the valley is receiving over 98%.

There is neither bifurcated data of expenditure for the valley and the hills made public after the financial year 2021-22, nor any data before 2017-18. However, the above four years figure is indicative of the financial injustice done to the hill districts of Manipur for over a century now. At present, what the Kukis have saved out of their shares from the less than 2% they shared with Nagas has also been, looted, vandalized, and burned to ashes by the state-sponsored or institutionalized riots. First, the Kukis have been deprived of their fair share and now, their meagre savings have also been looted in addition to rendering them homeless.

Further, the state of Manipur receives about 90% of its annual budget from the central government every year as it barely generates about 10% from the state’s revenue collection. A cursory view of the 15th Finance Commission’s report gives a hint that a major portion of the funds received by Manipur from the Centre are meant for the hills. For instance, the budget allocation on ‘income distant’ that accounted for 45 percentage points is meant for the hill tribals whose per capita income, for sure, is much way below the Meiteis in the valley. Similar will be the case for ‘Forest and Ecology’ as more than 90% of the forest area is in the hills.  

When the Tribals of Manipur have become aware that they have been at the receiving end of financial injustices for over 70 years, the majority of Meiteis, instead of seeking reparation, get annoyed or feel insulted as though they are unquestionable masters. They still do not feel satisfied and want to continue enjoying the funds meant for the development of the tribal hills. Gandhiji has rightly said, ‘The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person.’

Till date, over 4000 houses of the Kukis have been burned down with 80 dead counts. The loss being quantifiable appears very huge. However, the fund meant for them being diverted during the last 70 years is much more than the loss they suffer right now.  This is the reason why they have swept the Kukis from the Imphal valley starting May 3, 2023 and yet refuse to accept a separate administration. They hate the Kukis but love the fund meant for them from the centre as the fund can be diverted unopposed.

What is the solution?

The ground situation tells us loud and clear that separation is the only solution available for permanent peace. There is no alternative solution. The entire Kuki population in the Imphal valley has been completely driven out since May 3 and similarly, the Meiteis have also left the hills. Despite of the geographical separation (hills and valley), demographic separation has now complete. Not only civilians but also both state and central government servants who belong to the Kuki community are no longer safe in the Imphal valley. Even uniform service personals are not safe.

The state’s Tribal Affairs and Hill Minister, Shri Lepao Haokip’s two houses at Mantriphukhri and Haokip Veng in Imphal city, were burned down while he had a narrow escape from the bloodthirsty mob. Even his native village – Aihang, has also been attacked and burned down. Another Kuki MLA, Shri Vungjagin Valte was fatally attacked on his return from a high level meeting convened by the chief minister. While his driver had died on the spot, he was rescued in an unconscious condition from the road side and is still being treated in Delhi.

A separate administration is already visible in the actions of the government of Manipur which speaks volumes about the fact that it is no longer the government for the Kukis. The Manipur police commandos continue attacking the Kuki villages to date i.e. 2nd June, 2023. No power has been given to the state police head (DGP) since 3rd May, 2023 because he belongs to Kuki, and now he is replaced by his junior IPS from Tripura cadre. Similarly, all the other Kuki IPS officers are given no power.

A pertinent question that needs to be answered is: Who planned this targeted genocide? Who has marked red paint on the doors of the Kukis’ houses in Imphal? Who has done this selective targeting of genocide? Who has formed and trained the militia, viz. Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun? Who has done this demographic separation? Who has allowed the Arambai Tenggols to loot more than 4000 sophisticated arms from the state armoury? Who has directed the Manipur police commando to attack the tribal Kuki villages?

Who has selectively usurped the powers of the state government officers who belong to the Kuki community? Why cannot the DGP, the head of state police, protect his own house from the militants when they should also be protecting others? Why cannot the ADG of the state police protect their houses? Why can’t the cabinet ministers protect themselves in Imphal? Aren’t all these the results of selective separation drive perpetrated upon the Kukis by the Meitei-led state government?

As has always been the case, the voiceless Kukis are at the receiving end of injustice. Is not this separate administration that turns the capital city Imphal the most dangerous place to live?  Is not this separate administration that turns the capital city Imphal the most insecure place to live? We can conclude in no uncertain terms that the Kukis are compelled to accept ‘SEPARATE ADMINISTRATION’. Yes, for permanent peace and lasting solution, they must accept the complete separation from Manipur.