Manipur horror: Why are Meiteis and Kukis at each other’s throats?

Manipur: On Thursday, the entire nation was shocked by a video that showed a Meitei mob from Manipur brutally attacking two naked women from the Kuki ethnic tribe. The May 4 video sparked a debate over the violence that has been ongoing for two months and led to at least 130 deaths and 60,000 people being displaced.

Politicians, celebrities, and other prominent figures from across the political spectrum condemned the incident. They included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Chandrachud. Uproarious scenes were witnessed on the first days of the monsoon session of Parliament with MPs’ demanding a special discussion on the issue.

Background

Manipur, one of the princely states, joined the Indian Union after India's independence from the British in 1947. It was merged with India in 1949 but was made a union territory from 1956 to 1972, giving control to the central government. In 1972, it was granted statehood. Manipur has always been a hub of violence and protests between ethnic groups and social conflicts. It is the most violence-prone area in the northeast region and is considered a sensitive area due to its proximity to China and Myanmar. President's rule has been imposed the most number of times (10) in the state.

The Geographical & Social Divide

The diverse population of Manipur is divided between the valley and hill areas. The valley, which makes up 10% of the state, is home to the majority Meiteis population (53%). The hill areas, which make up 90% of the state, are home to the Kuki (26%) and Naga (17%) tribes. The Meiteis are Vishnavite Hindus and fall under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and two subsections (Lois & Yaithibis) fall under the SC category, while the Nagas and Kukis are Christians and belong to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. There is also a minority of Muslims in the three respective tribes. In the Manipur Assembly, the Meiteis community sends 40 MLAs, while the other tribal communities, including the Kukis, send only 20 MLAs.

The 1960 Land Reforms Act, which restricted Meiteis from the Valley areas from buying or selling land, but allowed tribes from the hill areas to purchase, triggered the violence. The Meitei community demanded to be allowed to purchase land in the hilly areas, claiming that 10% of the valley areas were being occupied. Additionally, the Meitei community demanded to be added to the ST status. But the Kuki and Naga communities opposed these moves. They have been claiming that the Meitei community was dominant in political, economic, and social aspects, and could exploit them if they were allowed to purchase land in the hill areas which could also affect government and political reservations.

What triggered the violence?

Evictions and Arrests: The Kuki and Naga communities have been on the warpath with the Meiteis-dominated state government since the government began surveying the hill areas, citing infringement by foreign nationals and encroachment by locals. The government removed 291 encroachers from January 2017 to April 2023 and arrested 2,518 people under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between 2017 and 2023. The Kuki and Naga tribes have alleged that they were being targeted unfairly in both of these instances.

High Court order: The High Court's order to recommend the inclusion of the Meitei community in ST within four weeks had sparked a firestorm of controversy among the Kuki and Naga tribes, who called for a Tribal Solidarity March in the hill areas of the state. The marches turned violent when a mob from the Kuki community attacked a Meitei community in the Churachandpur district. Violence erupted after this trigger, and communities have been indulging in it ever since.

Tribals demand separate administration

Speaking to NewsMeter, Dr. Chinkhanlun, a professor and Member of Manipur Tribal Forum, said: "It is heartbreaking to think about how much pain they have gone through. It is difficult to say how I feel, but it is so frustrating."

Highlighting the ongoing violence, he said, "The violence in the tribal areas of women and children is unlike anything I've seen before. But, this is not new in the Valley areas. I remember the early 1990s when there was a rift between the Meitei Hindus and Meitei Muslims. I was very young then, but I still remember how the Meiteis Hindus didn't even spare the newborn babies."

"I'm a professor, and I don't discriminate against people based on their community. I have students from the Meitei, Naga, and Kuki communities in my class, and I even have good friends from the Meitei community. But the important thing is to address the hatred that has been cultivated against tribal people in Manipur for years,” he said.

“The tribal women have created a buffer zone between the hill and valley areas, and the army is stationed there. The majority of the violence is happening in the valley, yesterday itself a Naga ethnic woman was shot dead there," he added.

Professor counters Meiteis' demand for land rights and reservations, he said, ".The Manipur king with 700 square miles of his kingdom joined India, but not an inch of the hill region was included in the agreement. Also their claim of 90% occupation is wrong, most of the land in hill area is uninhabitable, so we didnt occupy entirely. The valley area is sparsely populated, yet it is a highly inhabitable region. Further, the Meitei political dominance in Manipur is undeniable. With 40 out of 60 MLAs, their influence is evident in the budgetary allocations."

On efforts by the tribal forum, he said, “The center government spoke very little about the violence ongoing for months, but at least a little relief came when they spoke out against atrocities against women. We're fighting against our state government, so we've been approaching parliamentarians and VVIPs to voice our opinion. Hopefully, our voices will be heard!”

“The tribals' voices must be respected. After all the hatred and violence, it is impossible to continue with the same administration. The atrocities and crimes committed against tribals are highly condemnable. The central government should create a new union territory or state that meets the aspirations of the tribal people,” he concluded.

Meiteis demand to eliminate militants

A senior journalist from Manipur's Meitei community, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said: "The molestation of women was an unfortunate incident. It has overshadowed the violence that has been taking place for 78 days. As of now, more than 10 villages are now under the control of Kuki militants."

"In the 1840s, during the British time, the Kukis of Mynamar and Burma migrated to Manipur. Historically, the Kukis and Meiteis had a good relationship, and they didn't fight each other until the land act was brought in," he informed.

"The Meitei community, which encompasses more than 1.2 million people, has been forced to settle in just 10% of the valley area, while 53% of the state's population is settled in 90% of the land. This is a gross injustice, and it must be rectified. Hence, the Meiteis demand for ST status is legitimate, but the violence that has erupted in response to the High Court's decision is unwarranted. The court did not order the government to include the Meiteis in the ST list, it only asked them to consider the possibility."

"The real trigger of the violence was the evictions and arrests of Kuki and Myanmar migrants who had been cultivating opium together. Since the Kukis share historical bond with migrants from Mynamar they have good relations. So, the encroachers pretend to be locals with the support of Kukis. The state government aggressively countered illegal immigrants. The violence erupted when the high court order came and Kuki militants found an opportunity to revolt and take control of the areas," he added.

"The solution to the conflict does not lie in creating a new state or union territory. It lies in eradicating militant groups. I am sure that, with the militants gone, Manipur will become Kerala of the Northeast. However, creating a new state or UT would be illogical, as there is no clear consensus on which districts would be separated. Additionally, some Nagas also aspire for a greater Nagaland and settle around the hill area along with the Kukis. In 1992, Nagas & Kukis clashed over dominance and settlement issues, resulting in the deaths of over 1000 people," he concluded.

It is to be noted that, although the Nagas are now distancing themselves from violence, they remain opposed to the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes list and are also against the demand for a new state for Kukis.