Manipur has been in a civil war situation for almost a year now. In this macabre violence that has led to widespread terror and despicable sexual assaults on women, many hundreds have died while thousands have been uprooted from their homesteads and houses and property worth crores have been destroyed. At the same time, the Indian State deliberately chooses to be a bystander instead of exercising its writ to stop the violence. Since the State and its organs, the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, have failed to bring the situation under control, the people decided to arm themselves for their own self-defence and that of their families.

Consequently, Manipur, a state with centuries-old history and known to the rest of the world for its scenic beauty and rich cultural heritage, has been reduced to a failed state. The question is – who is benefitting out of this tragedy that has struck Manipur? The answer is undoubtedly those inimical forces that are hell-bent upon destroying Manipur, the integrity of its territory, polity and society as well as its image in the national and international fora. In the name of a separate “Kuki-Zo” identity, these same forces have been desperately trying to mobilise disparate tribes to establish Zale’n-gam – an independent and sovereign country encompassing the border areas of Bharat, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

In the pursuit of this goal, they have been fighting a violent war in Myanmar and Bangladesh. In Bharat too, they have waged a clandestine warfare to further the cause of Zale’n-gam by strategically aligning with various like-minded, anti-India forces. In Manipur, they found an opportunity to push their covert agenda by tactically aligning with the concerns expressed by a section of the population in the state regarding the demand for the inclusion of the Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Under the guise of the “Tribal Solidarity March” of May 3, 2023, they launched a violent campaign to exacerbate the animosity amongst the people of the state and raise their old demand for a ‘Separate Administration’.

Following their meticulously planned strategy, they threw up pretexts such as the burning of a “Memorial Gate” by unknown miscreants, most likely committed by them, to justify their violent campaign that started by burning Meitei houses, temples and shops in the Torbung-Phougakchao-Ikhai area of Bishnupur bordering Churachandpur district and Moreh in Tengnoupal district in the afternoon of May 3, 2023. This was well before the retaliatory violence erupted in Imphal and other districts by late evening on that same fateful day. However, to conceal such treacherous acts, they immediately activated their propaganda machinery to paint a distorted picture and shift all blame to the Meiteis.

To hide their well-planned move of ethnic cleansing of the Meiteis from the Kuki-dominated areas like Churachandpur and Moreh which they have been able to successfully implement, they manufactured the narrative of “ethnic conflict” and “persecution of the minority Christian tribals”. This is nothing but a planned attack and aggression on the territory of Manipur, its people, trade and economy, forests, peace and tranquillity. It is to be considered an attack on Bharat and its territorial integrity. The Indian Government, over the decades, has deployed heavily armed forces protected by special laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in Manipur to address the country’s security concerns.

Any attack on Manipur, therefore, is to be seen as an attack on India’s security and honour. Manipur is equally a part of India as any other state. But we are disappointed that Manipur remains disturbed for more than a year now, without any effective control of the situation by the Government of India. Many uncomfortable questions arise. How come the collusion of cross-border narco-terrorists and communal and separatist elites could operate so openly in the state? They have allowed illegal immigration, narco-business, poppy farming, extortion rackets, forest destruction and ethnic cleansing, etc. to flourish aggressively in Manipur.

Is it an invincible force more powerful than the Government of India that is running the show in Manipur? Or, is it simply a proxy mercenary implementing a larger strategic design to cut off Manipur and the entire North-East from the rest of Bharat? We seek definite answers to these questions. We want clarity on the position of the Indian Government. Armed aggression by Kuki militants continues to haunt Manipur every single day. Victims of the violence have been suffering without adequate relief and rehabilitation. The overall situation compels us to think and raise several questions. Is the Government not aware of the problem of cross-border narco-terrorism plaguing Manipur?

We want the Government to stand against all forms of terrorism, be it religious or narco-terrorism. But we fear that Manipur, particularly the Kuki-dominated border districts in the hills, has transformed into an extended range of the dreadful ‘Golden Triangle’ of drugs in Southeast Asia. We cannot afford the Manipur hills to be yet another ‘Golden Triangle’. But, why is the Government of India reluctant to take action against Chin-Kuki narco-terrorism? Also, why hasn’t the Government of India ever instituted a formal investigation to probe against the charges that Kuki armed groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) are indulging in narco-terrorism including illicit drug business and poppy farming?

SoO protects narco-terrorists and narco-funding empowers militant groups under the SoO. In a way, the Government of India has legitimised the narco-economy in Manipur through the SoO. This leads us to another pressing concern as to what could be the possible valid reasons behind poppy farming being openly carried out right under the nose of the Indian Armed Forces. Why hasn’t the Government not yet disbanded the Kuki armed groups? There is a collusion of cross-border narco-terrorists and unions of communal and chauvinist separatist elites who mislead the Kuki society to fulfil their vested interests in wealth and politics.

Anti-India forces have been sponsoring large-scale infiltration of Chin-Kukis from Myanmar. This has led to the proliferation of new Kuki villages/neighbourhoods and Kuki colonies both in the hill and valley areas of Manipur. They have intensified the establishment of contiguous Kuki areas in different districts of Manipur including around the the Imphal Valley at the centre. As a result, the infiltrators quickly assimilated into the Manipuri society and eventually obtained Indian citizenship. They are now enjoying the privileges constitutionally meant for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) at the cost of the indigenous tribal people.

Infiltration of Chin-Kukis and the subsequent establishment of new colonies expanded territorial occupation, intensified timber felling and strengthened the illicit drug business, and illegal poppy farming. They destroyed Manipur’s rich and luxuriant forests, encroached upon the Reserved and Protected Forest Zones and obstructed the native people of Manipur from undertaking their annual pilgrimages to the ancient religious shrines on the hills. They want exclusive control of the trade routes and business hubs passing through the Kuki-dominated districts. Precisely because of this reason, they have been operating freely without any obstruction due to the SoO since 2005.

Therefore, when the Government of Manipur began to initiate programs such as ‘War on Drugs’, destruction of poppy farming, protection of Reserved and Protected Forests, eviction of encroachers from government lands, curbs on illegal immigration, detection of refugees from Myanmar sheltered in designated relief camps, population surveys, etc. the collusion of Kuki narco-terrorists and separatist political leaders felt the heat. For them, it was an attack on their vested interests. They therefore projected the government’s actions by misinterpreting these with communal undertones. Accordingly, they identified the government with the Meiteis and attacked common Meitei civilians to create disturbance.

They are carrying out armed aggression on vulnerable Meitei families. Through economic blockade and media propaganda, they are planning to carve out an exclusive Kuki territory from Manipur to have unimpeded access to the National Highways and carry out unrestrained illegal drug business. Everybody knows that the Indian State and the security forces have failed to stop the violence in Manipur. The State Police, Central Police Organisations, Paramilitary Forces and the Army have been accused by different communities involved in the conflict of being partial towards one or the other community or for pitting one community against another.

The ground situation has been selectively used to manufacture a victim narrative of “State-Sponsored” violence against the “Kuki-Zo”. Financed by foreign forces and illicit drug money, the violent campaign led by the newly-floated Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and Kuki armed groups is peddling a fake narrative through well-oiled propaganda machinery. These one-sided, misleading narratives provide a cover for their real motives and activities. They have fooled the unsuspecting, gullible masses who hardly know the history and nature of the previous conflicts in Manipur to garner support for their violent campaign.

This concerted propaganda has belittled the sufferings of the indigenous communities of the state, and the death and destruction that they suffered at the hands of the “Kuki-Zo” marauders and their militant outfits. There have also been reports of Kukis using local news channels in places like Churachandpur to instigate their youth to open social media accounts and carry out a narrative war. The focused and brutal campaign to achieve and justify their demand for a ‘Separate Administration’ that in itself, is based on polarisation and ghettoisation of communities in the state, has ensured that no peace prevails between communities anytime soon.

Slogans, banners and posters such as “No Separate Administration, No Peace”! are rampant across Manipur. There is therefore no hiding now: the “Kuki-Zo” wants “Separate Administration”, which is an old demand that has resurfaced again. This time, they have opted for the violent route to achieve this goal as a temporary step towards their dream of establishing a “Separate Country” or Zale’n-gam. They do not want peace. Since their demand is founded upon the principle of ethic exclusivity that has sharpened polarisation amongst communities in a country marked by diverse cultures, languages and religions, etc. they do not believe in peaceful co-existence.

To prevent the further loss of lives and property and containment of escalation of violation, the government must -

1. Immediately restore peace in Manipur and end of the armed violence by Kuki militants upon the indigenous people of the state;
2. Ensure the resettlement of communities in their original homes by providing full security cover to the victims and strictly deal with all trouble-mongers;
3. Payment of adequate compensation by the State to all victims on both sides;
4. Provision of relief measures and medical facilities for all victims by the Government;
5. Prevent cross-border illegal immigration through collaborative identification, detection and deportation of illegal immigrants in possession of forged documents such as Aadhaar Cards and PAN Cards and door-to-door search for illegal migrants hiding in their friends’ or relatives’ places
6. Secure the highways;
7. Immediate enactment of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to detect Myanmar nationals factoring a possibility of sabotage from Mizoram;
8. Conduct special drives to check the illegal documents that immigrants have already procured; book those who helped them in this regard;
9. Introduce a proper policy on refugees and detection and confinement/settlement of Burmese refugees in designated camps/shelters on humanitarian grounds;
10. Faithful implementation of the Manipur Merger Agreement (1949) including upholding its terms and conditions crucial for addressing historical grievances and ensuring inclusivity;
11. Revisit The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (MLRLR) Act, 1960 and revise it to frame land laws in the best interests of all the communities without compromising their rights of equal access to and ownership of land;
12. Revisit The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act (1971) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Amendment Act (2002); implement the Gazette Notification 903A of 2022 of the Imphal High Court at the earliest to ensure equal rights to all indigenous people and dis-incentivise illegal immigrants.
13. Abolish Kuki Chieftainship that operates as a semi-feudal system, infringing upon democratic institutional mechanisms and norms in the name of customary rights and the Chief’s control over land ownership and the founding of new villages which has led to a form of autocratic rule, violating individual rights of land ownership;
14. Prioritise border fencing and negotiate with the Government of Myanmar to regulate the cross-border movement of people;
15. Take steps against cross-border narco-terrorism and abrogate the tripartite SoO Agreement with Kuki militants, since the Agreement lacks justification, hinders progress and allows militants to freely roam around with arms, and inflict violence upon ordinary Indian citizens;
16. Immediately replace the Assam Rifles with another more professional, disciplined and sincere Central Force or organisation for Indo-Myanmar border management since they failed to control illegal immigration and narco-terrorist aggression
17. Provide adequate relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the violence;
18. Deny any form of administrative division or “Separate Administration” based on either ethnicity or a segregated and isolated ethnic identity.

In many border areas of Manipur such as Tengnoupal, Moreh, and Churachandpur, the demography has changed completely. Notwithstanding the fencing the immigrants who have already settled there will create an ecosystem to further the entry of people from their kith-and-kin. Hence, a minimum settlement zone or high surveillance zones or no-settlement zones of at least 10-km should be demarcated in these places where the Indian Army should be allowed to shoot-at-sight, if not across the border. This can ensure that an ecosystem to facilitate illegal immigration is not allowed to expand. This will help minimise illegal immigration to a certain extent.

Any long-term solution for addressing the problem of illegal immigration can only be formulated by breaking the monopoly of the demographics of these people and vested interests that allow illegal immigration. For that, we need strong ground action as well as legislative reforms including dismantling undemocratic and dictatorial Kuki Chieftainship. Since the Kuki Chiefs are mostly involved in politics, this system stands as one of the fundamental drivers behind the establishment of illegal Kuki villages in Manipur. Also, the term ‘Any Kuki Tribe’ mentioned in the SC-ST Amendment Act of 2002 needs to be removed in the first place to avoid confusion and turmoil.

As a second step, the Imphal Gazette Notification 903-A which bestows ‘indigenous’ status to people from the ST category should be revisited and reformulated. It is because outsiders (immigrants) can also become ‘indigenous’ simply by getting hold of fake residential certificates including Aadhaar cards through banks like the ICICI Bank in Churachandpur. Kuki militants have been able to inflict so much damage mainly because of the defensive posture adopted by the government of India and as well as the security forces. This has allowed them to create small yet heavily-armed groups and open fire in selected spots, cause maximum damage possible and get away with it.

India’s defensive response will certainly not be viable any longer without overwhelming, full-scale military operations using concentric fields of circle enveloping the hills, cutting off all the escape routes. For that, the Indian State may need not simply initiate action against the Kukis, since it also needs to take care of a certain section of the society in Manipur with Leftist leanings having vested interests in keeping Manipur on the boil.

Manipur is a landlocked state. Its existence depends upon territories passing through the Christian tribal-dominated areas infested with militants. The objective of the anti-India forces is very clear, i.e. to divide and destabilise Bharat on all the possible fault lines and stunt economic progress. India’s economy and geopolitics are dependent to a large extent upon the safety and security of the North-East, and Manipur in particular. All major infrastructure and connectivity projects that connect the North-East with other states of Bharat and South-East Asia pass through Manipur.

A disturbed and destabilised Manipur benefits the hostile, anti-India forces. The appointment of Md. Yunus in Bangladesh has heightened the possibility of North-Eastern insurgent groups using the neighbouring as a launchpad for their terror activities. The release of a large number of Islamic extremists, terrorists and criminals by the Yunus Government has only exacerbated threats to Bharat.

The implementation of the Act-East Policy in the current situation is impossible since many of the Projects involved pass through areas infested with militants belonging to diverse ethnicities and ideologies. Manipur is the nodal point of the Policy. But, the current situation of instability and inherent chaos in Manipur has seen a near free-run for all. The State Government alone cannot handle the crisis which is already out of control at the moment. Even if Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is provided with the Unified Command but without full-fledged military operations involving multiple concentric circles, there is no way the crisis can be resolved.

Unified Command can prevent the situation from spiralling out of proportion but can’t solve the Manipur problem in the long term. The defensive outlook of the Central Government has allowed heavily armed militants to pick and choose where and when to strike. They have created small teams and moved into selected areas, launching high-intensity (mostly hit-and-run) attacks. They are getting away easily due to absence of proactive military operations.

The Manipuri society’s anger with the Central Government is rightly justified. The Government has neglected to pay a single penny of compensation to the victims, especially the Hindu victims despite the NHRC imploring it several times since November 2023. The entire Manipuri Hindu society is financing this life-and-death struggle for survival of their fellow Hindus, mostly on their own salaries, supported by their Diasporas. In addition to this, the Kukis have placed certain conditions before the re-settlement of displaced Meiteis in their original places, which is a clear violation of the human rights and the rights of the indigenous people.

There has been policy paralysis and indecisiveness on the highly controversial SoO Agreement which is stoking anti-national sentiments. There is desperation and frustration among all, from the younger lot to the older generations. During this time, Meitei militant groups like the UNLF which was already dead or buried almost managed to hijack a significant portion of the movement. Taking advantage of the utter chaos, these militant groups are trying to recruit people into their fold with an anti-national agenda for purposes which certainly might not bode well for Bharat.

It has all the possibilities of leading the Manipuri society back to those horrific days of the 1970s and the 1980s when people feared stepping out of their homes after dusk. Meanwhile, the Arambai Tenggol, a revivalist movement that claims to revive the ancient Manipuri (Meitei) culture based on the worship of Sanamahi, has emerged as the primary socio-cultural organization comprising of mostly Sanamahi devotees. Nevertheless, a coherent front seems to be lacking for the time being, with the armed forces adopting a highly defensive stance and becoming almost ineffective in protecting the common people of Manipur against small-scale hit-and-run attacks.

Groups such as Arambai Tenggol are also not able to undertake any proactive action because of the heavy presence of combat veterans and the availability of ultra-sophisticated arms to the Kukis who are extremely skilled in the manufacture and usage of weapons including drone warfare. A large number of people including school and college-going students are out on the streets of Manipur voicing their own demands. The situation on-ground is extremely volatile.

Anyone who thinks separatist sentiments in the Northeast have died down needs to re-think and reconsider his/her opinion on the subject. These movements have not disappeared; they have only evolved playing a significant role in society. Instead of armed conflicts, they are pursuing their agenda through public sentiments and political manoeuvres, with the Church playing a major role in this dangerous cocktail of drugs, conversions, and arms. It is impossible to break the stranglehold of the drug trade in Manipur if considered in isolation. We have to take note of the geopolitical realities.

At present, if the Government does not take any proactive action and reassure the people of their basic security against drugs, and the human rights of food, safety and shelter, the situation might turn into an open rebellion against the Indian State. In such a scenario, the government servants, i.e. bureaucrats, politicians and Assam Rifles veterans who are living in Manipur will be their first targets. This kind of anti-national sentiment is also fuelled by a large section of the intelligentsia who have been maintaining a strange silence since the very beginning of the violence in Manipur. What is most required at this moment is the active support, especially financial support, from Hindus across Bharat.

It is time for serious action from the government. For now, the Centre has enforced some semblance of a “buffer zone” between the so-called “Hill Districts” where the Kuki-Zo tribes live, and the Imphal Valley. The Kuki-Zo tribes say that their Village Defence Volunteers have been repelling attacks launched by armed groups from the Valley, who come to the hills across the “buffer zone” with obvious intentions. They have cited complete breakdown of trust between them and the Meiteis as one of the key reasons behind their push for a “Separate Administration”.

The lawlessness in Manipur must be controlled and the Police needs to act swiftly and on time. Ordinary citizens must once again feel a sense of security in their homeland Manipur. Critical issues impacting communities, such as drug trafficking across the Indo-Myanmar border, illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh, and the subsequent settlement of illegal immigrants in the “Hill Districts” of Manipur need to be tackled through a network of non-profit grassroots organisations. Absorption of population from the neighbouring countries due to ethnic conflict, identity politics, or economic and livelihood crises should not be permitted under any circumstance.

Moreover, achieving lasting peace in Manipur necessitates acknowledging the fundamental problem of the protection of the indigenous Meiteis under the Constitution of India by granting them ST status. Since the Meiteis are not recognised under the ST list of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India to protect their lands, culture, and civil rights, they are deprived of their rights to settle in the “Hill Districts” of Manipur which comprise of approximately 90% of the land in the state. It is occupied by tribes under the ST list of the Government of India. Over the decades, this has caused systematic erosion of the aboriginal Meiteis’ ancestral lands, ancient literature, civilisation and violation of civil rights.

Due to this lack of constitutional protection, the Meiteis have become minorities in their own lands. This is also one of the main reasons why the Meitei population is declining sharply over the years. Therefore, the false narrative of the Meiteis being a major/big community is a total hoax. The emotional well-being and overall mental health of the indigenous Meiteis, whether living in remote or urban areas, hinge on their ability to maintain ownership and authority over their ancestral lands including access to these traditional territories. This can pave way for the revival of the traditional Manipuri Hindu culture and history through educational initiatives and advocacy efforts.

Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge the Meitei community as a ‘tribe’ under the Indian Constitution to safeguard both their lands and indigenous rights. The cycle of violence engulfing the state must cease without any further delay. All parties involved in the conflict must prioritise peaceful resolutions and engage in reconciliation efforts, focusing on restoring peace and harmony. Saving the cultural and civilisational landscape of Manipur from expansionist foreign ideologies and religions to create a sustainable future for all Manipuri residents is the absolute need of the hour. Lasting peace in such complex situations is rarely achieved through one-stop solutions.

The government must adopt a multifaceted approach that takes into account all the contributory factors responsible for the current state of affairs in a sensitive border state like Manipur. By implementing the solutions proposed here, and most importantly, fostering genuine community engagement, Manipur can surely embark on the road to a more inclusive and peaceful future. We are hopeful that the Indian Government will respond to the crisis and initiate necessary measures to alleviate the sufferings endured by the indigenous people of Manipur for more than a year now. The situation in Manipur is an ominous sign of the things that are to befall us in the near future if we Hindus do not wake up now.