‘If the Kukis and Meiteis are the warring groups, then we need to find space for a third group which can mediate between the two.’
Former BJP MLA from Moirang, Manipur and IAS officer Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh articulates the views of the Meiteis and why the demand raised by Manipur’s Kuki BJP MLAs for a separate administration is unConstitutional.
Singh delves into Manipur’s pre and post-Independence history to assert why nobody can challenge the state’s territorial integrity.
He also suggests ways in which peace can be restored in the troubled state in this interview to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com.
Why is violence still raging on in Manipur? How long will this continue?
I am quite optimistic that the violence will stop decisively very soon; it cannot go on unabated.
Everyone knows that the infiltrators from across the borders from Myanmar are responsible for killings in the state.
After the military junta in Myanmar dethroned the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, they (the Myanmarese Kuki militants) could not hold back there (in Myanmar). They crossed the border because their ethnic cousins are living on our side of the border.
According to published estimates and studies done by some scholars, between February 2021 and 2022, not less than 20,000 to 22,000 extremist-refugees crossed the border. And they are all armed people.
They found this place (the hills in Manipur where a majority of Kukis from India reside) very homely because it is a very fertile area with vacant hill areas.
Manipur’s geography is such that the valley is only 10 per cent of the total area and the remaining 90 per cent are hilly areas.
The Meiteis are the majority in the valley.
How did such large infiltration by militants from across Myanmar miss the eye of India’s security forces along the Manipur-Myanmar border? How could we allow more than 20,000 militants to cross the border?
If infiltration of militants did happen in such large numbers then isn’t that a security threat to India?
Why couldn’t the N Biren Singh government do anything about it? Why did they allow so many infiltrators to come into India? Isn’t this a logical question to ask?
This crossing-the-border in this region between India and Myanmar, particularly at the stretch where Manipur adjoins Myanmar, is very easy because it is an open space, the borders are porous.
The same ethnic Kuki groups live on both sides of this particular border area. Therefore, it is very easy for them (to infiltrate into India unnoticed).
It is rather difficult for the state forces or the central forces to prevent this kind of infiltration when militants cross the borders in the guise of refugees.
You are very optimistic that violence will end in Manipur soon. What is the reason for your optimism? Who will end the violence and how will the violence end?
There is suspension of operations (by the Indian security forces and Manipur state police against Kuki militants from India) between the Kuki militants (having their presence) in Manipur (but native to Manipur), the Government of India and the state government of Manipur.
This is a tripartite agreement which was signed first sometime in 2008. It is renewed from time to time on a yearly basis.
The onus (of ending violence and hostilities) is on the stakeholders — the three parties to the suspension of operation (SoO) agreement — to prevent genocidal attacks on people of Manipur.
If one of the signatory violates the terms and conditions of the SoO, then it is the responsibility of the establishment to ensure that violators follow the SoO in spirit and letter and they are brought back to the negotiating table. The terms of the agreement are very clear.
The Kuki militants (who are Indian citizens) are the signatory to the SoO, not the Burmese Kuki militants who infiltrate into Manipur as refugees.
The terms and conditions of the SoO agreement do not apply to Burmese militants, who are also of Kuki ethnicity, but are now indulging in violence on Indians from within India’s borders.
The ethnic relationship between them (the Kuki militants in India and Myanmar) makes things easy for some people to do all these kind of violent activities. That’s the main problem in Manipur today.
We cannot blame the (Union and state) governments essentially because this is hundreds of kilometres of difficult, porous and open hilly terrain where everyone is going freely in and out.
Why I am saying that there will be decisive end to violence in Manipur because the SoO clearly states there should not be any violation of the suspension of operation agreement.
When the British people were in India they had done thorough research (of the violent clashes between various ethnicities in the region) and they realised that the culture of the Manipuris is such that they do not attack people. But in case somebody embarks on a misadventure or this kind of genocidal attacks, then they retaliate.
Who is responsible for the violence? While the Meiteis are blaming Kuki militants, the hill tribals are blaming radical outfits like the Leepun Meitei and Arambai Tengol for ethnic cleansing.
We cannot change the facts. It is the Kuki militants from Myanmar, who have infiltrated into India and are indulging in violence (against the Meiteis).
Every attack is visually documented and it proves the presence of large number of Myanmarese Kuki militants involved in this violence. These Kuki militants from across the border fired the first salvo on May 3 and since then they are at it.
Who started the violence? You cannot twist the facts. Let us not draw a wrong picture. Anyway, the situation will come to an end.
This kind of violent situation cannot go on like that. And then that end will come. It will be very decisive.
But only thing is that there should not be any delay on the part of the Government of India, on the part of the state government to bring that restoration of peace and stopping violence.
One should know that Manipur was an independent princely state when the British ruled India. Manipur joined India in 1949, even before the Constitution was adopted by the Indian Parliament.
So Manipur was an independent state. We had our own Manipur State Constitution Act of 1947 under which the maharaja of Manipur was managing the affairs of Manipur. And even when Manipur was defeated by the British colonial forces in 1891, it was not annexed to India.
It was in 1949 that the maharaja of Manipur signed the merger agreement with the Government of India and Manipur became a part of Indian Union.
The present Constitution of India very clearly defines and asserts in Article 1 of the Constitution and in the First Schedule of the Constitution the territory of Manipur. And this is stated in such a way that the territory of Manipur will be that which was in existence before its annexation, before it joined the Indian Union.
So where is the dispute? There is no dispute.
Manipur’s territorial integrity (as part of the Indian Union) is unassailable. Nobody can challenge it.
Are you saying this in the context of the proposal of Kuki tribal MLAs from the hills who wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit A Shah seeking a separate administration for the hill people?
Why are they (the BJP MLAs from the hills of Manipur) demanding separate administration?
Manipur comes under Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, under Article 244, while the Sixth Schedule is applicable to states like Assam, Mizoram, etc. So this is an illegal demand (for separate administration).
The Constitution very clearly lays down that Manipur comes under the Fifth Schedule, under Article 244, which does not talk about (any) autonomy (to anybody). (Clauses related to) Autonomy and that kind of autonomous regions come under (the purview) of Sixth Schedule only.
The Sixth Schedule is not applicable to Manipur. The demand of the Kukis (tribal MLAs who wrote the letter seeking separate administration) is unConstitutional.
In addition to this, a person who is an MLA, or a minister, who has sworn by the Constitution to uphold the sovereignty and the integrity of India, should not talk about separate administration. That is unConstitutional.
Is seeking separate administration similar to demanding autonomy? The Kuki MLAs were not asking for division of Manipur. Is that right?
Is that (proposal seeking separate autonomy) helping India’s integrity and sovereignty? Look at the present situation in Manipur. Manipur is in flames.
When we (the Meiteis) talk about sovereignty and integrity (of India), and they (the Kuki MLAs from the hills) talk about separate administration isn’t that like demanding autonomy? Separate administration? What is this?
When we (Manipur) are governed by the Fifth Schedule, which when read with Article 244 leaves no space for a separate administration. So how can they think on these lines?
Are you saying that as soon as the government revokes the SoO, peace will return to Manipur?
Even if they do not revoke the SoO, the terms and conditions of the SoO should be enforced. And all the Kukis, insurgents or militants who were part of the SoO agreement should follow the terms of the agreement.
They (the Kuki militants who are from India) should return to the designated camps. They should not loiter around and they should not use looted guns to attack other people.
Once you do that, we can easily identify the Burmese militants who are attacking our people.
Both sides have looted arms and ammunitions from the state police and armoury. How dangerous does that make the chance of peace to return to Manipur?
This is a mob situation; you cannot have any rule that can control the mob in a mob situation. I was in the Indian Administrative Service; I was a deputy commissioner in Chandel district. I know everything. I have good experience about it.
This kind of situation will not continue any longer. Only thing is that the stakeholders should work on a timeline and then try to restore peace; once that happens other important issues are resettlement, rehabilitation and safety of our people (both Meiteis and Kukis).
We should switch the priority from this kind of fight; let it go on for some time. It will stop automatically. But we should focus on relief, rehabilitation and the resettlement of those 60,000 displaced persons, give ex-gratia payment for more than 300 people who died and suffered injuries during the violence.
How huge will that a challenge be given the distrust that both Meiteis and Kukis now have for each other?
We have the Hill Area Committees. The Constitution provides for Hill Area Committees in Fifth Schedule areas like Manipur. And then Hill Area Committee is represented by all the tribal ministers and MLAs, (among whom) some are Nagas, some are Kukis.
In case if we are assuming that the Kukis and Meiteis are the warring groups, then we need to find space for a third group, which can mediate between the two.
Hill Area Committee is a Constitutional body so they can think about it, they should find the solution. We need to utilise the space for a third force.
In case two warring groups are not listening to each other, then there is need for mediation.
And who can mediate in this situation according to you?
We have that Hill Areas Committee which has 20 MLAs belonging to different tribal communities.
And then there the other key stakeholders — the state government, civil society organisations and then the central government should play the key role in facilitating this kind of dialogue.
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