Endless cycle of violence in Manipur

The central government rushing more troops of central armed police forces to Manipur alone is not going to restore normalcy in the troubled Northeastern state. The troops launching a full crackdown against armed miscreants and militant groups and recovering every single arm and ammunition in their illegal possession is critical to prevent armed miscreants from repeatedly disrupting peace and harmony in the state. The state has plunged into another cycle of violence and uncertainty following the cowardly killing of six women and children after they were taken hostage by suspected Kuki militants in the Jiribam district. The abduction and subsequent recovery of their bodies from the Jiri River follows the incident of the killing of ten suspected Kuki militants in an exchange of fire with the CRPF when the militants attacked the camp of the Central Armed Police Force earlier this month. The incidents have triggered violent protests in Meitei-dominated valley districts and Kuki-dominated hill districts. The killing of the hostages has sparked off violent protests in the state capital, Imphal, with a section of protestors attacking residential houses of ministers and legislators to vent their ire against the failure of the security forces to protect innocent unarmed civilians from attacks by suspected Kuki militants. Kuki bodies, on the other hand, have alleged that those killed in the encounter with CPRF were village volunteers and have refused to bury their bodies till their family members are handed out the postmortem reports. The state going into cycles of violent attacks, abduction, killing, and arson after certain intervals speaks volumes about the failure of intelligence agencies to issue timely alerts to troops on violent acts by armed groups. The failure of the political leadership in the state to effectively utilize central forces in curbing violence and restoring law and order has also pushed the state into political uncertainty. The National People’s Party (NPP), a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government, has withdrawn its support. The party has imposed the condition of extending its support again only after a change of guard in the state. The BJP secured the magic number on its own and also enjoys support from other constituents of the National Democratic Alliance: the Naga People’s Front, Janata Dal (United), and independents, due to which an immediate political crisis is not likely. However, with protestors mounting pressure on ministers and legislators to quit over failure to protect civilians, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh may find the challenge of holding his folks together tougher than before. Besides, there has also been demand for a change of guard from among BJP legislators in the past. The fluid political situation arising out of such electoral uncertainty leads to indecisiveness, leaving the men in uniform on the ground confused if they should go all out against armed militants and miscreants who have been indulging in mindless violence or adopt a wait-and-watch policy. Such a vacuum emboldens armed miscreants to go on with their act of violence with impunity. The prevailing situation of Manipur grappling with a civil war-like situation between armed groups of the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities and cycles of violence was anticipated when armories were looted by violent mobs both in the valley and in the hills and thousands of weapons and lakhs of ammunition rounds were circulated in the villages. The recovery of arms and ammunition will free the unarmed civilian population from dominance by armed groups and restore the confidence of common people about the protection of their lives and properties by police and central armed police forces. The central government reimposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in six police stations in the state is indicative of security forces launching intensified operations in the state. The state government, however, urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to review and withdraw the AFSPA reimposition, apprehending that it might snowball into a larger public protest. A resolution passed in a meeting of NDA legislators chaired by Chief Minister Biren Singh has urged the Central Government to take swift action against Kuki militants involved in the hostage killing incident within a week’s time. One of the resolutions of the meeting states that the NDA legislators will decide their future course of action in consultation with the people if the resolutions taken by them are not implemented within this deadline. The resolution, however, failed to deter the civil society groups in the valley from continuing with their agitation seeking full-scale operation against Kuki militant groups currently under suspension of operation with the central government. Restoration of peace in Manipur is crucial for the maintenance of internal security in the Northeast region. Allowing the cycle of violence to continue will reduce it to a breeding ground of anti-India and secessionist forces. Parallel to the intensified crackdown against armed groups, the government is making fresh attempts to bring together saner voices in both the community and the government, which will be a balm for conflict-ravaged Manipur.