Preventing conflict escalation in Manipur

Internet ban and curfew have been clamped in valley districts in Manipur after deterioration in law-and-order situation. Clashes between student protestors and security forces on the streets of Imphal left about 40 students injured on Tuesday. Manipur police claimed that student protestors in large numbers tried to proceed towards the Raj Bhawan, defying curfew, and the protest turned violent, possibly after miscreants had infiltrated and started pelting stones towards police personnel. Students in Manipur have been among the worst sufferers due to prolonged ethnic clashes gripping the state for the past 16 months. The disruption in academic activities due to the closure of educational institutions and the imposition of an internet ban triggered anxiety among them about their career, security, and safety. The pent-up anger among the students over the failure of the security forces to restore peace apparently turned into an outburst. Ignoring these hard realities will prove costly, and no stone should be left unturned to pacify the agitating students. Protesting students also must remain alert against miscreants hijacking peaceful protests by infiltrating among them to turn peaceful democratic protest into a violent demonstration. Any further deterioration in the law-and-order situation will only cause more hardship for students and result in more academic losses for them, which is unwarranted. Continuous loss of learning will leave the students in Manipur disadvantaged compared to students in other states in competitive examinations and pose a stumbling block in pursuing career goals. Manipur Police have cautioned that there are numerous reports of fake news/rumours of sensitive nature doing the rounds in social media, which may further fuel the ongoing law-and-order situation. Police also said it is monitoring such fake news/rumours on social media critically and warned of strong legal action against anyone circulating any such fake news/rumours. The battle against fake news needs to be intensified as their circulation exposes the fault lines. A prolonged internet ban is not the answer to the problem of fake news spreading in the social media network. Rather, strong punitive action against rumour mongers and those spreading fake news can be more effective so that it has a deterrent effect on others to desist from such irresponsible cts. Social media companies also must extend full cooperation to the government in preventing the spread of fake news. Manipur Police strengthening its social media monitoring system and promptly flagging fake news circulating on social media networks and asking social media companies to immediately take them down will produce better results. Rumours and fake news spread much faster in an environment of distrust and suspicion, as people belonging to different communities engaged in violent conflict do not care to verify the authenticity of disturbing video clippings, images, or distorted or fake statements of government functionaries, political leaders, or organisations circulating on social media networks. The deterioration in the situation in Manipur cannot be seen as a mere law-and-order problem. There can be no hope for the restoration of normalcy without addressing the political demands of both Meitei and Kuki organisations. Discussing the problems does not mean conceding to the demands, but dialogue creates the scope for the government to convince agitating groups to give up the path of conflict and confrontation. Discussion across the table also creates the space for key stakeholders to ventilate their grievances and place their key demands. When they are denied this space, they try to ventilate their anger by indulging in unlawful activities that further precipitate the conflict, armed or unarmed. Outside the negotiation space, the leaders of agitating groups are not able to look at their own demands rationally, but in the course of dialogue, the government or mediators get the opportunity to present a comprehensive understanding of the situation from a non-partisan standpoint and perspective. The central government has rushed more companies of central forces to deal with the deteriorating situation. The government inviting leaders of both communities to discuss their demands simultaneously will have a moderating impact. At this juncture, there is little scope for organisations of the two communities sitting across the table for peace and trust building as both sides have hardened their positions. Besides, demands raised are beyond the scope of the state government to address. The central government needs to take the call and initiate separate dialogue with Meitei and Kuki groups urgently to initiate the process of listening to all the stakeholders. The political parties need to understand that engaging in a blame game will not end the suffering of thousands of displaced families who are desperate to return to their homes or lessen the plight, ordeal, and anxiety of thousands of students affected by the ongoing conflict. Instead, it will add more fuel to the fire. The students marching on the streets of Imphal is a distress call for the central government to prioritise restoration of peace in Manipur by addressing the political issues that have stirred up a hornet’s nest.