At the core of Manipur’s strife is fight over tribal land rights

IMPHAL: The ethnic conflicts in Manipur for over three decades have mostly been land-centric and in all of them, Kuki tribals are involved.

The Kukis and their sub-tribes are hill tribes living in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and other northeastern states besides Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeast Bangladesh.

This northeastern region is culturally and ethnically diverse with more than 200 ethnic groups, including 34 in Manipur, with distinct languages, dialects, and socio-cultural identities.

In the ongoing ethnic violence, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, over 160 people have been killed and over 600 injured. Huge destruction of properties took place after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Kuki tribals felt that if the Meitei community got ST status, their various rights, including land rights, would be curtailed and Meitei people would be able to purchase and live in their existing lands.

The ongoing conflict between non-tribal Meiteis and Kuki tribals can also be termed a hills versus plains conflict.

Meiteis account for 53 percent of Manipur’s three million population, while tribal communities account for around 40 percent. Out of these, Naga tribes make up 24 percent, and Kuki and Zomi tribes constitute 16 percent.

The valley areas, where the Meiteis are living, comprise around 10 percent of the total geographical area of Manipur, while the hilly areas comprise around 90 percent of the territory.

On September 13, 1993, militants belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah faction massacred around 115 Kuki civilians in the hills of Manipur.

However, the Naga outfit rejects responsibility for the killings.

In 1990, there were clashes over land. Kukis often claimed 350 of their villages were uprooted, over 1,000 were killed, and 10,000 people were displaced.

In 1993, there were clashes between Meitei Pangal (Muslims) and Meiteis. A bus carrying Muslim passengers was set on fire, and over 100 people were killed.

Manipur had scores of militant outfits, and violence was largely triggered by insurgents.

A total of 23 underground outfits under two conglomerates—8 under the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and 15 under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO)—are currently under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Centre since August 2008.

Manipur is also affected by the activities of Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Zomi, and Hmar insurgent groups.

To curb the illegal and unlawful activities by insurgent groups in northeastern states, a total of 16 insurgent organisations have been declared "unlawful associations" and/or "terrorist organisations" under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Out of these 16, eight are from Manipur. These are the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing, the Manipur People's Army (MPA), the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (Cor-Com), the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), and the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF).

While the NSCN-IM and other Naga outfits in neighbouring Nagaland entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997, Manipur Valley-based militant outfits (Meitei groups) such as the UNLF, PLA, KYKL, etc. have yet to come to the negotiating table.

There are 2,266 Kuki cadres who have been staying in different designated camps in Manipur after the Centre and the Manipur governments signed the tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) on August 22, 2008, when Congress was in power in Manipur.

Officials in Manipur alleged that the cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) are instigating the poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators by destroying poppy fields in the forest lands, especially in the reserve and protected forests.

However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations.

On March 10, the tribals organised protest rallies against the state government’s actions against the illegal poppy cultivators and illegal encroachments of forest lands in three hills districts that were also allegedly backed by the Kuki militants.

The rallies in several places turned violent, injuring many, while the Manipur government unilaterally withdrew itself from the SoO deal the very next day. However, the Central government has yet to approve the Manipur government's decision to withdraw from the SOO deal.

The Manipur government also claimed that the Myanmarese immigrants came from across the border, encouraging illegal poppy cultivation and the drug trade.

On April 9, the Kuki Independent Army (KIA) looted 25 sophisticated arms from the armoury of Kuki militant groups staying in their designated camps at Chungkhao in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.

The Manipur Police launched a probe into the looting of arms by the militants of the KIA (also known as the Kuki Independent Organisation), which is a non-signatory of the tripartite ceasefire pact with the governments.

The arms loot took place three days after the Manipur police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to any person who provides information leading to the arrest of KIA chief Thangkhongam Haokip (40).

The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.

Ever since the non-tribal Meitei community members started demanding to be classified as a Scheduled Tribe around one and a half decades ago, the Kuki tribals and their various organisations have been strongly opposing the demand, saying that if the Meitei community is declared as a tribal, their (Kukis) share of benefits as tribals will be curtailed and the people belonging to the Meitei community will be allowed to purchase land in the hilly areas.

Amid the ethnic violence, 10 tribal MLAs, belonging to the Kuki community, have demanded a separate state for the Manipur tribals.

The 10 legislators, including seven ruling BJP MLAs, also sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in support of their demand.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said that the demand was made under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including the Kuki militants. (IANS)

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