No peace for Manipur: Why tensions have flared up again in the northeastern state

There’s no peace for the northeastern state of Manipur. Five months after the state witnessed clashes – first in May during a tribal solidarity march – unrest has once again erupted, prompting authorities to re-impose a ban on mobile devices accessing the internet. The ban, which has been imposed until 1 October, comes just days after the state government had lifted similar orders, which had been in place after the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki tribes had led to the killing of 175 people and injuring hundreds of others. Speaking from New York, where he had earlier addressed the United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Council on Foreign Relations that the state and the central governments were trying to find a way by which a sense of normalcy returns. “I think one part of the problem in Manipur has been the destabilising impact of migrants who have come. But there are also tensions which obviously have a long history which precede that. And today, I think the effort is on the part of the state government and the Union government to find a way by which a sense of normalcy returns, that arms which were seized during that period are recovered, that there is an adequate law-and-order enforcement out there so that incidents of violence don’t happen.” But what led to the new outbreak of unrest? What’s going on in the state? We break it down. Fresh unrest in Manipur The cause of new protests and anger in the northeastern state came after the brutal murder of two Meitei students went viral. On Tuesday, two images went viral on social media platforms showing the two youngsters sitting next to each other outdoors, with two men carrying arms standing behind them. The second purportedly shows their bodies slumped on the ground next to each other, with one of them having their head missing. The slain students were later identified as Hijam Linthoingami (17) and Phijam Hemjit (20) from Imphal. Reacting to the images, Linthoingami’s father, Kulajit Hijam, was quoted by the Indian Express as saying: “Her gaze in that photo, I’ve never seen that before. It pains me a lot. Such a deep look filled with love and emotion… Why did they kill two children?” The two students, as per investigations, had gone missing since early July, when the Meitei-Kuki conflict was at its peak. The Manipur Police have said that initial investigations have led them to believe that the students were trapped in an area dominated by the Kuki community while fleeing, after which they were allegedly abducted and murdered. The bodies of the two are yet to be found. According to reports, on 19 July, the girl’s father filed a complaint at Imphal police station that his daughter went missing on 6 July from a coaching centre. A case of abduction with common intention was filed at Lamphel police station. CCTV footage revealed that the two were last seen at Bishnupur. When the girl’s father called her, her number was switched off but later when her mother called, she answered the phone before abruptly disconnecting the call. The police suspect that they were abducted by Kuki miscreants and then murdered by them. The images have led to fresh anger in the state with school students holding protests in Imphal, and chanting ‘Maheiroi Hatpa Yaningde,’ which means ‘We’re against the killing of students.’ These protests led to the police resorting to firing tear gas shells.

Students across Imphal are out on the streets demanding Justice.
We demand Justice for Linthoingambi & PhijamHemanjit#IAmLingthoingambi #IAmHemanjit#KukiTerrorists#KukiAtrocities#KukiWarCrimes#ManipurFightsBack pic.twitter.com/yXdlproBmE

— Bijou ThaangJam (@BijouThaangjam) September 26, 2023

The state government in the evening announced a closure of all government and private schools until 29 September. Chief Minister Biren Singh in a late night post on X assured the people that his government, along with the Centre, is working to arrest the culprits. He announced that a CBI team would be arriving in Imphal on 27 September.

In light of the distressing news that emerged yesterday regarding the tragic demise of the missing students, I want to assure the people of the State that both the state and central government are closely working together to nab the perpetrators.

To further expedite this crucial…

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) September 26, 2023

More from India

How to deal with Trump tariffs: Fiji PM Rabuka says 'bide your time... roll with the punches' 'Under PM Modi, India projecting itself as voice of Global South': Fiji PM Rabuka to Firstpost

The state on edge The state of Manipur has been on the boil, with some experts even calling the situation ‘on the brink of a civil war’ since 3 May. It stems from the Kuki community protesting against Meiteis’ long-standing demand that the latter be included in the list of the state’s Scheduled Tribes (ST), which received a boost following an order of the Manipur High Court. On 3 May, this led to a solidarity march in the areas bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, leading to violence. Since then, the state has witnessed extreme acts of violence and vandalism – 175 people are dead, countless others are injured, and over 5,000 cases of arson have been reported, which included more than 4,700 houses that were torched. In addition, thousands of others have been rendered homeless, as people flee the violence-hit state. [caption id=“attachment_13174932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Members hold placards as they take part in a protest rally against ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur. File image/AFP[/caption] **Also read: After Manipur video horror, why Meiteis are fleeing Mizoram** The state’s situation became so dire that Home Minister Amit Shah also visited Manipur on 30 May and tried to bring peace to the area, but his efforts bore no fruit. And on 19 July, the entire country was left speechless and horrified when a video showing showing two women from the Kuki-Zomi community being paraded naked by a mob of men and being sexually assaulted emerged on social media. Investigations then revealed that the horror had taken place two months ago, with the police taking no action on it. **Also read: Gang-raped, assaulted, killed: How women have become easy targets in Manipur** The video provoked sharp reactions with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying: “The video showing atrocity against women in Manipur is the most shameful. I’m pained and angered about the incident and I assure people of the country that guilty will not be spared and subjected to severest punishment.” [caption id=“attachment_13174912” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A demonstrator holds up a placard, during a protest against the alleged sexual assault of two tribal women in Manipur. File image/Reuters[/caption] Even the Supreme Court took cognisance of the visuals, saying, “We are dealing with something which is of unprecedented magnitude, namely crimes and perpetration of violence against women in a situation of communal and sectarian strife. There is no gainsaying the fact that crimes against women are taking place in all parts. The only answer is this. You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of the country like Manipur on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too. Questions is how do we deal with Manipur.” The clashes have left not just physical scars, but also caused emotional fault lines. The clashes have virtually partitioned the state between the dominant Meitei community, and the tribal Kuki group, which lives in the hill districts. Will the state see peace in the near future? Only time will tell. With inputs from agencies