How Manipur continues to see incidents of violence

The northeastern state of Manipur is on the boil again. After a lull in violence, fresh incidents have been reported over the past few days. On late Thursday night, violence was once again reported after the house of Union Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan Singh was vandalised by a mob. This news emerges only two days after the official residence of Manipur’s only woman minster, Nemcha Kipgen, was set on fire. What’s exactly happening in the northeastern state? Why is it that the state can’t see peace? We take a closer look at the recent incidents and the cause of violence behind them. Vandalism and violence Union Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan Singh’s house, located in Imphal’s Kongba, was set on fire on Thursday night by a mob of over 1,000 people. Fortunately for the minister, he wasn’t at his residence at the time of the incident. News agency PTI reports that security guards and fire fighters managed to control the arson attempts by the mob and save the minister’s house from being burnt down. It’s important to note here that the vandalism took place at a time when curfew has been imposed in Manipur.

#WATCH | Manipur: A mob torched Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh's residence at Kongba in Imphal on Thursday late night. https://t.co/zItifvGwoG pic.twitter.com/LWAWiJnRwc

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023

L Dineshwor Singh, escort commander, told NDTV of the incident, “We couldn’t prevent the incident as the mob was overwhelming and we couldn’t control the situation. They threw petrol bombs coming in from all directions… from the bye lane behind the building and from the front entrance. So we simply couldn’t control the mob.” Reacting to his house being vandalised, Minister RK Ranjan Singh was quoted as telling News18: “We are in the process of peace-making. It was yesterday only when I had approached the central government regarding fresh violence in Manipur. Then I went to Kolkata for a meeting, following which I flew to Kochi for another meeting. And that night only I got the news that my house has been set ablaze. I don’t know what’s the reason. I am only making peace.” “Some people do not like this process of peace-making, and are continuing to disturb normalcy. People have to understand peace is the only solution. But I will continue to work for peace and will try my level best to bring down violence,” the minister further told News18.

#WATCH | "I am shocked. The law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed," says Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh, whose residence at Kongba in Imphal was torched by mob on Thursday late night. pic.twitter.com/ECHNiKkdjm

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023

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This wasn’t, however, the only incident of violence on Thursday. The police had to fire tear gas shells the New Checkon area of Imphal East after a mob set fire to two houses. A senior police official told ET, “Two houses were set on fire in New Checkon. A group of people had heated exchanges with fire tender personnel and security forces. Police had to fire tear gas shells to control the mob.” Manipur burning Thursday’s incidents join the long list of arson and violence in the state of Manipur. Prior to Thursday, the state also saw fresh clashes on Tuesday in which nine people, including a woman, died. On Tuesday night, the nine were killed when suspected militants attacked Khamenlok area of Khundrakpam assembly constituency in Imphal East. As per a senior police official, “Heavily armed militants attacked Khamenlok village. The militants, armed with automatic weapons, killed nine people on the spot and injured 25 others. The people were sleeping while there was indiscriminate firing from the militants.” On the very same day, the official house of Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal West district’s Lamphel area was targeted. Kipgen, who is the MLA from the Kangpokpi constituency, was not at home at the time of the incident.

Incidentally, Kipgen is the sole woman in N Biren Singh’s 12-member Cabinet. She was a minister in the first Biren Singh government as well. She is one of 10 Kuki MLAs who have raised the demand for a separate administration and is affiliated with the BJP. These incidents on Tuesday came after a lull in violence and Home Minister Amit Shah visiting the state on 29 May and then announcing that a peace committee would be formed to resolve the lingering issues between the Kuki and Meitei communities in the state. In fact, the state has been witnessing violence and vandalism since 3 May when clashes broke out during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe. The situation had escalated so severely that the Army had to be called in and even shoot-to-kill’ orders had been issued for cases of extreme retaliation. The violence in May had seen several houses being vandalised, including that of Manipur minister Govindas Konthoujam. [caption id=“attachment_12746992” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] On 24 May, the public works department, youth affairs & sports minister’s residence at Ningthoukhong Bazaar under Bishnupur district was vandalised by an irate mob, which destroyed pieces of furniture and broke window panes. According to authorities, the clashes in Manipur have claimed the lives of 100 people, left many more injured and displaced thousands of others. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had earlier announced that his government had evacuated close to 47,000 people and hundreds of others had lost their homes which were gutted in the violence. He had assured the people that his government would do all they can, including building 4,000 houses for those who had been displaced because of violence. [caption id=“attachment_12747062” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Demolished houses in a violence-hit area of Manipur. PTI[/caption] Cause for violence The violence in the northeastern state can be attributed to a few reasons – the main one being the over 10-year-old demand by the Meitei community for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag. This call has been repeatedly rejected by the Kuki-Naga tribes. The Kukis and Nagas, which form around 40 per cent of the state’s population, believe the Meiteis are already a dominant community and “call the shots in state politics” and hence should not be given the ST tag. As Arunabh Saikia, a journalist who covers the region told Al Jazeera, “They see it (Scheduled Tribe status) as the Meiteis eating into their pie.” There’s also serious pressure on land in Manipur. As populations increase in the tribal villages, they tend to spread out into surrounding forest areas, which they consider their historical and ancestral right. This is contested by the government. Simultaneously, the Meitei, who live in the valleys, are angry because they are not allowed to settle or buy land in the hill areas, while tribal people can buy land in the valleys. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.