DC Edit | Manipur Gets Fresh Start, but Delhi Must Keep Vigil

A package of decisions consisting of the revocation of the President’s rule, installation of a popular government and the choice of BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh as CM with a member each from the Kuki and Naga communities as deputy chief ministers is the best thing to have happened in Manipur in the last three years. Every stake-holder, be they in the state or outside, must give the new administration a helping hand to nurse the state back into normalcy and then lead it to progress and prosperity.

Manipur was brought under President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, after incumbent chief minister N. Birendra Singh resigned. Mr Singh had presided over the state administration when the border state plunged into a total mess after the breaking out of riots on May 3, 2023. The trigger was the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state, a step opposed by the Kuki-Zo tribe. The administration looked the other way when rioters belonging to the Meitei community attacked the tribals. More than 250 people lost their lives and hundreds of houses, schools and places of worship were set ablaze in the clashes. Thousands have been living in camps after losing their dwelling places.

Mr Biren Singh, who belongs to the BJP, is accused of making no effort to stop the violence; in fact, he allegedly provided clandestine support to the rioters. This forced the Supreme Court of India to remark that there was a total breakdown of the rule of law in Manipur. The BJP leadership at the Centre and the Union government the party leads also refused to intervene, allowing the partisan administration of Mr Biren Singh to continue in office. That Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit the state for over two years only reflects the neglect the government showed towards the state.

With aid of the security forces, governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and his team have, in the last one year, helped the state stabilise after the bloodshed. Even if complete normalcy has not returned, the people’s trust in the administration has been somewhat restored. The wounds, however, will take time to heal. The best way to get early results is to hand over the administration to a chief minister who understands the pain of his people. Mr Khemchand Singh, who again belongs to the Meitei community, is deemed best suited for the job. It is reported that he has already launched a mission to reach out to the Kuki-Zo community and started the process of reconciliation. He can now continue with the job, with the help of his deputies and the state administration and its resources.

However, the Centre which refused to intervene in the riots and violence should not withdraw completely. The tribal citizens have a legitimate complaint that they face discrimination within the state. They have been seeking a separate mechanism to administer the hill areas where they live. The government must do what it takes to ensure they face no unjust discrimination, even if it calls for the taking of such a measure. A process of reconciliation must follow so that the people of the state can plan their future with reasonable clarity.