Amid renewed violence and political missteps, restoring trust among communities is key to lasting peace in Manipur.
The fresh breakout of clashes between the tribal people and the Central security forces which have claimed a life in Manipur and injured several, coupled with resistance in the form of a “peace march” taken out by the majority Meitei community to the Kuki-Zo dominated hill areas, all point to the fact that peace is a process in which several stakeholders with competing and often contradictory interests participate and that it cannot be established by force.
Union home minister Amit Shah’s directive to the state administration, led by governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, that free movement across the state, stalled ever since violent clashes erupted there in May 2023, should be restarted by March 8 was as uninformed a decision as the Union government’s steadfast refusal to replace N. Biren Singh as chief minister all this while despite him running a partisan state administration. The tribal people put in place a blockade on the National Highway-2, which passes through their areas, in protest against the violence and destruction of property during the mayhem. It was a declaration of trust lost by the people in their government.
The people’s apprehensions grew day by day and the state government did practically nothing. The Union government also watched in silence, even as the border state was consumed by the flames of internecine violence. Even the Supreme Court’s pithy comment that the constitutional machinery had completely broken down in Manipur did not move it to action. The Centre showed Mr Singh the door only when the majority community began protesting the total failure of the law and order and the rioting moved to the border districts.
The new governor started with a call for peace setting in motion a process aimed at restoring the trust of the people. The appeal to the rebels of all communities to return arms and ammunition looted from the state’s police stations was exactly such a move. It was a conditional offer: The people would not face action for the return of the weapons by the deadline of February 26 but would face the full force of the law if they failed to comply. The offer received some encouraging responses which prompted the governor to extend the amnesty scheme for another week.
Now the people do crave peace but it cannot be delivered by drones. It must happen at the grassroots and among the people. Opening of the national highway without addressing the demands of the people who closed it only reopened old wounds. A government that has its ear to the ground would have known it. Unfortunately, after waiting for almost two years allowing anarchy to have free rein, the Union government wanted to make its presence felt.
This is not done. It could be counterproductive if the government thinks it can make everyone fall in line with the help of armed forces. Conflicts involving just demands of self-respecting people cannot be ended by the use of force; its seeds must be sown in the minds of the people. There are no shortcuts to peace, and Manipur is hardly an exception.
