Escalation of Ethnic Violence in the Indian State of Manipur, Resulting in Additional Deaths and Distrust

Violent clashes in the Indian state of Manipur between the majority Christian tribal Kukis and the majority Hindu Meiteis have claimed more lives as of 7 September 2024 as part of a prolonged ethnic conflict in the area. The clashes have so far claimed over 225 lives and displaced another 60,000 people since the initiation of the conflict in May 2023, according to Al Jazeera, with the most recent clash claiming another six lives, one of which was a civilian. The conflict began as the majority Meitei community living in the valley requested special tribe status from the hill-dwelling Kukis in order to buy land in the hills. From the Dhaka Tribune, though the Meiteis hold a much larger populace, about 80% of the region’s population, they only occupy approximately 20% of the land, with the hilly terrain surrounding the Meiteis belonging to the Kukis and other groups. This uneven distribution of land and resources, along with the political majority the Meiteis hold, have led to large-scale conflict in the area. An indefinite curfew has been imposed in certain districts of Manipur and the government may suspend internet services in order to curb misinformation that may result in further conflict, says AP News.

The Human Rights Watch urges Indian authorities to intervene and address this new wave of violence between the two ethnic groups by requiring the state government enact policies to protect displaced peoples and the security of the communities, requiring local authorities to allow humanitarian aid and access to the internet, and urging the central government to address human rights abuses, including killings and sexual violence. Professor Ayanjit Sen, a senior Indian journalist, claims that the central and state governments are taking steps to curb the violence in Manipur, as they are trying to maintain the peace while still allowing the free movement of essential services, including healthcare and education. Sen has also commented on foreign involvement in the conflict, remarking that if any foreign power is involved, they should step away from the conflict before India takes action. Sen recommends the best course of action is talks and understanding to solve problems on the ground, claiming that the central government has a plan to bring lasting peace to the region. Amit Shah, minister of Home Affairs of India, has stressed the need for the two communities to bridge gaps through dialogue and empathy, in an interview with the Economic Times on 9 May 2024, also claiming that the government has plans to hold discussions between the two communities in order to find an amicable solution after the elections.

Though there are some solutions to the conflict that India’s central government has offered, it doesn’t seem to be anything but concepts that may lead to peace. Holding peaceful talks between groups that have proven themselves violent is admirable but may be a difficult solution to implement. Though the conflicts have been largely about ethnic and geographic ownership lines, they have escalated to become much more than that. The violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis has become so prolonged and profound that peace talks between either leadership or militant groups within the communities may not be enough of a deterrent to the violence. Though outside groups have known to speak up, as students marched on the Manipur governor’s house demanding removal of the top police official in the state and the security adviser, who failed to control the conflict, according to AP News, these efforts have not known to work, as the students were met with police and tear gas, further escalating violence and unrest. The response of the government to institute a curfew and restrict internet usage may not have been the wisest as well, since though it may curb misinformation, it also limits information and communication entering and exiting certain areas in Manipur, limiting the scope of the knowledge organisations have of the conflict. Further violence may prove to be an issue in neighboring areas as well, since Meitei groups have blamed increased tensions on illegal immigration of Kukis from neighboring Myanmar, thus signaling deep distrust between the communities. What’s left is to see if the initiatives the government would like to institute would be capable of curbing the violence, though they have proven ineffective so far, as there has been no stop to the killings and human rights abuses.

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