Time to Separate from Manipur? ~ Aran Shimray

The mindset of the Meiteis, dominant community of Manipur, is not changing at all. In fact, they have become aggressive to continue their dominance over the tribes. If the current balanced approach propagated by Dr Raj Singh in one of his articles “Policy proposal for ending ethnic conflicts in Manipur A balanced approach to peace, autonomy and land reforms” published in The Sangai Express, Imphal, on 10th March 2025, is any indication of their state of mind, they will not concede any rights to the tribes and keep them as second class citizens.

The Meitei intelligentsia seems to have forgotten that Nagas have always fought for a united Naga state embracing all Naga tribes living in the Patkai ranges and the hills surrounding it. Historical circumstances had presented a situation to the first batch of enlightened Nagas, who faced brutal onslaught from the Indian army and thought it advantageous to accept a political settlement i.e. the 16th Point Agreement. This agreement created the first state for the Nagas living in the Naga Hills and Tuensang in Assam called Nagaland while other Nagas living outside the state of Nagaland were given hope of integration under Point 13 of the agreement. The Nagas have been aspiring for more than a century to become one united Naga people based on the fact of its unique history of never being part of any Indian ruler or kingdom, but under the British colonial power from whom Nagas declared its independence a day before India attained its independence.

The awakening of Kuki tribes has been a more recent phenomenon. They asked for a district in Manipur and was given Kangpokpi much against strong protest by the Nagas. They have been cozying up with the Meiteis and had their zenith of partnership under Mr O Ibobi Singh, former congress chief minister who had adopted a strong anti-Naga approach during his 15 years in power. It was Mr N Biren Singh, who adopted a friendlier approach with the Nagas and this shift could have made an impact on Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes relationship with the Meiteis. Now the political disturbances in Myanmar seem to have fired the imagination of Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes who seem to dream of a larger political entity of brotherhood under the Chin nomenclature. They appear to think after the ethnic clashes that their relationship with the Meiteis has gone beyond a point of no return and are now demanding a separate administration. However, this may not be the only reason why they are steadfast on their stance to separate from Manipur. Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes have lost total confidence with the Meiteis, who is the dominant community, about any change of heart to mete out fair play and justice towards them. Take for instance the strident demand for ST status by the Meitei community with intent to encroach on tribal lands in the “Hill Areas” and given their clout in the government and resources, Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes seem to fear that they will lose their lands in the hill areas adjoining the Imphal valley if they continue to be part of Manipur. They may be right about that, as Mr N Biren Singh’s government had toyed with the idea of redrawing district boundaries to carve out areas from the hill districts into the valley district on the ground of administrative convenience. Dr Raj Singh has targeted tribal lands in the “Hill Areas” by suggesting amendment of Article 371-C, extension of MLR&LR Act 1960 with amendments and demand for ST status for Meiteis, all of which are directed to benefit only the Meiteis. In return for the tribes he is offering mere amendments of the archaic Manipur District Council (Hill Areas) Act, 1971 for the tribes as a remedy to redress all their grievances. This line of thinking seems to push every logical thinking tribal person to conclude that there is no scope for the tribes to visualise a situation of living together with the Meiteis. The rigid mindset of Meiteis of not granting any quarters for the tribes may soon convince the tribes of the futility of thinking that there is a future to live together with the Meiteis.

At a time when proposal for resolution of the ethnic conflict would be to redress grievances of Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes, the Meitei intelligentsia are thinking of further curtailing the rights of the tribes of Manipur by suggesting amendment of Article 371-C, the only Article which gives a small degree of safeguards for the Manipur tribes in the form of determining the “Hill Areas” to prevent alienation of tribal lands, a committee in the state assembly of legislators elected from the “Hill Areas” by asking for Meitei MLAs to be co-opted with intent to interfere into the functioning of the HAC (Hill Areas Committee) whose mandate is to protect various interests of the tribes in the “Hill Areas”. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back could be the agenda of the Meiteis to encroach into the “Hill Areas” by extending the MLR&LR Act to the “Hill Areas” along with land reforms to make it easier for the dominant community to possess tribal lands under various forms of land use policy. Dr Raj Singh has insinuated that the tribal people can be swayed by suggested monetary compensation knowing the poverty of the tribal people to entice them to sell up their land. The multi pronged assault on tribal land is evident from the desire of the Meitei community to become Scheduled Tribes (ST) by hook or by crook. They are unabashedly focused on their ambition to own tribal lands in the “Hill Areas” that it does not bother them that already 90% of Meiteis fall in the category of OBC besides some being SC. They attempted to become ST by approaching the Manipur High Court behind the back of the tribes to get a favourable order. Both the government counsels, state and centre, did not make any submissions or asked for time in court and an Order was passed in favour of the petitioners which provoked the Students Solidarity March in 3rd May 2023. The rest is history. The complicity of the governments is suspected as a proposal having adverse impact on existing ST by inclusion of Meitei community as ST should have been discussed in the state government or the Cabinet. Further, the government advocates not asking for time on a matter of such gravity seems to confirm a conspiracy by the dominant community who controls the state government. It’s a wonder why the ST people of Manipur are not questioning the tribal ministers who were in the Cabinet of Mr N Biren Singh as to why they did not oppose the matter in the Cabinet meetings. All these facts point to a few earth shaking revelations which deserves to be noted with gravity by the tribes of Manipur. First, can the tribes ever trust the Meitei community again who controls the state government as they have 40 MLAs against 20 from “Hill Areas” and have displayed their Meitei-centric bias? Second, they have political power and money clout to push all their proposals despite opposition from the tribes that the tribes are not safe anymore under their administration. Third, they have shown how they manipulated the ST case in the Manipur High Court and how the state government kept the tribal Ministers, MLAs in the dark and will do it again under pressure from the valley CSOs. Fourth, they intent to extend the MLR&LR Act to the “Hill Areas” and carry out land reforms designed for grabbing tribal lands in the “Hill Areas” and as they have the numbers in the Assembly, tribal lands are no longer safe from alienation. Fifthly, they intent to entice poor tribal people by offering money for their land in “Hill Areas” and they have the monetary resources to do it. Sixthly, they intent to amend Article 371-C to interfere into the functioning of the HAC and dilute the safeguards given under this Article by co-opting Meitei MLAs in the HAC. Seventh, they want to stop the delimitation exercise as they fear their number of Assembly constituency will decrease on account of increased population of backward tribes. Against such circumstances and the fact that the valley CSOs have been known to pressurise the state government with Meitei biased decisions, the tribes need to realise that they cannot trust the Meiteis anymore? The Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes seem to have realised that it is no longer tenable for them to be part of the state as Manipur is synonymous to living under the Meiteis. They want a separate administration, while the Nagas wish to wait for settlement under the Framework Agreement. The Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes know that they will always live under the fear of land alienation, economic exploitation, social, cultural and political suppression and subjugation. There will be no fair play and justice under Meitei dominance. The Meitei mindset has not changed and will never change. Hence a separate administration is the only solution for the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribes.

While the Nagas of Nagaland continue to flourish in their own state without being dominated by any community, the Naga tribes of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh suffer from domination from the dominant community and are exploited, suppressed and subjugated. The Nagas outside Nagaland have been living in misery and poverty and deserve better after nearly a century of struggle. A settlement under the Framework Agreement would be the best outcome for the Nagas, but no one knows when or if it will ever materialise. If the Meitei community want to save Manipur from balkanisation they should show magnanimity by conceding to the demands of the tribes for fair play and justice and concede to a Bodoland type of territorial councils for the tribes, leave land matters to the magnanimity of the tribes to work out a land use policy under the land laws of the hill areas which would be inclusive for all citizens of the state and abandon all thoughts of getting what they want by using their political and monetary clout. The trust deficit has to be bridged and it is for the Meiteis to start the ball rolling for reconciliation. After all, they are supposed to be the big brother.

*Courtesy: https://x.com/shimray2011

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