No end to the continuing violent ethnic clashes in Manipur

Krishna Jha, IPA, November 18, 2024 : She was running with all three of her children when they shot at her. The pain was unbearable as she fell. Arsonists saw her and set her on fire. Zosangkim, a 31-year-old mother, was turned into ashes. It was November 7, the day when the great October revolution had taken place. It was a promise that the suffering would end. But even after more than a century, change is yet to come.

The night was too long and too dark. The tribal village of Hmar in Jiribam district of Manipur was again the victim of meaningless violence after two quiet months. It was only seven kilometres from the police station at the district headquarters. The CRPF camp was also nearby. And still, seven houses were burnt that night. Hmar is among the tribes under the Kuki-Zo umbrella, struggling against the Meitei community.

Meanwhile, the issue of disbursement of full compensation for Manipur violence victims has also been raised in an RTI. The fact is that the Union Home Ministry has not met the promise of the Central government to provide Rs 3.95 crore as compensation to the families of those killed in the violence in Manipur.

In late May of 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Imphal amidst ethnic violence that is yet to die down and promised compensation for the families of victims. An RTI response shows that his ministry has not yet released adequate funds for the purpose. During his visit, Shah met with civil society organizations of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in their respective areas and made several announcements while speaking to the media on June 1. One such promise was total financial aid of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of each person who had lost their lives in the violence. He stated, “An amount of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 5 lakh each from the Manipur government and Union home ministry) will be provided through direct benefit transfer to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives in the violence.”

In response to Right to Information requests, the Union Home Ministry has released Rs 7.35 crore to Manipur as financial assistance. Latest official data has it that 226 people have been killed in the state since May 3, 2023. This means that Rs 11.30 crore should have been released to cover compensation for these families. Rs 3.95 crore is thus yet to be provided by the MHA. The amount released by the Union Ministry under Shah, that is Rs 7.35 crore, would cover compensation of Rs 5 lakh for 147 families only out of the 226.

The Union Home Ministry’s RTI response also reveals that financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the people of Manipur is under the Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims/Family of Victims of Terrorist/Communal/Left Wing Extremism (CSACV) Scheme. This scheme provides financial assistance to family members in cases of death or permanent incapacitation of civilian victims in incidents involving terrorist or communal violence, left-wing extremism, as well as cross-border firing and mine or IED blasts within Indian territory. The aid is generally extended to the surviving spouse, or if both spouses perish in the same incident, to the family as a whole. Neither Home Minister Shah nor the Manipur government have publicly mentioned that the compensation is part of the CSACV scheme. A press note released by the MHA on June 1, available on the Press Information Bureau website, also omitted any mention of the CSACV scheme.

During his visit on June 1, Amit Shah also promised to formulate a plan for online education in the conflict-affected region; however, its implementation remains unclear. Many Kuki students unable to travel to Imphal for their studies have sought admission outside the city, with Kerala’s Kannur University being the first to welcome Kuki students displaced by the unrest. Additionally, Shah announced the establishment of a peace committee chaired by then-Governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey. This committee included representatives from all political parties, including Chief Minister Biren Singh, as well as members from both Kuki and Meitei communities and various social organizations. However, many individuals later left the peace committee, expressing their reluctance to function with Biren present in the panel.

Since the violence began on May 3, 2023, over 60,000 individuals have been displaced over the course of 543 days. Shah also pledged medical support, specifically committing to provide doctors for the hill areas, where residents face challenges accessing urgent medical care. Due to the lack of local healthcare facilities, many residents are forced to travel to other states for treatment, and at least 35 individuals have reportedly died in Manipur due to medical emergencies.

The stream of violence keeps flowing since the last year. There have been many victims, unnoticed, unlamented, unavenged. For the women of Manipur, not only the country, the entire world stands stunned. As the unrest in Manipur continues unabated in north-east India, authorities remain quiet. With a population of three million, Manipur, a state in north-east India, has been witness to continued violence among the tribes, mainly between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki tribe.

In the recent flare-up, many more have been killed. More than a thousand have been reported injured. More than seventy thousand have lost their homes and livelihoods. More relief camps have been set up in the last year, and people in their own country have turned refugees, looking for shelter, security, food, and medicine. Several thousand have taken shelter in neighbouring states. Some have come to Delhi also.

The unrest started on May 3, 2023, with the solidarity rally by various tribal groups underlining the issues of social status and tribal rights. It provoked distrust in communities, especially between Meiteis and Kukis.