Controversies surround Biren Singh's Manipur tenure amidst ethnic violence

Agencies, 10 Feb 2025, Imphal: Nongthombam Biren Singh’s tenure as Manipur chief minister has been marked by a number of controversies, primarily centered on his handling of ethnic violence, allegations of instigating conflict, and questions regarding his governance. 

Singh, who started as a footballer, then became a journalist before entering politics, served as the chief minister for two terms — 2017 and 2022. He represents the Heingang Assembly constituency in Imphal East district. Singh entered politics in 2002, when he joined the Democratic Revolutionary People's Party and won the assembly polls. 

He retained the seat five years later in 2007 while contesting on a Congress ticket after joining the party in 2003. 

In a short time, Singh became one of the then chief minister Ibobi Singh's trusted lieutenant and was made the minister of irrigation & flood control, youth affairs and sports, and consumer affairs & public distribution. 

Although he retained his seat in 2012 for a third consecutive term, Singh had a fallout with Ibobi Singh. Eventually finding it difficult to continue, he resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP in October 2016. In the March 2017 elections, where the Congress emerged as the single largest party but without a clear majority to swing sufficient numbers its way, saw BJP cobble together a coalition government with Biren Singh as the new chief minister. 

In 2022, he managed to win the approval of his party to get a second term as chief minister. The journey since then has been not without hiccups. One of the most significant controversies of Singh's tenure was the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023. 

The ethnic strife, which saw brutal clashes between the majority Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo tribal groups in the surrounding hills, resulted in over 250 deaths and displaced thousands of people. 

The state's inability to contain it raised serious concerns about Singh’s leadership. Singh’s response to the violence, however, included a public apology in December 2023, where he expressed regret for the deaths and displacement caused by the unrest.; expedite probe into violations 

He called for reconciliation, urging the various communities to forgive past mistakes and work toward rebuilding a peaceful Manipur. In February, a new controversy erupted when audio tapes allegedly featuring Singh were leaked, in which he was purportedly heard discussing how the ethnic violence was instigated with his approval. 

The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), a vocal critic of Singh’s handling of the ethnic conflict, sought a court-monitored investigation into the authenticity of the tapes. This led to a Supreme Court ruling ordering the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to verify the tapes’ authenticity and submit a report. 

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