The burning bosom of Manipur has no respite even after almost 30 days as human rights get weaponised

 

Mobilenews24x7 Bureau (View)

The sight of the burning hills in the North east brings some reminiscences of the time India had witnessed after its partition. And the Union government’s inability to handle it has revealed a colossal loss of human.

It is a burning account of divide and geographic segregation stemming from an ethnic root. A fight between Meiteis and Kuki-zo tribe in the present backdrop of Meiteis leaving the hills and Kuki-zo deserting Imphal valley.

The latest unrest started on May 3 and continued unabated as both the Centre and the State have failed to douse the fires.

The contrast is the Indian army did its best to control the furtherance of the violence, the local police was found taking sides on both the lines. Some from the Kukis and some Meiteis that has worsened the situation.

 

 When the police gets divided on ethnic lines the task becomes harder for the administration.

Known for notorious ‘encounters’ in the past, the Manipur Police Commandos  could have brought the situation under control, the Kukis allege that they are actually at the forefront of attacking Kuki villages along with the Meitei group Tengol.

 

The terrors of killing and burning of villages have been going on in the borders of the hills and valleys for the last 26 days. However, violence has escalated in the last two days again like how it did when the fighting started on 3 May.

It can be mentioned here that the fresh violence has erupted in the border towns of Kangvai (Churachandpur), Suknu (Chandel), Saikul (Kangpokpi), Kangchup (Kangpokpi), Moreh (Tengnoupal), and Sekmai (Imphal East). While the first four are in the hills, which are attacked by Meitei Tengol, the last two were attacked by the Kukis.

Even as the Manipur chief minister claims that the state is back to normalcy, but that is a bit far from the real situation there, say sources in Manipur.

 

 Sources also informed that  the Manipur government collected licensed guns from the people of Manipur two months before the violence started (for verification), the Kukis still have considerable country-made guns.

It is worrisome that, a state with a porous border like Manipur has easier access to automatic weapons from across the border making the prospect of peace look very bleak.

Sadly the human rights activists are not active this time as they used to be earlier.