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The first flashpoint came in the form of the arrest last year of a human rights activist from Churachandpur, the tribal district that's the epicentre of the current conflict. Since then, matters have spiralled out of control
For three months Manipur has been on the boil, pitting the Meiteis in the Valley and the hill tribes of Kuki-Zomis against each other. For the last four days, it has deadlocked Parliament. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in his letter to Congress leaders Tuesday, attributed the violence to “some court orders and some incidents”. Tension between the two communities has simmered for decades but, on the ground, over the last one year, a set of incidents and the N Biren Singh-led government’s response have brought the fault-lines to the fore.
So on April 14, when the Manipur High Court asked the state government to send its recommendations to the Centre for grant of ST status to Meiteis, the spark was lit.
But the first flashpoint came in the form of the arrest last year of a human rights activist from Churachandpur, the tribal district that’s the epicentre of the current conflict. Mark T Haokip was arrested by the Manipur Police on May 24, 2022, from his home in Delhi under various sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over his social media posts that allegedly promoted communal disharmony. In 2021, three FIRs had been registered against him over these posts, but his arrest came after he asserted Kuki rights over two hills, Mt Koubru and Mt Thangjing, which are considered sacred by the Meiteis.
The arrest led to massive protests in Churachandpur, fuelled by outrage over Chief Minister N Biren Singh calling Haokip a “Myanamarese”, a charge his family refuted, saying their roots in the state can be traced back in records to even before the British came to India. Haokip was granted bail on May 28 this year.
This was followed by another flashpoint over the same hills, when a group of Meiteis visiting the Thangjing Hills were allegedly prevented from going to the top by some local Kuki men. “Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers had to eventually ensure access for Meiteis. They also planted some saplings there. The...