Imphal, June 4 (). Nearly a month of violence in Manipur has sharply divided the state along ethnic lines. So far, about 100 people have lost their lives in these incidents of violence and more than 315 people have been injured. The Kuki tribals living in the hills feel that a separate state is the only solution, while the dominant Meiteis in the valley, who are demanding Scheduled Tribe status, are staunchly against any bifurcation of the state or a separate arrangement.
The ongoing caste violence since May 3 has resulted in large-scale displacement of people both in the hills and in the valley.
The non-tribal Meiteis living in the hills have fled to the valley and the tribal Kukis living in the valley have migrated to the hills, which clearly shows the lack of trust between the two communities and the different geographic locations, leading to differences and has increased.
The division between the hill and valley regions or the disparity of development has always been a point of political debate in Manipur.
There are 10 constitutional bodies for all-round socio-economic development – Tribal Autonomous District Councils which exist in four northeastern states (three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura), but Manipur has no such system despite a good presence of tribals. There are no powerful constitutional autonomous bodies.
Expressing fear, distress and anxiety, the students of Churachandpur Medical College demanded a safe place to continue their studies amidst caste violence.
The first batch of students are studying the first year MBBS course at the newly established medical college inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 6 this year.
Out of total 100 students, around 60 students are from the valley areas of Manipur.
Amid caste violence, 10 Kuki tribal MLAs (including seven ruling BJP members) demanded a separate administration equivalent to a separate state for tribals in Manipur.
The Kuki legislators alleged that the violence was perpetrated by the majority Meitei community and secretly supported by the state’s BJP government. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra that in utter despair and desperation, the 10 Kuki MLAs of the party and other leaders of the community have demanded a separate political administration (a separate state) for the tribals. equal) is demanded.
Educationist-turned-politician Singh, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Inner Manipur parliamentary seat on a BJP ticket, said the demand was made under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including Kuki extremists.
Union minister of Manipur urges PM to end mechanical division in Manipur, suggests that entire state should be people as a whole without any discrimination between hill dwellers and valley people on the lines of Himachal Pradesh Needed Article 371C can be amended if necessary.
Article 371C deals with special provisions for the hilly areas of Manipur.
The hilly areas cover 90 percent of the state’s area, while 10 percent of the total population resides there.
Out of 60 assembly seats, the valley has 40 assembly seats.
In the valley, there are Hindu, non-tribal Meitei communities, while the hills are largely inhabited by Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities and similar ethnic tribes.
The BJP-led government promised to bridge the divide in 2017 and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched Go to Hills and Go to Villages to accelerate development measures in the hills.
As part of the central government’s mission to make the Northeast a drug-free zone, the chief minister also launched a war against drugs and evicted tribals from protected reserve forests, besides destroying illegal opium cultivation.
The state government’s eviction drive and destruction of illegal opium cultivation enraged the Koki tribals. They started agitation on 10 March against the government’s move.
The state government claimed that the Kuki militants were inciting the tribals against the government action.
After the caste violence that took place on and after May 3, all the 10 MLAs of the Kuki community joined the N.K. Biren Singh has accused the government of failing miserably to protect the community. Therefore, they have resolved to run a separate administration under the Constitution of India and live peacefully as neighbors of Manipur.
Tribals constitute about 37 to 40 percent of the state’s total population of 27.2 lakh (2011 census).
There is a difference of perception on many issues between tribals and non-tribals in the entire Northeast region, where tribals constitute 27-28 per cent of the 4.56 crore population.
While the demand for a separate state for tribals is active in several northeastern states including Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya, the demand for a separate state in Manipur assumes greater significance as it has been raised by the ruling party’s legislators and their allies.
The unabated violence in Manipur launched by the majority Meitei on May 3 and supported by the state government against the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribesmen has already left the state divided, a statement signed by ten legislators said. and effectively cut them off from the state of Manipur completely.
It states, our people can no longer live in Manipur because the hatred against our tribal community has reached such an extent that legislators, ministers, clergy, police and civil officials, common man, women and even children spared; What to speak of the destruction of places of worship, homes and properties. To live again among the Meiteis is tantamount to death for our people.
Years after the merger of the erstwhile princely state of Manipur with the Indian Union in October 1949, the Meitei community felt that their demographic balance and status would be threatened with infiltration from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal if they were not given constitutional protection.
With this observation, the Meitei community, which constitutes about 53 per cent of the total population, has been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which has been strongly opposed by the tribals.
The tribals argue that the Meitei communities, as the majority population, enjoy many constitutional and governmental benefits, and if they are classified as STs, the constitutional benefits of the tribals would have to be shared with them (the Meitei communities).
The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) opposed the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category.
Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meitei Trade Union, Acting Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court M.V. Muraleedharan had on April 19 directed the state government to submit a recommendation to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The High Court order turned into a major controversy as thousands of tribals joined the tribal solidarity march in 10 hill districts called by ATSUM on May 3.
The events of 3 May were preceded by anger, and strong protests against the eviction of Kuki villagers from protected forest land and the destruction of opium cultivation by the state government, leading to several agitations and tensions between the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki .
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