[ad_1]
In Manipur, with the Bharatiya Janata Party unable to identify a successor to N. Biren Singh for the post of Chief Minister and the Assembly also not having been convened even six months since its last sitting, President’s Rule was imposed in the State with the Assembly under suspended animation. Since mid-2023, in any case, a number of central forces have been deployed, with the Union Home Ministry in control over law and order even as the strife that began as an ethnic conflagration in May 2023 has shown no signs of easing. With President’s Rule being declared — even if it was for expedient reasons and showcased an inability of the BJP and its allies in government to overcome the ethnic differences within the legislature and in the polity — the Union government now has an opportunity to ease the tensions. It can also work on pressing issues such as the persisting displacement of over 60,000 people. Reports suggest that many among them still experience severe trauma and a loss of livelihoods, which must be tackled by the government with alacrity. President’s Rule also allows for the possibility of talks between representatives of the two communities in the conflict, especially those who are committed to peace. The legislators can also play a role in this exercise of reconciliation.
The other major issue is the militarisation of civil society, with the burgeoning of armed groups among the two communities, who have termed themselves as “village volunteers”, brandishing arms looted from constabularies. Earlier attempts to retrieve these weapons and bring the looters to face justice have not borne fruit. The militarisation in the new ethnic conflict has also been complicated by the expanded role of insurgents who were fighting the Indian state or were engaged in the Myanmar civil war. It would take a concerted effort by the government, armed forces and civil society actors to identify the “village volunteers”, disarm them by using a firm hand and with incentives, and then work on ways to tackle the insurgents. The Biren Singh regime was incapable of doing this because of the perceived bias in leadership and Mr. Singh’s tendency to stigmatise the Kuki-Zo community as a whole, leading to complete distrust. Efforts must be taken to distance the government from this coloured legacy and the Home Ministry should work on a war-footing to restore peace. Ideally, Assembly elections would have been necessitated immediately considering the deep ethnic divisions within the legislature and its failures. But, first, it is imperative to extinguish the climate of fear and reprehension from violent groups and restore the rule of law before elections.
Published – February 15, 2025 12:20 am IST
[ad_2]
Peace imperatives: on President’s Rule in Manipur
