Straight Talk | Manipur Crawls Back To Normalcy As Centre Tightens Its Grip
The government’s approach is clear --- Manipur cannot remain paralysed any longer --- and normalcy, if not achieved naturally by getting tensions between Meiteis and Kukis down, must simply be enforced
The past two years have been rough for Manipur. Ethnic tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis have all but destroyed the social fabric of the state. The scale of the violence seen in Manipur since 2023 has shocked Indians at large, as it should. For someone born and brought up in the Northeast, the violence was shocking, yet hardly surprising.
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It is no secret that ethnic tensions and communal distrust plagues not just Manipur, but many other north-eastern states. Unfortunately, the wider Indian population is simply not aware of the ground realities and complex social equations of this region. For most, the Northeast is nothing more than a tourism hotspot replete with exotic beauty. Amidst this demographic, the urge to pin all blame on government ineptitude comes instinctively. And that is a flawed way of looking at all things Northeast.
Manipur is no stranger to social strife, unrest, and—most infamous of them all—blockades. For decades, the state has suffered under the weight of curfews, bandhs, and ethnic tensions, disrupting daily life, economic activities, and essential supplies.
However, a striking contrast emerged after 2014, when Manipur experienced an extended period of relative peace and stability. The once-frequent disruptions that had plagued the state saw a significant decline, allowing economic and infrastructural development to gain momentum. Improved governance, better law enforcement, and efforts to foster dialogue among communities contributed to a sense of normalcy that had long eluded the region.
Ironically, just as Manipur seemed to have turned a corner, the state was thrust back into turmoil with the outbreak of large-scale ethnic violence in 2023.
I have grown up in the Northeast. I have seen just how powerless government machinery becomes once communities decide to turn on each other. Preventing violence is not a luxury that governments in the region enjoy. Often, they simply have to deal with the fallout of it all. In Manipur, the initial weeks and months of strife tore through the state’s social fabric. Now, the government has the mighty task to rebuild that fabric and bring Manipur back to normalcy.
This can be a time-consuming process. However, recent decisions taken by the Centre — from the imposition of President’s Rule to the appointment of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Governor — suggest that the government is keen on resolving the latest cycle of violence for once and for all. Home minister Amit Shah has also directed the reopening of highways for the free movement of goods and people, while sternly calling on both communities to surrender their arms. The message was clear: surrender your weapons before we come looking for you.
Security forces have ramped up their operations across Manipur. On March 8 and 9, for instance, Manipur Police arrested 15 cadres of various insurgent groups in multiple raids across the state. Raids continued through Monday, with security forces seizing several weapons and making crucial arrests.
In fact, during the two-week-long window provided by the government for surrendering arms, over 1,366 out of approximately 5,200 looted police weapons had been recovered. Additionally, nearly 1,300 weapons have had their unique ID numbers erased, but they are also among the looted police weapons, making the recovery figure more than 2,600. Of the surrendered arms, more than 760 were from the valley districts, while the rest were from the hill districts and Jiribam. Earlier, sources told News18 that nearly 50 per cent of the looted police weapons have been recovered.
The government’s approach is now clear. Manipur cannot remain paralysed any longer. Normalcy, if not achieved naturally by getting tensions between Meiteis and Kukis down, must simply be enforced. This approach, however, is not without its challenges. The push for stability is bound to face resistance from elements that thrive on unrest and seek to derail peace efforts. Isolated incidents of violence—targeted killings, ambushes, and sabotage—are likely to continue as groups opposed to reconciliation attempt to assert their presence. However, the government’s priority is clear: containing the situation and preventing a relapse into prolonged anarchy.
The administrative machinery is now being systematically aligned to achieve this larger goal of stabilising Manipur, even if that requires the use of extraordinary measures. This is why the imposition of President’s Rule becomes so important. The Ministry of Home Affairs is now directly engaged in ensuring normalcy returns to Manipur. The re-imposition of AFSPA in six police districts of the state late last year has already given security forces much-needed operational legroom — something which was absent during the initial months of violence.
The road to lasting peace in Manipur will be long and fraught with challenges. The scars of the 2023 violence run deep, and the wounds between the Meitei and Kuki communities will not heal overnight. However, what is clear is that the government is not going to let the state remain trapped in an endless cycle of violence and instability. Lasting peace will depend on rebuilding trust between the two communities, which is why the reopening of highways is so important. The MHA is also encouraging both the Meiteis and Kukis to visit each other’s areas. By imposing President’s Rule, ramping up security operations, and directly engaging with the crisis, the Centre has signalled its intent to bring order back to Manipur—by force if necessary.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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