Watch CutTheClutter: ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ for Delhi, Manipur’s festering crisis worsens

In Episode 1563 of #CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta and Deputy Editor Moushumi Das Gupta discuss the growing challenges in the northeastern state as the crisis festers.

New Delhi: The phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ usually applies to situations that are distant or don’t immediately impact us. Unfortunately, this mindset often extends to India’s northeastern region, a part of the country that has been historically marginalised. 

The Northeast, particularly states like Manipur, has long faced issues of insurgency, underdevelopment, and alienation. Unless a major attack grabs the headlines, we tend to overlook these issues, allowing them to simmer into chronic problems—much like a disease that, if untreated, can worsen over time. 

Manipur’s crisis, which began 19 months ago on 3 May 2023, is a case in point. The situation there remains dire, with no relief in sight. In response to the unrest, 288 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed, and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA has been reinstated in areas, despite the BJP government’s earlier stance of withdrawing AFSPA from the region due to improved conditions. 

The ethnic conflict in Manipur, primarily between the Meiteis (predominantly Hindu) and the Kukis (largely Christian), has resulted in a deepening divide that resembles the ethnic wars seen during the breakup of Yugoslavia. 

The situation is further complicated by growing dissent within the ruling BJP itself. Half of the party’s 37 MLAs in the state have called for the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, citing his failure to control the situation. Some Kuki and NPP MLAs have also withdrawn their support, signaling a fractured government. However, despite these internal rifts, the central government has stood firmly behind Biren Singh, leaving little room for change.

Moushumi Das Gupta, who has recently returned from Manipur, reports that the situation has worsened since her last visit in May 2023. While some of the initial ethnic violence has subsided, the underlying tensions remain. The Kuki population continues to feel targeted by Meitei militias, while the Meiteis are equally fearful of Kuki insurgents. The Army has been called in to assist in evacuating civilians, but the ethnic divide has led to a forced population exchange, with people fleeing their homes out of fear for their lives.

In Episode 1563 of #CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta and Deputy Editor Moushumi Das Gupta, who went back to Manipur to cover the situation on the ground, discuss the growing challenges in the northeastern state as the crisis festers.