It was a windy day in January 2022 when the Prime Minister of India set foot on a hopeful Manipur. A beaming Narendra Modi connected with Manipuris just by donning their colourful headgear made from local textile. A mega development project worth Rs 4,800 crore was dedicated to this largely ignored northeastern state. And then, with pride, it was announced that the “double-engine” government had laid a “strong foundation for Manipur for the next 25 years.” The once-forgotten state was now officially part of the mainstream. Or so it seemed.
Today, four months after ethnic violence erupted on 3 May 2023, Manipur is broken. Internecine killings continue unabated. And the swift midnight evacuation of 24 members of the last Kuki families in Imphal in the beginning of September, is a telling sign that a clear divide between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zomi is not just inevitable but deeper.
Imphal’s New Lambulane is a colony inhabited by the Kuki community and has been under heavy security since the outbreak of violence. The oldest of the 24 members was clergyman, Reverend S Prim Vaiphei, in his late 70s, who was awoken in the middle of the night, ushered into a waiting Casper bulletproof vehicle, and taken about 25 km away to Motbung, in Kangpokpi district, a Kuki-dominated area. “I wasn’t even allowed to go inside to wear my watch or take my Bible. I came away with nothing except the clothes I wore,” said Vaiphei. This group of residents had sworn not to move out of their homes, but even that made them vulnerable.
A complete failure
Clearly, the double–engine government, by all appearances, has come to a halt. And the nation, it seems, has callously moved on; its mind space consumed by moon landings and sports medals. That strong foundation announced with such fanfare by the PM in 2022 is now deeply cracked, and the once-hopeful state has plunged into a darkness so deep that it would take more than the much–touted 25 years for it to come back into the light.
The outside world has largely ignored the unfolding human tragedy–ongoing brutalities that have claimed over 170 lives and uprooted tens of thousands. In less than four months, over 70,000 people have been internally displaced, families torn asunder. Yet, the people of Manipur hold on to the hope that the “Centre” will douse the fire of hatred. Is that too much of an ask? After all, Manipur is an important border state. However disinterested the rest of the country may be in the state’s wellbeing, India’s stability in its eastern and northeastern borders depend significantly on Manipur’s condition, along with that of its sister states in the region. Turning a blind eye to what appears to be a deliberate dismemberment will have untold strategic repercussions for the entire country and its people.
India cannot afford to neglect its border states, least of all the Northeast, given its shared boundaries with Myanmar, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. The region plays a critical role in India’s foreign policy. New Delhi must be interested in investing itself in the region not just notionally but emotionally as well. It must recognise, not just on paper but in reality, that these border states are full stakeholders in India’s neighbourhood policies.
Manipur is not just more vital but also extremely vulnerable.The state should be seen as an asset in India’s design to build a stable and prosperous neighbourhood. It shares a 400-km border, mostly unfenced, with Myanmar – a country embroiled with its own problems that threaten Manipur in many ways. This proximity is both a boon and a bane. India gets a gateway to Southeast Asia, whose relevance becomes more pronounced in the wake of New Delhi contemplating trade with ASEAN countries through Myanmar and Thailand. Even without the trade element, Southeast Asia remains an all-season important political and economic partner because of China’s growing regional influence. Northeast has a close cultural affinity with Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries–all India needs to do is leverage that linkage and natural affinity.
Moreh in Manipur and Zokhawthar in Mizoram are two important international trading points along the 1,643-km–long unfenced India-Myanmar border that must be leveraged. Gautam Mukhopadhyay, former diplomat who served as India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, has written extensively on the need for a productive economy for border states. He says: “Unless there are exportable products that benefit the people, it makes little sense in the context of even India’s Look/Act East Policy. There is a complete lack of investment for a productive economy. If Manipur is going to be merely a conduit for the policy, is there a larger gain for the people?” Therefore, a stable and secure Manipur will facilitate better trade, connectivity and diplomatic relations with Southeast Asia, which is crucial for India’s regional influence and economic growth. A vibrant Manipur can only result in a stronger nation.
Also read: More than 6 weeks on, Manipur is still ablaze. It’s a saga of failures, from state govt to Centre
Understand Manipur first
Like most Northeast states, Manipur is home to a diverse ethnicities, cultures, and languages. About 29 different communities form the state’s social fabric. But the Centre and its representatives have never truly immersed themselves to understand people’s sentiments. The one-size-fits-all approach may work in other states; it won’t ever in Manipur and other northeastern states. For instance, if Meiteis who enjoy access, power and privilege have grievances, think of the hill tribes who live in abject poverty, on the fringes. Their grievances need a holistic redressal. The Centre must understand that however weak and frail, the voice of Kukis-Zomi-Hmar represents the voice of India’s citizens. The Centre is the parens patriae – the unbiased guardian of all Indians. It is this mindfulness and all-encompassing nature of the Centre that will make India a sovereign and powerful nation. When it chooses to hear the louder and more powerful voice, it breaks its social contract with its citizens and thereby the spirit of the Constitution.
Time and again, India has insisted on measuring the Northeast with the same yardstick that it uses for the rest of the country. Even when the video of two Kuki-Zomi women (one of whom was gang raped) being paraded naked was leaked, it tried to equate the horrific crime with incidents of rape in other states. In doing so, it took away not just the context but reinforced the country’s apathy and indifference towards the Northeast.
Through the decades, the mainland has not grasped the region and its nuances. For those assigned to look after Manipur, it has been merely a duty and an obligation with neither a sense of dedication nor an intention to get to the bottom of things. No one has bothered to look at the existence of the minorities who lived beyond Imphal, the seat of power. As for the Northeast, its people have helplessly put their fate and future into the hands of a nation too busy to feel its pulse and hear its heartbeat. India needs to work harder and with greater sense of sincerity to give Manipur and other states of Northeast a place of pride and a deeper sense of belongingness. At the same time, Manipur and the entire Northeast cannot keep urging the Centre to usher in peace and development even as their own sense of accountability and responsibility remains questionable. It has to be a two-way process.
Also read: Manipur violence: 5,107 arson cases, 71 murders but police yet to start probe in most
Security at borders needs internal stability
If the Centre wants to secure India’s borders, it must first create an environment of stability and peace through mechanisms that are within its means and power. A secure environment isn’t just essential for the nation’s economic growth and development; it is something the state and its people deserve. There is much to be gained if Manipur and other northeastern states are protected and given priority. Investing in tourism, infrastructure, human resources and much more will ultimately lead to increased economic opportunities for the local population. This, in turn, will help restore stability in the region. By securing its border states, India will show its commitment to peace and resolving disputes through diplomatic means.
Successive governments have indeed understood the importance of managing India’s relations with its neighbours, but this cannot be done by bypassing its border states. It must give these states the highest priority. Only when the base is strong can there be further growth in the relationship with the neighbouring countries. India would be wrong to think it can nurture its diplomatic ties with its neighbours by overlooking its need to invest in the Northeast. The success of its much–touted “Look East/Act East” policy depends on how well India wants to understand the Northeast and its people.
For now, peace in Manipur should be the Centre’s priority. And this elusive peace must be well-defined and unambiguous. Inclusive development and justice must follow. Above all, the aspirations of the people, especially the minorities, must be heard in all earnestness. Manipur, that neglected child, is crying out for help.
Hoihnu Hauzel is a journalist and founder of www.thenestories.com and www.northeastodyssey.com. She tweets @hoihnu. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)