A year had gone by since the beginning of ethnic strife on May 3, 2023 and Manipur would never be the same again in terms of inter-ethnic relations while geo-political realities have been laid bare for everyone to see. More than 200 people have died, hundreds missing and nearly 60 thousand people have been internally displaced in the mayhem that was unleashed in the conflict. As incidents of senseless violence unfolded and kept on persisting, the powers that be both at the Centre and state stood watch. For the first time ever, the role of central forces and neutrality became a point of discussion as they refused to act in most of the incidents of armed clashes between the warring communities.
As the violence unfolded, the equation in terms of arms and armoury was lop-sided as the valley was lagging far behind armed only with a sprinkling of licensed single barrel and double barrel guns and state forces bound by a dictum of neutrality with a Security Advisor and a new DGP in command, while in the hills most of the families were armed with weapons which was supplemented by roving parties of militants under suspension of operations (SoO) with the governments. When the valley population woke up on May 4 morning, they suddenly found themselves totally vulnerable and the valley surrounded on almost all sides.
Devastated by the news of ethnic cleansing and arson in Churachandpur and Moreh and faced with attacks from the hill ridges by militants on the fringe villages of the valley, angry youths resorted to storming of police armouries in the valley in a bid to make it even. In the melee, some youth organisations which were otherwise engaged in peaceful ventures and cultural activities began arming themselves. Thus followed a year of intermittent ethnic clashes. An imaginary line of control was drawn between the valley and the hills which came to be known as the buffer zone, beyond which people from either side dare to venture. In the name of keeping the peace, central forces stopped people from either side crossing over the line while they stood and watched when armed clashes erupted.
Forces on the ground would say they have not received any order from the higher-ups whenever there is an attack from the hill ridges sometimes killing or maiming even members of the central forces while they would intervene whenever police or armed groups from the valley dare to cross the said buffer zone.
Several such incidents led to women Meira Paibis coming out in the streets and stopping the central forces from entering the area where armed clashes were happening. This brought the central forces in direct confrontation with the womenfolk, as authorities sitting in New Delhi remained nonchalant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to find time to visit the state and still far too distant from the scene, although the Union Home Minister Amit Shah came and assessed the situation by camping in Manipur for three full days and again a day while campaigning.
The controversial Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Kuki militant outfits had lapsed a few months back, but still there is no definitive word on whether the truce would be brought back again or not. Well, the central government under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah had kept both parties in the conflict and the state as a whole in suspense as they kept themselves busy in electioneering and setting a target for coming back to power with an enhanced majority. And, it is indeed a pity the state leaders in the ruling party cannot even bring themselves to convince the central leadership to deliberate on the Manipur situation for a few minutes.
