Murder, Mayhem in Manipur

It tragic but true that the murder and mayhem in Manipur that continues for nearly 50 days is spiralling out of control not because the state machinery and central forces are unable but because vested political interests have disabled the machinery. The official dead count is around 100 while unofficially, double that number have died since bodies have not been found. Officially, some 300 were injured but again, unofficially the figures are much more as many have fled and are being treated outside the state. Lakhs of people have been displaced after their homes were torched or vandalised and around 50,000 people from both communities in 300 refugee camps. Article 355 was promulgated in Manipur on May 6. The Act empowers the central government to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances and external aggression. Around 4000 jawans from the Army and Assam Rifles including 5000 jawans of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in the state and top officers have been posted to Manipur to coordinate the deployment of forces. In addition Manipur police has 44,388 personnel which consists of 15,556 civil police, 14,395 MR/IRB, 2791 staff and recruits at MPTC, 9611 VDF personnel and 2035 Home Guard volunteers. BSF has 2000 personnel, CRPF has 6000, 270 Mahila CRPF including 810 additional BSF personnel. Thus, approximately 62,400 uniformed personnel are presently available in Manipur to enforce law and order. In order to strike a right note, the government of India also constituted a peace committee comprising of both Kukis and Meiteis under the state governor and with controversial chief minister Biren Singh as one of the members. Unfortunately a well meaning effort came to nought when Kukis refused to be part and later Meiteis leaders also quit as they did not wish to be left holding the egg.The demand for removing Biren Singh has been consistent not only in Manipur but Nagaland and across India as his continuance has become untenable. Biren may not have been axed for reasons known only to the rulers in Delhi. However, removal of Biren may not end the violence since the political private army or armed cadres can only be defanged if Delhi has the political will. The silence of prime minister Narendra Modi and the over long rope given to Biren by home minister Amit Shah is discomforting. To be frank, removing Biren Singh may not bring immediate peace to ethnic violence since those involved from both communities appear to be remote controlled by divisive forces. The BJP government at the Centre had not acted in time when mobs went on rampage on May 3 and continues till date. Either the union home minister or any junior minister of the home ministry along with senior officials should have rushed to Imphal the next day to take stock of the situation. The stories emanating out of Manipur are indeed horrifying as they suggest that even with over sixty thousand uniformed personnel, the situation cannot be contained. The law and order is subjected to a bizarre situation where one ethnic minority is deeply distressed by alleged bias. But the most telling is that violence transcends beyond ethnicity to attacks on churches belonging to Kukis and Meitei converts.