About the Manipur Crisis
The ongoing Manipur conflict between valley-dominated Meitei and hill-dominated Chin Kuki Zo Tribals erupted on May 3, 2023 following a solidarity rally called by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur against the Manipur High Court’s order directing the Manipur Govt to submit its recommendations, pending for 10 years, for inclusion of Meiteis in India’s Schedule Tribes list (Annexure 1 ). As on date (Jan 13, 2024), about 200 people have lost their lives and 70,000 are in relief camps.
Around 11:30 AM: The rally ended peacefully in all Tribal areas of Manipur, except Chin Kuki Zo dominated areas, particularly Churachandpur, district – the epicenter of this conflict. Please note there was already a pent-up anger and weeks before May 3, Kukis had already vandalized and/or burned multiple Govt offices, public properties and desecrated Meitei religious shrines. On May 3, around 11:30 AM, Kuki mobs vandalised & burned a Forest Beat Office (Annexure 2) and assaulted a Meitei driver on the road (Annexure 3). They also robbed a gun shop in Churachandpur (Annexure 4).
Around 2:30 PM: Few tyres were burned at the base of Anglo Kuki War Gate by unidentified miscreants, which the Kuks allege are Meiteis, but the Meiteis allege that Kukis did it themselves to build a narrative. The Gate wasn’t damaged since its base is concrete and iron at the top ( Annexure 5 & 6 )
Around 3:30 PM: Videos of at least 2 Kuki Militants armed with sophisticated guns, part of a Kuki mob became viral ( Annexure 7 & 8 ).
Around 4:00 PM: The unruly Kuki mob reached Torbung, in Churachandpur and Bishnupur (a Meitei-dominated district), 10 Kms from the site of the rally and began burning Meitei villages, which was to trigger the now over 8 months long violence (Annexure 9-12 ). In the videos, the Kuki are seen abusing the Meiteis as they burn down their houses.
Note 2 crucial evidence. One, it is the same 2 Kuki Militants who were part of the mob. Second, the clear day light and the dateline on the Facebook update of May 3. No Kuki or their houses were targeted till late evening of May 3 in Meitei dominated areas.
Around 7:30 PM: The violence spread to Moreh, the cosmopolitan Kuki-dominated town in India-Myanmar border, where the Kukis also burnt down Meitei houses (Annexure 13 ).
The Meitei community have been cleansed from Churachandpur and Moreh. In Churachandpur, the Meitei houses have been completely demolished using bull dozers and reduced to ground zero, wiping out any evidence of any structure whatsoever (Annexure 14 ).
The Kukis also unleased atrocities on Meiteis unheard of in Manipur, including abduction and cold blooded point blank shots in the head, gang rape of a Meitei woman, chopping their head alive with Gayanti/Hoe, burning a senior citizen alive (wife of a freedom fighter), torture of senior citizen, abduction and cold blooded murder of 2 students. As on date, 29 Meiteis are missing as against 4 of Kukis (Annexure 15-21 ). The Meiteis’ retaliation began in New Checkon, Imphal around 8 PM.
There has been demands of separate state/region in Manipur and North-East, notably Nagas demand for Greater Nagaland in Manipur. But never has the general public been targeted or villages burnt by any party. Their anger was always targeted at the Govt of the day.
Why did Chin Kuki Zo engineer this violence?
So, clearly there was pent-up anger among the Chin Kuki Zo tribes. The attempted burning of the War Memorial Gate was just the excuse or spark. There are 3 major root causes.
1. Poppy Cultivation: Under War on Drugs 2.0 Campaign, Manipur Govt’s crack down on Poppy Cultivation and drug trade hurt Kukis the most. Poppy cultivation is maximum in Kuki dominated areas accounting for 85% of the land under Poppy Cultivation, as per Narcotics and Affairs of Border, Manipur (Annexure 22 ). After the Meitei Pangals (Muslims), the highest number of people arrested for drug trafficking belong to Kuki tribe ( Annexure 23 ). The drug warlords who wield massive economic and political power were extremely upset.
2. Illegal Immigration: As per UNHCR report, during
Feb 2021 and May 1, 2023, 53,500 Myanmar refugees came to
India (
3. The Myanmar angle: A major grudge among Kuki Tribe has been the allegation of being Myanmarese or refugees. 5 Kuki MLAs allegedly support Kuki Militants who have bases in Myanmar ( Annexure 29 ). President of the Zomi Revolutionary Army, Mr Thanglianpao Guite, admitted he was an elected MP of Myanmar and migrated to India in 1995. The Home Ministry initiated an investigation on how he and his family acquired Indian citizenship ( Annexure 30 ).
Myths Vs facts
1. Tribals Vs Meites: Nagas, the largest tribe in Manipur, about 22% of Manipur’s population, isn’t involved in the violence. In fact, the Nagas have repeatedly warned the Kukis not to drag Tribals/Nagas into the violence. Smaller tribes such as Kom are also not part of the conflict.
2. Hindu Vs Christian: This was purely to secure funding from Christian Missionaries in India and foreign. Worse, there are ~ 1.7 Lakh Meiteis who are Christians, whose houses and churches were burnt by Kukis ( Annexure 31-32 ). The Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias and RSS have clarified the conflict isn’t Hindu Vs Christian.
3. Separate Administration due to Manipur violence. For decades, the Kukis have been planning for an independent country by breaking parts of India’s North-East, Myanmar and Bangladesh to create the so-called Zalengam/Kukiland. As a precursor to this project, they have been demanding separate administration for many years now ( Annexure 33-36 ).
4. Budget disparity: Kukis allege Hills get only 10% of the budget. The Report of the Committee Constituted by Manipur Govt shows that budget allocations for hills out of the total allocation for the State was 38.17% (2017-18) which has increased to 45.75% (2020-21). ( Annexure 37 )
5. Kukis targeted during eviction: During the Govt eviction drives (Oct 24, 2015 - April 18, 2023) 413 families were removed from reserved forest areas. Of these, 280 families belong to Meiteis (143 Meitei & 137 Meitei Muslims), 59 from Kuki, 38 from Naga and 36 from Nepali community ( Annexure 38 ).