Ethnic Strife, Political Failures, and the Search for Stability
FACED WITH hostility from within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislators and the looming shadow of a Supreme Court indictment over his complicity in ethnic violence, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh was forced to resign—but not before causing immense damage to the north-eastern state.
Biren Singh
The small state had been burning for 21 months after the Meitei-Kuki ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023. Though the two communities had been at daggers drawn for decades, the immediate provocation was a high court directive to the state government to consider reservations for Meiteis, which laid bare old wounds.
Since then, the state has been in turmoil, with over 250 people killed, many more injured, and thousands languishing in over 350 relief camps. There have been several instances of armed clashes, with guns and mortars mostly looted from police armories by various groups. Over 70 percent of the looted arms and ammunition are still to be recovered.
Normal life had come to a standstill, with most educational institutions closed and economic activity in limbo. Many parts of the state remain under curfew. Yet, the central government turned a blind eye and refused to sack the chief minister, who belongs to the Meitei community and had lost the confidence of the Kuki and other tribal communities.
What was also shocking was the adamant attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who refused to visit the state despite vociferous demands from the opposition and even the media.
He is known to speak on a range of subjects—from how to prepare for exams to the future of artificial intelligence—but refrained from expressing concern over the crisis in Manipur. It was inexplicable why the Centre allowed the tension to brew for almost two years.
And now, the state faces another crisis—selecting Biren Singh’s successor. Evidently, the party’s MLAs, who belong to either of the two communities, are divided over who should be the next chief minister.
Perhaps no effort was made to groom a successor during the crisis-ridden tenure of Biren Singh, despite the inevitability of his departure. Such neglect of a critical border state is inexcusable.
Conard Sangma
The fact that deep resentment was brewing even among BJP leaders and alliance partners in the Northeast was an open secret. Last year, the National People’s Party (NPP), led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma—an ally of the BJP—had withdrawn support from the Biren Singh government.
Justifying the withdrawal, Sangma had said, “Decisions were not taken at the right time, and the situation has become worse … People are dying, and it’s sad to see them suffer … Things could have been done differently, like a change of guard.”
Ironically, even the Manipur BJP chief and a party MP from the state had been critical of the government’s functioning. Another reason that may have forced Biren Singh to quit was the looming prospect of losing a confidence motion in the state assembly, with some ruling party legislators likely to vote against the government.
The Modi government, which has been on the offensive against non-BJP state governments, treated its own inefficient government in Manipur with kid gloves.
There might be some truth to claims that Myanmar and China could be fomenting trouble, but that is no excuse for the state’s total failure to stop the violence.
The use of force or the imposition of ineffective leaders like Biren Singh can in no way restore confidence between the two warring communities.
Over the past 21 months, no serious effort has been made to bring the leadership of both communities to the discussion table. That is, in fact, the only way to tackle the issue. Restoring the lost trust between the Meiteis and the Kukis is crucial.
This must be a rare instance where the imposition of central rule would be welcomed by different sections of society, including the media.
The BJP, which has been on a winning spree across the country, should be prepared to make some sacrifices for the sake of a peaceful Manipur and should not stand on false prestige. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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