Nearly three years after the ongoing conflict erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, the state is in the throes of the latest wave of unrest. While Manipur’s central valley has been rocked with protests since the killing of two Meitei children in a projectile attack on their home on April 7, a separate set of tensions between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, which started in Ukhrul district in February this year, continues to bubble.
Losii Dikho, a leader from the Mao Naga community who is one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers of the new state government that took over in February under Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s leadership, spoke to The Indian Express about the ongoing situation.
Why did the state spiral into such a volatile situation after the April 7 attack, and how has the government been trying to address the protests?
There has been some speculation about the involvement of various elements in this situation to disturb the state, but I cannot blame anyone. The demands of the agitators are mostly issues that have been continuing for a long time, from the time of the previous government and President’s Rule. The recent killings of the two children in the valley and of two civilians in Ukhrul are the new incidents which have taken place that have brought them to the forefront again. The agitators want immediate arrests. The government of Manipur has given the cases to the NIA, but people want immediate results, which is not possible.
Different civil organisations from different areas have been agitating and raising demands, and it is difficult for the government to address all of them… In the case of the killing of two innocents in Ukhrul district, the demands of the organisations from that area about compensation and ex gratia have been fulfilled, and the bodies have been buried. But the result of the NIA investigation is pending.
In the case of the incident in Imphal valley, it is difficult to ascertain which groups and individuals are involved. The protesters are again raising the demand for the removal of agreements signed with Kuki underground groups, but that cannot just be done…
So the government, the Home Minister, and the Chief Minister are all giving their best to respond to the people, and there is no strong basis to accuse the government of failure. The shutdowns and unrest are not necessary. Instead, they are hurting the people and will not give us any positive outcome.
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The tensions between Tangkhul Nagas and Kukis have been simmering since February. Are there apprehensions that this will also become a protracted conflict?
What is being seen from all sides, from people from all walks of life, is that they are fed up of tensions and violence. There have been tensions and issues from both sides, but as the days go by, things are cooling down. We hope the situation will improve. Different organisations, like the church and civil groups, are also doing their best.
What is the solution to the tensions in Ukhrul, and since this flare-up is relatively recent, can’t a solution be arrived at before it escalates further?
It is essentially because of land disputes. So, this is difficult for the government to resolve immediately because land disputes are not new and have always been there. But generally, people are fed up of violence. The Naga people have a long history of conflict in Manipur with Meiteis, Kukis and so on. Now, the Naga people don’t want a conflict. So, when the Meitei-Kuki conflict happened, the Nagas remained neutral, but unfortunately, because of the land dispute at Litan, it started and escalated and has even spread to other areas. Hopefully, [the tensions] will reduce.
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Since your new government has formed, there has been a lot of focus on leaders engaging with different communities. You yourself have travelled to Churachandpur and engaged with people there. Has this yielded any results? What more needs to be done to regain trust and start dialogue?
Within the Kukis, there are many different groups and communities that have different identities and aspirations, so it can be difficult to have a common dialogue sometimes. After the formation of our government, we have had major interactions with Zomi groups, and based on our experience of reaching out to them, we find that they do not want problems and conflict, and want a peaceful settlement. We can see that people are forthcoming, and there is scope to negotiate with other groups too.
Has the current situation created a setback to the peace processes in the state?
People may feel that it is a setback, but I believe this cannot completely disturb the government’s efforts. In any case, people are determined that a popular government is the best arrangement to bring down the conflict.
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People speculate that what has been happening (the latest flare-ups in the state) is in order to disturb the new popular government, and as a government, we also suspect unnecessary involvement from different sides, but we do not take it as a threat. We still think the situation is much better now. We have visited different people in Kuki villages, which was not possible earlier. So, despite everything, the response from the public is still positive.
What is the Centre’s roadmap to help the situation in the state?
They want to provide maximum security wherever required. During the last few weeks and months, a large portion of security presence has been reduced because of election duty in different states. Around 90 companies have been taken away. So, these will be brought back and put in vulnerable areas. There is a huge demand from the public to place security at vulnerable places, which the government cannot provide at the moment.
