Thoughts on Manipur issues.
Recently, violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei community and tribal communities following a peaceful rally held by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM).
The main cause of this issue is believed to be the demand for scheduled tribe status by the Meitei community, which is a majority ethnic group in Manipur. The tribal communities from the hill sides of Manipur gathered and held a protest against the demand. They fear that they will lose their privileges and resources if the Meiteis are granted this status.
Not only this, but the imposition of reserved forest areas within the territory of the tribal communities by the Manipur government also sparked resentment and agitation among communities such as the Kukis and Nagas.
As minority communities in Manipur state, they fear that they will be overpowered by the dominant community. Therefore, they have no choice but to fight for their land and for future generations.
I don't blame them for their rally and actions against their government because they have less land compared to the Meiteis. If parts of their land are reserved for forest area, they will no longer have control and authority over their own land. Not only that, but their territory will also become smaller.
In 2019, the Manipur government issued a notification declaring 118.86 sq km of land as reserved forest under the Manipur Forest Rules, 1971. This was opposed by some civil society groups who alleged that the notification was issued without consulting the local people and violation their land rights and customary laws.
In January 2020, the Manipur Forest Department carried out an eviction drive in Dzuko to clear illegal encroachments by some villages who had settled there and cultivated poppy. The villagers resisted the eviction and clashed with the forest officials and security forces. The villagers claimed that they had been living there for generations and had customary rights over the land.
So far, blood has been shed, lives of innocent people have been lost, many people have been injured and local churches have been set ablaze.
Steps taken so far.
To control the situation, the Manipur government imposed a curfew in 8 districts, and deployed army and Assam Rifles. It also suspended mobile internet services for 5 days.
Meanwhile, the Mizoram government also has started evacuating people stranded in Manipur state. The Chief Minister of Mizoram Mr. Zoramthanga also assured the safety of people of Manipur living in Mizoram. He also appealed to all cross sections of the society in Mizoram to work towards maintaining peace.
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