Making an attempt to understand the current volatile situation in Manipur calls for acknowledging at least four elements: the local dynamics, including the spate of ethnic violence between the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribes on one side and the Meitei community on the other; the origin of the tension; narco-politics; and lastly, India’s strategic cross-border interests. These four elements are key to unravelling the multi-layered issues behind the conflict.
Local dynamics: the story so far
What has happened in the last four weeks (since May 3) in Manipur needs to be structured into a narrative, one devoid of myopic or propagandist bias, rumours or hearsay – which have fuelled irreversible ethnic friction.
The first question one needs to ask is, how did all the killings, arson, mayhem and destruction happen so fast? An informed citizen is left without a reasonable and rational…
