‘Take proactive role in restoring peace in Manipur’, appeals Dr Ratan Thiyam

Ethnic clashes, which began on May 3 between Kuki and Meitei communities were triggered after the former opposed granting of scheduled tribe (ST) status to the former Manipur’s dominant community comprising 53% of the population

Manipur’s internationally acclaimed theatre personality Dr Ratan Thiyam has appealed to the religious leaders to take a proactive role in “restoring peace and stability” in the violence-hit state.

Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Dr Ratan Thiyam (Twitter Photo)

He has also asked other communities of the northeastern state to intervene in the matter and help restore peace.

Speaking to state media-DIPR, Dr Thiyam said, “Considering the grave situation that Manipur is currently facing, all religious leaders from temples, Masjids, Churches, etc., should try to find out a means to restore peace. I urge them to help the government in bringing both the parties of the conflict to the negotiating table.”

The Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, further appealed to the government at the Centre to show their “genuine commitment and empathy during this time of crisis in the state”.

“It is my earnest request to the Centre to continuously send different Ministers one after another to study the situation and understand the ground reality,” said Thiyam.

Stating that common people are facing hardships, and are immensely affected by price rises and scarcity of essential commodities, the former chairperson of the prestigious National School of Drama said, at such a critical juncture, all the learned experts of the government should deliver their best to find a way out of the present crisis.

Appealing to all the ministers and MLAs to jointly visit the affected places and listen to the grievances of the people, Thiyanm also observed that they should assure them that the state government is there to help the people in need.

The noted theatre personality appealed to both communities (Kuki and Meiti) to come to the negotiating table. The possibility of such an arrangement should be seriously looked upon by the state government, he said.

Ethnic clashes, which began on May 3 between Kuki and Meitei communities were triggered after the former opposed granting of scheduled tribe (ST) status to the former Manipur’s dominant community comprising 53% of the population. The violent clashes have so far left 74 dead, nearly 300 injured and displaced more than 30,000.

Expressing his disappointment over the weakness of the intelligence network, Thiyam said, “Had the intelligence been alerted about the violence in time, the present situation could have been avoided”.

He further made his appeal to all the 35-plus communities which have been living together for the last hundreds and thousands of years, to intervene in this critical scenario to find a solution to bring peace in the state.

“The clashes occurred due to misunderstanding between just two communities, and both sides will surely listen and act when the rest of the communities intervene,” he said.

Thiyam, who is known for his writing and staging plays that use ancient Indian theatre traditions and forms in a contemporary context, was a painter, director, designer, scriptwriter and musician. He is often considered one of the leading contemporary theatre gurus. He has also won Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987.

The trigger for the violence included multiple issues such as the eviction drive in the reserve forest area, the destruction of poppy cultivation in the hills, the drive on illegal immigrants, the demand for scheduled tribe status by the Meitei community etc.

The widespread violence was marked by arson and rioting, prompting the state government to issue shoot-at-sight orders, enforce a curfew and ban internet services.