Manipur clashes: Genesis of the decades-old Meitei-Kuki divide

Manipur clashes: There are reports that churches, residences of tribals and their business establishments have been targeted and damaged in Imphal.

Manipur is burning with clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis.

Vandalism and arson occurred in several districts of Manipur as tensions grip amid widespread protests. (ANI)

On Wednesday, thousands of tribals took out a march in the state’s 10 hill districts, where most of the tribal population resides, opposing a proposal to grant scheduled tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community, which comprises around 53% of Manipur’s population and is based mainly in the Imphal Valley.

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The All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM), Manipur’s most influential student body, alleges that clashes started after some miscreants burned a portion of the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial gate at Churachandpur. ATSUM office bearers claim the march ended peacefully, but that when the war memorial was burnt, it aggravated the situation that led to clashes between Meiteis and other tribals. Several properties and vehicles of Meiteis were targeted.

There are reports that churches, residences of tribals (especially Kukis) and their business establishments have been targeted and damaged in Imphal and other non-tribal areas. Similar vandalism and arson have been reported in areas where Meiteis are a minority. Police and other state government officials are yet to issue any statement on the deaths, damage and injuries. Meiteis, who are predominantly in the Imphal valley, are Hindus whereas Kuki and Naga, are mostly Christians, and live in hill districts of the state.

Genesis of Hill-Valley Divide

Though they are the majority community, Meiteis are mainly based in the Imphal Valley area of the state that accounts for around 10% of the total land area. On the other hand, tribals (who comprise mainly Nagas and Kukis) who account for nearly 40% of the population reside primarily in the hill districts that account for nearly 90% of Manipur’s area. Apart from being the majority community, Meiteis also get more representation in the state assembly as 40 of the total 60 assembly seats in Manipur are from the Imphal Valley region.

In 1947, prior to Independence, the king of Manipur promulgated two laws to help administer the Imphal Valley and the hill districts. One was the Manipur State Constitution Act for the people in the valley and the other the Manipur State Hill (Administration) Regulation, mainly for those residing in the hills. The difference in administration of both areas remained even after Manipur joined the Indian union.

When Manipur was a Union Territory, the government body of the hill areas was known as Standing Committee. The two laws provided that those living in plains cannot buy land in the hills. After Manipur gained statehood, it was renamed as the Hill Areas Committee and was entrusted with safeguarding the interests of the tribal people of the state residing in hills. The present administration system provides administrative autonomy to the elected Hill Areas Committee.

HC Order and Aftermath

Shrinking of available land and resources in Imphal Valley, protections given to hill areas and restrictions on non-tribals buying land in hill districts led to a demand seeking ST status for the Meiteis 12 years ago. The demand reached the Manipur High Court with eight petitioners including the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union seeking the status to “preserve” the community and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture and heritage”.

On April 19 , the Manipur High Court issued directions to the BJP-led state government to submit recommendations to the Centre to consider inclusion of Meiteis in the ST list and consider the case within the next four weeks.

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According to the petitioners, Meetei/Meitei enjoyed tribal status even before September 21, 1949 (when the princely state of Manipur signed merger agreement with Indian union) and therefore, the same should be restored by including them in the ST list.

The HC order opened old fault lines between the Meiteis and the tribal Naga and Kuki communities, who are primarily Christians and felt that the majority community should not get ST status as it would hurt interests of tribals residing in the hill areas. At present Meiteis can’t buy land in the hill areas as per provisions of Article 371C of Constitution and other notifications. Meiteis, who are mostly Hindus (except Meitei Pangals who are Muslims), enjoy other backward caste (OBC) status in Manipur.

“The demand for ST status by the socially and economically advanced community in the state is uncalled for...It completely negates the very objective of scheduling group of people for protective discrimination as ST in the constitution,” ATSUM said in a statement after the HC order.

Meanwhile the Manipur High Court has issued notices to the Hill Areas Committee (Manipur Legislative Assembly) chairman and president of ATSUM for appearance in court for “instigating innocent hill people against the court judgement”.

Land Survey in Protected Forest

While the trigger for Wednesday’s solidarity march and the violence that followed was due to the HC order on ST status to Meitei community, there has been tension brewing in some hill areas over a land survey carried out by the state government in protected forests.

The state government conducted a survey in the Churachandpur-Khoupum protected forest region that covers 490 sq km and is spread across three districts-Churachandpur, Noney and Bishnupur. There are allegations that the survey was conducted without taking opinion of people residing in those areas and with the intent of evicting them. The locals feared that the drive was aimed at evicting them from the forests, where they have been staying for hundreds of years.

On April 27, an angry mob set ablaze the venue of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s event at Churachandpur a day prior to his visit to inaugurate a gymnasium and sports complex.

The incident led to imposition of Section 144 of CrPC in several parts of Churachandpur and a shutdown of mobile internet services in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts. CM Singh had to cancel his visit following the incident.

Incidentally, a local organisation, Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), called for an eight-hour shutdown in the district on Friday from 8 am to 4 pm accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state of failing to address their concerns.

Read here: 9,000 evacuated as clashes, arson rock Manipur

In a release issued on April 27, ITLF stated that despite submitting memorandums on their apprehensions about the survey carried out by the government related to eviction of villages from reserved forests and protected forest wetlands, the government hasn’t shown any concern.