Manipur Crisis
Miles to go: On change in Manipur, the road to normalcy
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Ethnic clashes; Internal Security;
Why in the News?
After months of struggling to manage the ethnic crisis, the Union government finally took action by removing the N. Biren Singh-led government in Manipur and imposing President’s Rule, hoping this change would bring peace and stability.
Who are the key stakeholders involved in the ethnic conflict, and what are their demands?
- Meitei Community: Seeks protection of territorial integrity and opposes any division of Manipur. Example: Meitei groups have opposed the creation of a separate Kuki-Zo administrative region, fearing it would fragment the State.
- Kuki-Zo Community: Calls for Union Territory status or a separate administrative arrangement to safeguard their identity and security. Example: Civil society organizations representing the Kuki-Zo people have warned against free movement unless their request for separate governance is met.
- Naga Community: Resists any move to carve out a separate region, as it could affect their ancestral lands and autonomy. Example: Naga groups have opposed the Kuki-Zo call for Union Territory status, fearing loss of their territorial claims.
- Union Government: Aims to restore law and order, maintain territorial integrity, and recover stolen arms. Example: After imposing President’s Rule, the government set a deadline for militant groups to surrender looted weapons and worked to reopen blockaded highways.
What steps has the Union government taken to restore normalcy in Manipur after imposing President’s Rule?
- Weapon Recovery Drive: Initiated efforts to retrieve stolen weapons from non-State actors to curb violence. Example: Set a deadline for groups to return weapons looted from police armories, recovering nearly one-third of the 3,000 missing firearms.
- Clearing Highway Blockades: Worked to remove blockades on key highways to restore the free movement of goods and people. Example: Central armed police forces attempted to clear blockades in Kangpokpi district, though clashes resulted in one death and over 40 injuries.
- Strengthening Security Measures: Deployed additional central forces to control violence and secure vulnerable areas. Example: Increased the presence of paramilitary forces in both the hill and valley regions to prevent further ethnic clashes.
- Engaging in Dialogue: Encouraged talks with community representatives while rejecting violent and separatist threats. Example: Continued discussions with leaders from the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities to find a peaceful resolution.
- Central Leadership Involvement: Called for the active engagement of senior government officials to address grievances and appeal for peace. Example: The Union Home Ministry and senior officials emphasized the need for dialogue and public appeals to restore calm and facilitate the return of displaced persons.
Why is the demand for Union Territory status or a separate arrangement for Kuki-Zo areas considered a dangerous move?
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Way forward:
- Inclusive Dialogue and Mediation: Facilitate continuous engagement with all ethnic groups to address grievances and promote mutual understanding through impartial mediation.
- Strengthening Law and Order: Intensify efforts to recover illegal weapons, enforce rule of law, and ensure equitable development to rebuild trust and maintain peace.
Mains PYQ:
Q Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (UPSC IAS/2020)
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Manipur Crisis
[20th February 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Manipur’s worsening humanitarian crisis
PYQ Relevance:Q) How far are India’s internal security challenges linked with border management particularly in view of the long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar? (2013)
Q) If a particular area is brought under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which one of the following statements best reflects the consequence of it? (CSP 2022) (a) This would prevent the transfer of land of tribal people to non-tribal people. (b) This would create a local self-governing body in that area. (c) This would convert that area into a Union Territory. (d) The State having such areas would be declared a Special Category State. |
Mentor’s Comment: UPSC mains have always focused on internal security challenges linked with border management (2013), and Fifth Schedule (2022).
The India-Myanmar borderlands lack reliable data despite ongoing conflicts and crises. In Manipur, restricted access and security issues make it hard to document humanitarian needs. Misinformation worsens the situation. Around 58,000 people live in relief camps, while 12,000 fled to Mizoram and 7,000 to Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya. Data collection remains fragmented.
Today’s editorial discusses issues related to Manipur, which are relevant for GS Paper 3 (Mains) under the Security section.
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Let’s learn!
Why in the News?
The Manipur conflict is complex, and security issues make it hard to access certain areas leads to major gaps in tracking humanitarian needs.
How has the complexity of the conflict contributed to significant gaps in documenting humanitarian needs?
- Restricted Access and Security Concerns: The conflict’s complexity leads to restricted access for humanitarian organizations and data collectors due to security risks. Example: Adverse security conditions hinder the ability to thoroughly assess needs in certain areas.
- Breakdown of Information Chains: The physical and social separation of communities (like the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi) disrupts the flow of accurate information. Example: The separation makes it difficult to get a comprehensive understanding of the needs of both communities, as information does not flow freely between them.
- Unaccounted Populations: Official counts often only consider those in registered relief camps, overlooking unregistered individuals living with relatives, in temporary shelters, or displaced across multiple locations. Example: Many individuals displaced outside of registered camps or those who have left the State entirely are not included in official estimates, leading to underreporting.
- Altered Healthcare Access and Documentation: The conflict changes how people seek medical care, especially in conflicted regions, making it difficult to track health-related issues. Example: Residents of Kuki-Zomi-dominated hill districts can no longer easily access major hospitals in Imphal, leading to indirect routes and potentially undocumented health crises.
- Misinformation and Disinformation: The spread of inaccurate information clouds the true picture, making it difficult to form an empirical understanding of the conflict’s impact. Example: The text mentions that misinformation and disinformation cloud an empirical understanding of the conflict.
Why do the India-Myanmar borderlands remain a data-deficient region despite their long history of armed conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises?
- Challenging Geography: The region’s complex topography, characterized by rugged mountains and dense forests, complicates access for data collection efforts. For example, the difficult terrain has hindered the effective implementation of border initiatives such as fencing, which has faced significant logistical challenges over the years.
- Inadequate Infrastructure: There is a lack of basic infrastructure, including roads and communication networks, which impedes the movement of researchers and humanitarian workers.
- The Moreh Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Manipur, intended to facilitate trade and connectivity, has experienced slow construction and inadequate facilities, reflecting broader infrastructural deficiencies in the region.
- Political Sensitivities: The presence of various insurgent groups and ongoing conflicts creates a volatile environment that discourages data collection. Security concerns often prevent researchers and NGOs from engaging with local communities to gather necessary information on humanitarian needs.
- Shared Ethnic Ties and Cross-Border Dynamics: The interconnectedness of ethnic communities across the border complicates the situation further. Policies such as the cancellation of the Free Regime Movement (FMR) agreement have disrupted traditional social networks, making it difficult to assess the socio-economic conditions on both sides effectively.
- Restricted Access for Humanitarian Organizations: Government-imposed restrictions and logistical challenges prevent humanitarian agencies from collecting and reporting crucial data.
- Example: After Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, aid organizations faced severe restrictions in conflict-hit areas like the Sagaing Region, resulting in major data gaps on displacement and food insecurity.
Why does Manipur need a shift towards ‘greater common good’ politics?
- Ethnic Divisions and Communal Tensions: The conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities has created deep mistrust and segregation, making governance difficult. A politics of “greater common good” would prioritize reconciliation and collective welfare over ethnic identity-based politics.
- Humanitarian Crisis and Governance Failures: Prolonged displacement, lack of adequate relief measures, and deteriorating healthcare require governance focused on inclusive development rather than ethnic-based power struggles.
- Example: Over 58,000 displaced individuals are still in relief camps, struggling with food, water, and medical shortages due to lack of coordinated efforts.
- Economic and Social Stability: Manipur’s economic potential is hindered by violence, blockades, and an unstable law-and-order situation. A governance approach focused on the “greater common good” would foster investment, economic recovery, and social stability.
What are the steps taken by the Indian Government?
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Way forward:
- Inclusive Dialogue and Reconciliation: Establish a truth and reconciliation commission involving all ethnic communities to foster trust, address grievances, and create a roadmap for long-term peace and stability.
- Sustainable Development and Governance Reforms: Focus on infrastructure development, livelihood generation, and transparent governance to ensure equitable growth, reduce ethnic tensions, and rebuild public confidence in state institutions.
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Manipur Crisis
What is Protected Area Regime (PAR)?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Protected Area Regime (PAR)
Why in the News?
- The Manipur government has announced that the Central government has re-imposed the Protected Area Regime (PAR) in Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland, all of which share borders with Myanmar.
- The reimposition of the PAR comes after 13 years of relaxation and is aimed at addressing security concerns, primarily the alleged illegal immigration from Myanmar.
What is the Protected Area Regime (PAR)?
| Details |
Objectives: To ensure national security by restricting foreign nationals’ access to sensitive regions. Implications:
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| Areas Covered |
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| Structural Mandate |
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Manipur Crisis
Manipur accounted for 97% of displacements in South Asia
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Migration Pattern;
Mains level: Internal security issues; Changing Migration Pattern in India;
Why in the News?
The report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) termed it the highest number of displacements in India triggered due to the conflict and violence in India since 2018.
Key highlights on Internal Displacement in India (2009-2023):
- The above image shows the Internally Displaced People (IDP) currently living in India.
- This term focuses on the individuals who have been displaced till the end of every year. At the end of 2023, there were 0.61 million such persons in India.
- Globally, India was among the top five countries with the highest number of new internal displacements in 2022 due to disasters, with 2.5 million displacements.
- Causes:
- Natural: In 2023, India experienced over half a million internal displacements due to floods, storms, earthquakes, and other disasters.
- Artificial: Over the past five years (2009-2023), the number of internally displaced people resulting from regional conflict and land disputes has increased by 22.6 million, with the two biggest increases in 2022 and 2023.
- Over 1/3rd of the displacements took place within Manipur, with almost a fifth moving to the neighboring state of Mizoram and smaller numbers to Nagaland and Assam.
Regional Scenario (2009-2023):
- In 2023, conflict and violence triggered 69,000 displacements in South Asia, with Manipur violence alone accounting for 67,000, the highest number since 2018.
- The violence erupted after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in Manipur’s hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
- This led to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities even in bordering areas of Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Global Scenario (2009-2023):
- The number of IDPs has grown by 50% in the last five years. The report said that 68.3 million people worldwide were displaced by conflict and violence as of 2023.
- By the end of 2022, at least 8.7 million people in 88 countries and territories were internally displaced by disasters, with India being one of them.
- Conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Palestine accounted for nearly two-thirds of new conflict movements in 2023
- 3.4 million new movements in the Gaza Strip in the last quarter of 2023, leaving 1.7 million internally displaced by the end of the year.
Way Forward:
- Dialogue and Mediation: Facilitate dialogue between conflicting communities, such as the Meitei and Kuki, to address underlying issues like land disputes.
- Legal Framework: Strengthen legal frameworks to protect minority rights and address grievances that may lead to violence.
- Peacebuilding Initiatives: Implement peacebuilding programs that promote social cohesion and understanding among different ethnic and community groups.
Mains PYQ:
Q How far are India’s internal security challenges linked with border management particularly in view of the long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar? (UPSC IAS/2013)
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Manipur Crisis
Centre and Manipur signs Peace Agreement with UNLF
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UNLF, Meitei Tribe
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- The Union and Manipur governments have signed a peace agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a banned Meitei extremist organisation.
- UNLF is the oldest armed group based in the Manipur valley, marking this agreement as a notable event in the region’s history.
Understanding the UNLF
- Formation: Established on November 24, 1964, under Arembam Samarendra Singh‘s leadership, the UNLF is the oldest valley-based insurgent group in Manipur.
- Diverse Leadership: Initially led by a mix of ethnicities, including Naga and Kuki leaders.
- Armed Wing and Activities: The Manipur People’s Army, formed in 1990, and has been responsible for multiple attacks against Indian security forces.
- Current Status: The UNLF, now split into two factions, is estimated to have 400-500 cadres, operating primarily in the valley areas of Manipur and some Kuki-Zomi hill districts.
- Base of Operations: Largely operating from Myanmar, the group has faced setbacks due to conflicts with the Myanmar military and other Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs).
Precedent for the Peace Agreement
- Historical Context: This is a significant development as Meitei Extremist Organisations (VBIGs) have traditionally not engaged in peace talks with the Centre.
- Previous Instances: Smaller groups like UPPK, KCP, and Maoist Communist Group have disbanded or diminished in influence, but the terms of their agreements are unclear.
- UNLF’s Internal Dynamics: The group underwent splits in the mid-1990s and 2021, leading to the formation of factions under different leaders. The faction led by Khundongbam Pambei has been open to negotiations since 2020.
Status of Other Insurgent Groups
- Broader Insurgency Landscape: The UNLF is one of several Meitei insurgent groups and is among the seven banned by the Union government.
- Opposition to Talks: The UNLF faction under NC Koireng remains opposed to peace talks.
- Agreements with Other Groups: A Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement was reached in 2008 with Kuki-Zomi insurgent groups, but the Manipur government withdrew from agreements with some groups in 2022.
Conclusion
- The peace agreement with the UNLF marks a critical step in addressing the long-standing insurgency in Manipur.
- It reflects a shift in the approach of Meitei insurgent groups towards dialogue and potential reconciliation.
- The success of this agreement could pave the way for further peace initiatives in the region, contributing to stability and development in Manipur.
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