Manipur Burns Due to Non-Tribal & Tribal Conflict

Guwahati: Manipur is on fire as tribal and non-tribal people battle over the government’s attempt to grant non-tribal and dominating Meiteis the status of tribe. Due to violence during a tribal agitation on May 3, curfew was enforced in eight districts of Manipur and mobile internet services were halted throughout the entire northeastern State.

Violence broke out during a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the All-Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Churachandpur district’s Torbung area to oppose the non-tribal Meiteis’ quest for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation because they predominate in the Imphal Valley.

Violence erupted on May 3 during a Tribal Solidarity March organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in Torbung, Churachandpur district, in opposition to the non-tribal Meiteis’ request for ST designation. To disperse the crowd, the police used tear gas in multiple bursts, while in Chandrapur, demonstrators set fire to a government structure.

Curfews were implemented in eight Manipur district as a result, and mobile internet services were shut down for five days statewide. The ATSUM had scheduled for marches in each of the state’s ten hill districts to protest attempts to include the majority Meitei people in the ST category. The dominant Meitei group in Manipur is seeking ST designation, and lawmakers from the Valley have already publicly endorsed this demand, frightening tribes that are on the Scheduled Tribe list.

The Meiteis, who make up 53% of the State’s population and live in the Valley, complain that “large-scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis” is causing them troubles.

The majority of the state’s land mass—the hill districts—are inhabited by indigenous people, including the Nagas and Kukis, and are shielded against intrusion by a number of regulations.

Tribal villagers travelled in buses and open trucks to the closest hill district offices to attend the protests.

The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM), which is leading the movement to include Meiteis in the ST category, stated that the demand is being made “more to protect our ancestral land, culture and identity,” which they claimed was under threat. They added that the demand is not just being made for reservation in jobs, educational institutions, and tax relief.