By Isaac Gomes
Kolkata, August 10, 2023: India’s opposition alliance INDIA and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party are now busy debating a No Confidence Motion against the federal government. The main reason for the debate for the ongoing violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur.
The BJP claims that it’s the Congress party that is responsible for the current Meitei versus Kuki unrest in Manipur. The poppy cultivation, one of the reasons for the violence, began when the Congress ruled the state. The Congress party also encouraged large-scale infiltration of Kuki militants, the BJP alleges.
On the other hand, the Congress Party claims that it has consistently demanded in the Manipur Assembly strict measures from the government to end drug trafficking — drugs made out of poppy cultivation. In fact, in March the Manipur Assembly passed a resolution to end drug trafficking unanimously.
The Congress party too, under the leadership of former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, had wholeheartedly supported the resolution. But it is the N. Biren Singh-led BJP government, which by playing divisive politics between Meiteis and Kukis, has tried to stay in power. In fact, under the pretext of drive against narcotics and drug trafficking, the Manipur government has tried to oust the Kukis from their settlement.
Moreover, the Modi government has allegedly been trying to grab land from these areas with the intent to hand them over to business houses attached to facilitate cultivation of palm trees for commercial extraction of palm oil.
In this connection, a section of Kukis is claiming that the tussle between poppy cultivation and palm oil cultivation is one the main reasons behind the three-month-old conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis.
There are reports that the federal government has earmarked 67,000 hectares of land in six districts of Manipur for palm oil production worth billions. This was reported on July 27 in the Anandabazar Patrika newspaper. Oinam Sunil Singh, the Information Commissioner of Manipur, dismissed the news as “totally baseless.”
However, representatives from Godrej Group revealed that last year itself they had sealed an agreement with the government for cultivation of palm seeds in seven districts of Manipur. They even named the districts which are Jiribam, West Imphal, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Chandel and Churachandpur.
M.S. Khaidem, adviser of Manipur Palm Mission, said, “Already palm seed plantation has begun in 7,155 hectares of land in Jiribam. Godrej Group will buy all the palm produce. For the first five years the government will be the subsidy. Farmers will earn a lot once the farming is in full swing.”
Incidentally, Churachandpur is mainly inhabited by Kuki tribe. Ukhrul is occupied by the Nagas. The remaining districts come under the Meiteis. This was mentioned in Khaidem’s interview published in e-pao.net two years ago.
The Manipur chief minister has said, “During eviction from poppy fields, no discrimination between tribals and non-tribals was made. The eviction was done to save the forests and the environment. Whatever eviction drive took place, it was done for the good of Manipur state. People have conspired to bring about bloodshed in Manipur and break the state. We will not allow this conspiracy to succeed. A thorough enquiry will bring out the Truth.”
Interestingly, Singh was in the Congress Party from 2002 to 2012. In 2016, he resigned from the Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and within one year, he became the state chief minister.
BJP alleged that the earlier Congress regime allowed uninhibited poppy plantation to curb Kuki militancy. In the process, the party got a huge cut from the activity. Because of this, 150,000 young Manipuris have become drug addicts and HIV has been on the rise. Allowing this activity also ensured Kuki votes for the Congress party, BJP added.
The Congress’s counter-argument is that the BJP played the same game of divide and rule politics which it has been practising in other Indian states. This is the main reason for the ongoing hostilities between Kukis and Meiteis.
Because of this policy, a crack has occurred on caste and tribe lines even in the Assam and Manipur Rifles and resulted in the loot of arms and ammunitions of the security force. Even the Supreme Court said on August 1 that the Constitutional safeguards and law and order have totally collapsed in Manipur.
In the latest development, the Kuki People’s Alliance August 6 withdrew support to the N. Biren Singh-led BJP government amid the ongoing strife in Manipur, while a prominent Meitei organization called for a “social boycott” of the administration.
The Lok Sabha has two MPs from Manipur. During the recent No Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha, one of the two MPs Mr Lorho Pfoze of Naga People’s Front, wanted to speak on the current unrest in Manipur. But he was given a chance to speak. As alleged by him in several TV channels / news portals, he was advised by his BJP MP friends not to speak on the issue. He said he had placed 50 questions relating to the ongoing problem in Manipur but only one question (on education) was answered. He said he felt very upset that “I was not given a chance to speak.” The interview link with Burkha Dutta is https://youtu.be/SFtwhc9NUFQ
On another occasion during the aforesaid No Confidence Motion, Union Home Minister said in Lok Sabha that Kukis infiltrated in Manipur in thousands in 2021 after the takeover of the democratic government by the Myanmar Military Junta. Ten Kuki MLAs of Manipur, including eight from the BJP, condemned the Union Home Minister’s ‘Kukis from Myanmar’ remark and asked him to furnish proof thereof. The video on this allegation by the Home Minister and the reaction of Kuki leaders can be watched in the link https://youtu.be/wy6VSZmC_L0
It’s a fact that any riot in India can be controlled within 48 hours if the government so wants it. This point has been corroborated by several retired police officers in various news portals. One of the links is: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/riot-can-be-controlled-in-24-hours-ig/articleshow/8797043.cms
One of the seven crimes about which Mahatma Gandhi had spoken was “politics without principle”. This is applicable to every political party. The victims of this crime are the common innocent people.
Political claims and counter claims apart, the harsh reality is that a biased and bigoted Chief Minister is presiding over the Mayhem. Deja vu of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
If Godrej Group’s assertion of the deal is correct, does it mean Nagas of Ukhrul and Kukis of Churachandpur, both tribal lands, were kept in the dark by the Central/State Government?
The Right to Fair Compensation And Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And Resettlement Act, 2013 (also called RFCTLARR Act, 2013) has made special provisions Section 41 and 42 against displacement of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. Section 41 (1) reads: As far as possible, no acquisition of land shall be made in the Scheduled Areas. Section 41(2) reads: Where such acquisition does take place, it shall be done only as a demonstrable last resort. Section 41(3) reads: In case of acquisition or alternation of any land in Scheduled Areas, the prior consent of the concerned Gram Sabha or the Panchayats or the autonomous District Councils, at the appropriate level in Scheduled Areas under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, as the case may be, shall be obtained, in all cases of land acquisition in such areas, including acquisition in case of urgency, before issue of a notification under this Act, or any other Central Act or a State Act for the time being in force.
The 16 Oct 2021 interview by Mr M.S. Khaidem in http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=29..171021.oct21 clearly reveals that the seven districts mentioned above were already earmarked in 2021 itself!