‘Nothing left but as’: Indian is on edge

Adeyemi Adeyemi
Adeyemi Adeyemi

Global Courant 2023-05-15 13:55:22

Imphal, India — Chiinlianmoi lies stretched out in a government hospital in the Churachandpur district of Manipur, India, struggling to move her body as doctors treat a gunshot wound to her left thigh.

The 26-year-old looks visibly distraught as she tells Al Jazeera about the violence she witnessed earlier this month following the outbreak of ethnic riots in the remote northeastern state.

On May 5, Chiinlianmoi was at her aunt’s house in Lamka town in Manipur when a mob gathered outside their residence and attacked it.

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“The whole house burned down. There is nothing left but ashes,” Chiinlianmoi told Al Jazeera.

“I thought women would be spared, but the crowd was in a mood to kill anyone in their path,” she added, pointing to a gunshot wound to her thigh.

Chiinlianmoi in a hospital bed in the Churachandpur district of the Indian state of Manipur (Danish Pandit/Al Jazeera)

Since violence erupted in Manipur on May 2 between members of two ethnic groups, Kuki and Meitei, at least 60 people have been killed and more than 250 others injured.

More than 1,700 buildings, including churches and Hindu temples, have been set on fire in the ethnic violence that has displaced about 35,000 people.

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The violence erupted after the Kukis began protesting an order from the Supreme Court of Manipur directing the state government to consider including the Meiteis in the list of tribal communities to grant them benefits under the affirmative action programs from India.

Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, if granted, would enable the Meiteis – a predominantly Hindu community who make up more than half of Manipur’s three million residents – to secure reservations at government jobs and educational institutions.

India’s STs have traditionally been subject to social and economic exclusion and thus seek special treatment to reverse historical trends of discrimination.

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But the Kukis, who are mostly Christian, say the Meiteis would receive the government benefits at their expense. The court order also sparked fears among Kukis that the Meiteis would now be allowed to acquire land in areas set aside for other tribal communities.

Chiinlianmoi, who is a Kuki, said she had never witnessed so much hatred and violence between the two communities before.

“It seemed like everyone was trying to kill everyone,” she told Al Jazeera.

A torched vehicle lies by the roadside in the Churachandpur district of Manipur (Danish Pandit/Al Jazeera)

‘They had guns’

Manipur is a state in the Himalayas whose valley area and capital Imphal are mainly inhabited by the Meitei community, while the tribes, mainly the Kukis, live in the hinterland and hilly areas.

However, there are small pieces of land where people from both communities live in areas dominated by the other. Violence in such neighborhoods is high, as the dominant groups have often attacked minorities.

Amy, 27, is a Kuki who lived in such an area in the Khongsai Veng town of Imphal East. She barely managed to save her life from a raging mob.

“We were like 300 people hiding in a school in our neighborhood. When the mob attacked us, I ran away from a narrow path behind the school. I don’t know what happened to many others,” Amy told Al Jazeera at Imphal airport last week as she prepared to flee the violence-ravaged state.

Amy said she and hundreds of others took refuge in a school after their homes and the local church were attacked.

“First they burned down our houses and then they stole everything – money, jewels and everything. They also attacked the church and killed anyone in their path. Five people died in my place. They had weapons at their disposal,” she said.

“I don’t know where they got those guns from. I don’t know if it was the government that supported them.”

A doctor at a district hospital in Churachandpur confirmed to Al Jazeera that an unusually high number of patients suffered gunshot wounds during the violence.

“A large number of injuries are from firearms and that is really worrying,” he said.

At a press conference last week, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh admitted that more than 1,000 guns had been seized from security personnel by the rioting gangs.

A destroyed Meitei house in Churachandpur (Danish Pandit/Al Jazeera)

Although the government claims that the situation is now under control and there are no reports of further violence, the Indian army and paramilitary forces are still patrolling the streets and enforcing a curfew across the state for a few hours each day. relaxed.

Internet connection remains disconnected in the state. Many families are said to have fled to neighboring Myanmar to save their lives.

Meanwhile, at least 10 tribal legislators in the state assembly, seven of whom belong to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have urged the federal government to give the region a “separate administration” in the wake of the recent violence.

“Since the state of Manipur has failed to protect us woefully, we seek from the Union of India a separate administration under the Constitution of India and live peacefully as neighbors with the state of Manipur,” lawmakers said in a joint statement last week. declaration.

Government ‘do nothing’

Robin from Churachandpur town of Manipur, who belongs to the Meitei community, also lost his home in the violence. “I only have one pair of clothes left now,” the 29-year-old told Al Jazeera.

“I have been living with the people of the Kuki community since my childhood, but today our own friends and neighbors of the community attacked us. I don’t know what to say,’ he said.

Robin said the violence could have been stopped if security forces had played their part in protecting the vulnerable.

“The police were complicit in the violence. They were nowhere to be seen when our homes were attacked. Neither the army nor the police have been able to protect us,” he said.

Manipur Police guards a checkpoint in Torbung village in Manipur (Danish Pandit/Al Jazeera)

The opposition Congress Party also claimed that the violence in Manipur was caused by BJP negligence.

“The BJP government has totally failed to control the situation. It has not been able to prevent the weapons from being looted or recover them after they were stolen, it has not been able to save innocent people and it has not been able to provide facilities for people in refugee camps.” the party said in a statement.

Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das told Al Jazeera last week that despite the government’s claims, the violence has not stopped.

“Even yesterday (Thursday) four people were killed. The arson has not stopped. No serious action has been taken, just deploying troops is not enough,” he said.

Responding to the accusation, K Sarat Kumar, a BJP leader in Manipur, told Al Jazeera that the opposition criticizes the government “for the criticism”.

“The situation is returning to normal. The administration is doing its job,” Kumar said.

But Das questioned why the federal government is silent about the widespread violence in the BJP-ruled state.

“I don’t understand why the central government is silent on the issue. I don’t understand why the Prime Minister hasn’t even tweeted about the matter. He has not expressed any sorrow and has no compassion for the people,” he said.

“No action has been taken at all. Not even the country’s home minister has visited the affected areas. The central government has failed and the government of India has even approved this (violence),” he added.

‘Nothing left but as’: Indian is on edge

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