An invisible hand is fueling violence in Manipur, says former Chief Justice of Manipur High Court

Former Chief Justice of Manipur High Court Siddharth Mridul speaking at a panel discussion organized by TMP Manipur, Meitei Alliance and Manipur International Youth Center in New Delhi on December 24, 2024. Photo: X/@meiteiheritage

Former Manipur High Court Chief Justice Siddharth Mridul said on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) that there appears to be an “invisible hand” behind the ongoing communal violence in Manipur. He said that whenever the situation seems to be returning to normal, someone injects a fresh dose of violence.

‘It is not clear to me yet whose hand it is. “There are many factors at play,” Justice Mridul said, adding that even with 60,000 boots on the ground, the government is unable to maintain peace and order. Stressing that peace and normalcy must return to Manipur, he said, “If we wait for the fatigue of conflict to resolve, security There will be nothing left to do.”

Justice Mridul was speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Understanding the Barriers of Northeast India and Manipur Violence: The Way Forward’ organized by TMP Manipur, Meitei Alliance and Manipur International Youth Centre. Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been affected by communal violence between Kuki-Jo and Meitei people. More than 250 people have been killed and more than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

Flagging high inflation and rising unemployment in the state, Justice Mridul, who retired on November 21, said, “Whenever I return to Imphal from Delhi, I carry vegetables with me. There are no jobs in the valley except government and university jobs. There is no demand, there is price hike everywhere. .The only way to reach the valley is by airdrop, (only a) handful of flights operate from Delhi to Imphal.”

He suggested that security be arranged for the internally displaced persons of both communities to return to their homes. “I have visited the relief camps; Constant refrain I hear that we want to return home. Is it too much to ask of the powers that be that every person living in these relief camps be returned to their homes and protected not only for their lives but also for their property and livelihood? There are about 60,000 people in the relief camp. We have more than 60,000 shoes on the ground, and we have to consider the outrageous idea of ​​protecting each person, it will be enough,” he said.

He hoped that the Manipur violence was not part of a grand plan to destabilize the Northeast region.

Arambam Noni, Associate Professor, DM University, Imphal said institutions are losing legitimacy due to perception politics.

Another speaker emphasized that Manipur’s economy is lagging behind due to the conflict and it may take 30 years to reach pre-May 2023 levels.

“Most public schools have turned into relief centers and youths have taken up arms to defend their lives and territories. The states’ lifeline national highways have been closed since the violence started. This directly affects the transport and communication sector, due to which the prices of goods have skyrocketed. Inflation is 100%. The poor are the most affected. After the closure of the highway, everyone in the valley is dependent on the airport for transportation. Air fares for Manipur flights have increased by almost 400%. The two communities are still at loggerheads. The Manipur conflict sometimes seems to be capitalized and politicized by certain elements, they want to boil the pot,” said M Amarjit Singh, a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University.