India’s northeastern state of Manipur has cut off its 3.5 million people from mobile internet services for over a month as ethnic clashes over a dispute involving access to affirmative action benefits continue to erupt. The fighting has left more than 100 people dead and over 37,000 in refugee camps as mobs set fire to homes, vehicles and places of worship.
(Bloomberg) — India’s northeastern state of Manipur has cut off its 3.5 million people from mobile internet services for over a month as ethnic clashes over a dispute involving access to affirmative action benefits continue to erupt. The fighting has left more than 100 people dead and over 37,000 in refugee camps as mobs set fire to homes, vehicles and places of worship.
The violence in the state that borders Myanmar is the worst in recent decades and is reminiscent of the 1990s when the area was in the grips of brutal insurgencies and ethnic conflicts. Some had their roots in the former princely state’s merger with India in 1949 – two years after the South Asian nation gained independence from the British.
The state government called in the army and paramilitary soldiers to maintain peace. However, sporadic acts of violence continue to keep the area on edge. The government’s mobile internet closures have been extended until June 15 to prevent anger from spreading.
Here’s what we know about Manipur’s deadly clashes:
What spurred the violence?
Tensions first erupted between some of the area’s largely-Christian tribal groups and the majority Meitei Hindu residents in early May over a demand that Meiteis also be granted access to forest lands, jobs and seats in educational institutions set aside for tribespeople under India’s affirmative action guarantees.
India’s northeastern states lag behind most of the country in terms of development and government jobs are the main source of employment.
Meiteis account for over 50% of the state’s population and live mainly in the Imphal valley. The Scheduled Tribe status under India’s constitution would expand their access to the benefits that are available to the tribes in the surrounding hills.
The main tribal groups, the Kukis and Nagas, make up 40% of Manipur’s population and live mainly in the hills. Tribal groups fear that giving special tribal status to Meiteis would lead to their gradual removal from hill areas and leave them vulnerable to exploitation.
The current violence is largely between the Kukis and Meiteis.
What is at the heart of the conflict?
The Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas have diverse cultures and traditions and compete for the same land, natural resources and political power.
At the heart of the conflict between them is the long-standing hills versus valley identity divide and the disparities in development between the two. Meiteis are the politically dominant community, and what little infrastructure development the state has seen is largely limited to the valley. It’s also where the better government jobs are based. The group is restricted by law from purchasing land in the hill areas.
The tribal groups can buy and own land anywhere in the state, leading to a perception among a section of the Meiteis that tribespeople get benefits disproportionate to their population.
A rush of refugees from Myanmar following the 2021 military coup has added another layer of complexity to the ethnic divide. The refugees share ethnic ties with the Kukis of Manipur, leading to fears among the Nagas and the Meiteis that the influx will boost the population of the Kukis.
Manipur shares a 350-kilometer (217.48 miles), largely unfenced border with Myanmar.
What role does history play?
Manipur has experienced armed conflicts since it was created soon after India’s independence. A Naga separatist movement and other smaller insurgencies simmered for decades. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government signed a peace agreement with the main Naga insurgent group and several rounds of talks have followed. Ethnic clashes have also taken place sporadically. However, the state was largely peaceful for the last decade until the recent flare up of violence.
For decades, the state has been under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives sweeping authority to the armed forces to shoot at people, search homes without a warrant and protects troops from legal action unless the federal government signs off on it.
What role does politics play?
The state’s 60-member legislature gives Meiteis an edge because 40 lawmakers are from the Imphal valley. In 2017, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies formed a government in the state for the first time. It returned to power in 2022.
Modi himself has not publicly commented on the violence. However, Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state about two weeks ago and held meetings with representatives of various ethnic groups. The main opposition Congress party has blamed the BJP’s Hindu-nationalist politics for the violence.
The impact of the violence on national politics is limited. The tiny state sends only two lawmakers to the 543-member lower house of federal parliament.
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