Reprisal attacks: Authorities fail to address ethnic violence in Manipur as armed groups target civilians

By Meenakshi Ganguly*
On November 16, a mob in India’s Manipur state attempted to storm the home of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and attacked properties of other ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. The assailants were protesting the government’s failure to end ongoing ethnic violence in the state.
What was especially notable was that the protesters belonged to the majority Meitei community, which has had his government’s support. The chief minister has been promoting the BJP’s Hindu majoritarian ideology by backing the primarily Hindu Meitei. That has deepened distrust of the minority tribal groups of Manipur, known as the Kuki-Zo, who are mostly Christian. Biren Singh’s administration even provided political protection to militant Meitei groups like the Arambai Tenggol, which have attacked the Kuki-Zo.
Since violence first broke out in Manipur in May 2023, nearly 250 people have been killed, dozens of women raped, and tens of thousands displaced. Civil society activists who had warned that prejudiced policies would encourage further violence found themselves under government investigation.
Now, both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities are facing reprisals by armed groups, often targeting women.
On November 7, Meitei gunmen attacked a settlement of the Kuki-Zo ethnic Hmar community in Jiribam. The autopsy report of a woman found she was beaten and burned to death, sparking anger over suspected rape.
On November 9, Kuki-Zo gunmen killed a Meitei woman in Bishnupur district.
On November 10, at least 10 members of the Hmar community were killed in an alleged armed exchange with security forces. Kuki-Zo groups said that those killed were village self-defense volunteers. Meanwhile, Hmar militants killed two men sheltering in a Meitei displaced persons shelter in Jiribam, and abducted three women and three children.
The recovery of the bodies of women and children that were abducted have sparked protests since November 16, with Meitei groups warning that if the government continued to fail to act, it would “bear the brunt of the people's discontentment.” The authorities ordered curfew and shut down the internet, but protests continued.
It is evident that the current approach has only enabled the atrocities to spiral out of control, with at least 20 people, including a protester, killed in the latest outbreak of violence since November 7. It is critical that the government response ensures the protection of Kuki-Zo and Meitei people alike.

---

*Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch. Source: Human Rights Watch

Comments

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar* Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman* On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan* (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

This book delves deep into Maoism's historical, social, and political dimensions in India

By Harsh Thakor* "Storming the Gates of Heaven" by Amit Bhattacharya is a comprehensive study of the Indian Maoist movement. Bhattacharya examines the movement's evolution, drawing from numerous sources and showcasing his unwavering support for Charu Mazumdar's path and practice. The book, published in 2016, delves deeply into the movement's historical, social, and political dimensions.

Ideological assault on dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti will disturb pluralistic legacy: Modi told

Counterview Desk Letter to the Prime Minister about "a matter of the utmost concern affecting our country's social fabric": *** We are a group of independent citizens who over the past few years have made efforts to improve the deteriorating communal relations in the country. It is abundantly clear that over the last decade relations between communities, particularly Hindus and Muslims, and to an extent Christians are extremely strained leaving these latter two communities in extreme anxiety and insecurity.

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Search This Blog