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The only time Manipur enters into our collective national consciousness is when there is violence. The violence is usually triggered by a specific incident and exposes the grievances of one community; and reporters who have little knowledge of the complexity of Manipur fall into the trap of local identity politics.

Take the example of the latest spurt of violence in Manipur in which Nagas (who had remained largely neutral in the 2023 Meitei-Kuki clashes) have been attacked by the Kukis.  The local press published an article by Timothy Zimik, a retired officer in the Indian Revenue Service with a formidable reputation for his cast iron integrity. Zimik is a Tangkhul Naga from, Sinakethei, one of the Tangkhul Naga villages, recently attacked by Kuki militants. The other villages are Litan, Ereng, Shangkai, Sharkaphung, and Kamjong Headquarters. 

According to Zimik the root cause of the conflict is: 

“The Kukis will stop attacking the innocent Naga villagers, only when the governments of India and Manipur stop supporting/ protecting them. This is the crux of the problem of Manipur…. Since the government of India and the present government of Manipur have sided with the Kuki illegal immigrants, the Kukis have become so bold and audacious to attack innocent Nagas without fear of any consequences.” he stated, referring to the incidents at Litan, Ereng, Sinakeithei, Shangkai, Sharkaphung, and Kamjong Headquarters. 

It would be difficult to understand why Kukis who have been portrayed as the victims of 2023 violence would suddenly attack the Nagas who were not only neutral during the 2023 violence but gave many Kukis shelter in their villages.

Zimik goes on to state that the violence is linked to a factor:

“Manipur has become the critical transit hub/point for illicit narcotics entering India from the Golden Triangle (comprising Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand), especially through its 398 km porous border with Myanmar.” 

This para exposes the fact that every incident of violence in Manipur is linked to a complex web of geo-political factors which need to be understood to arrive........

© The Wire