New Delhi: Ten legislators of the Manipur assembly belonging to the state’s Kuki-Zomi community, including two ministers of the N Biren Singh led Bharatiya Janata Party government, have issued a press statement urging the Union government to carve out a “separate administration” under the Indian constitution and let people from their community “live peacefully as neighbours with the state of Manipur”.
While seven of these MLAs who are signatories to the press statement issued on May 11 belong to the ruling BJP, two are from the party’s alliance partner, Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA), and one is an Independent MLA.
The signatories were Haokholet Kipgen (Independent MLA, Saitu ); Kimneo Haokip Hangshing (KPA MLA, Saikul ); L M Khaute (BJP MLA, Churachandpur); Chinlungthang (KPA MLA, Singngat); Nemcha Kipgen (BJP MLA, Kangpokpi); Ngursanglur Sanate (BJP MLA, Tipaimukh); Letpao Haokip (BJP MLA, Tengnoupal); Letzamang Haokip (BJP MLA, Henglep); Paolienlal Haokip (BJP MLA, Saikot) and Vungjagin Valte (BJP MLA, Thanton).
Valte was critically injured by a mob in Imphal while returning home after a meeting with the chief minister on May 4. He had to be airlifted to New Delhi for further treatment.
The demand comes days after at least 71 people lost lives and at least 200 were injured in ethnic clashes between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities in the northeastern state since May 3. Hundreds of properties were damaged and thousands have been displaced.
The letter is an indication of the tribal legislators losing trust with the chief minister. This is in continuation of a rebellion of sorts noticed against the leadership of Biren Singh for some time, not just from the tribal MLAs of his party but also from legislators from the valley areas.
The May 11 press statement categorically called the “unabated violence that began on May 3 in Manipur” as something that was “supported by [the] existing government of Manipur”.
The statement said, “As elected representatives of our people, we today represent the sentiments of our people and endorse their political aspiration of separation from the state of Manipur.”
It further added, “As the state of Manipur has miserably failed to protect us, we seek to the union of India a separate administration under the constitution of India and live peacefully as neighbours with the state of Manipur.”
On being asked what the ‘separate administration’ should look like, Leitpao Haokip told Indian Express, “it is up to the Union of India” whether it would be a separate state or a union territory. “One of the MLAs said the next step they are planning is a meeting in Mizoram on May 16 with community leaders and civil society organisation leaders from the constituencies to draw them into the process of mobilising this demand.”
The Modi government, since mid-2016, has been in peace talks with the Kuki armed groups; these groups have largely pinned their hopes on an autonomous territorial council like in the Bodo areas of Assam, setting aside a longstanding demand from a section of these groups for a ‘separate Kuki state’. The May 3 clashes seemed to have revived that demand.
In the last assembly elections, the BJP won 32 of the 60 seats which aided the party to form a government of its own for the first time in the border state. With the Union’s blessing, Biren Singh became the state CM for the second time.
After the May 11 statement, if the eight of the BJP’s hill area legislators decide to quit the party, and the KPA too withdraws its support, the Biren Singh government would be in hot water.
The Kuki-Zomi MLAs’ statement has come a day after the opposition Congress has demanded President’s Rule in Manipur stating that the BJP-run government had “failed” to maintain law and order in the state.