Is Amit Shah Right That ‘No Major Incidents’ Occurred in Manipur in the Last Three Months?

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah stated that his government was in contact with both Kuki and Meitei groups in an effort to restore peace in Manipur, addressing a press conference marking the completion of the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’s) first 100 days in office on Tuesday (September 17).

Shah outlined the government’s approach to resolving the Manipur crisis and emphasised that “violence occurred in three days recently, but other than these, no major incidents have occurred in the past three months”.

Meanwhile, The Wire observed that violence over the last three months has resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer and a former army soldier. Ten of these fatalities occurred in September alone.

Here is a timeline of notable incidents from the last three months, including reported instances of violence in Manipur:

1. The Manipur governor appealed to the finance minister for financial aid for the state on June 16.
2. On June 18, miscreants shot dead a youth in Meijao Mamang Leikai, which is under the jurisdiction of the Wangoi police station in Imphal West.
3. A Naga body imposed a ban on the supply of goods and commodities to Kuki-Zo areas in Manipur on June 20.
4. “We hope to arrive at a solution to the crisis within two-three months,” said chief minister N. Biren Singh on June 21.
5. A Kuki group organised a protest in Manipur on June 24 demanding Union territory status for their community.
6. Biren Singh stated to The Hindu on June 28 that solving the Manipur conflict was part of the Centre’s 100-day plan and expressed full confidence that the Union government understood the issues in the state.
7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first remarks on Manipur in months, told the Rajya Sabha on July 3 that several steps had been taken to improve the situation in the state.
8. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) wrote a letter to the home minister on July 13, challenging Biren Singh’s claims of peace talks having been held, saying that tribal leaders had not been involved in such discussions.
9. A CRPF officer was killed in a firing incident in Jiribam on July 14.
10. A Naga man died of injuries after being assaulted by the Kangleipak Communist Party-People’s War Group on July 15, the Hindustan Times cited police as saying.
11. The Kangleipak Communist Party (Progressive) claimed responsibility for shooting a man dead on July 20.
12. The Manipur assembly session began on July 31 without Kuki MLAs.
13. The chief minister of Mizoram (August 3) urged the home minister to take steps to resolve the Manipur crisis, and the Meghalaya chief minister (September 6) said the Union government’s intervention in the conflict was necessary.
14. Three village volunteers and one militant, all Kukis, killed each other during a shootout on August 9.
15. Ten people were killed over a span of ten days in September, where the use of drones and a rocket-like object were reported.

It should also be noted that Shah’s press conference on Tuesday was held exactly three months after he chaired a meeting in North Block with top security and administrative officials, including representatives from the state and his home ministry – except Biren Singh.

In the meeting, Shah directed officials to ensure that no further violence occurred in Manipur, as well as to strategically deploy security forces and increase their presence if necessary to prevent further unrest.

He said on Tuesday that the government was in contact with both Kuki and Meitei groups to resolve the crisis.

However, when The Wire reached out to civil society organisations – including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, the ITLF, the Kuki Students’ Organisation and the Meitei Heritage Society – they confirmed that they were neither in touch with nor had they been contacted by the home ministry.

The home ministry established a peace committee in June 2023 with the primary goal of fostering peace in the state through dialogue with both Meiteis and Kukis. The committee includes the chief minister, other ministers from the Manipur government, MPs, MLAs and leaders from various political parties.

Manipur minister reveals how home ministry remained incompetent with promises

Speaking to The Wire, Awangbow Newmai, an incumbent minister in the Manipur government and president of the Naga People’s Front’s Manipur unit, referred to how people appointed as members of the peace committee refused to participate in it.

Immediately after the committee’s formation, both Meitei and Kuki members and member organisations refused their participation, citing disagreements with the choice of the committee’s members and other reasons.

He further revealed that no talks had occurred since the committee’s formation by the home ministry.

Newmai holds the water resources and relief & disaster management portfolios. He is MLA for the Tamei constituency.

Newmai also mentioned the existence of a state-level committee formed to restore peace. In this committee, both valley and hill MLAs made efforts to reach out to one another, but this initiative also failed, he said, adding, “We were in touch with each other in the beginning, but later nothing worked out as the violence continued, and both sides eventually refused to talk.”

Home minister on border fencing

In February, the home ministry decided to scrap the free movement regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to “ensure the internal security of the country and maintain the demographic structure of India’s northeastern states bordering Myanmar”.

Speaking about the FMR, Shah stated on Tuesday: “As far as Manipur is concerned, in 100 days, we have started fencing the India-Myanmar border, which is root of the incidents [in the state]. Thirty kilometres of fencing has been completed, and the Union government has approved a budget to fence the full, 1,500-kilometre border…

“We have successfully completed the task of launching the CRPF at strategic places … To stop infiltrators, we have done away with the [FMR] and have brought in a rule so that entry is based only the basis of visas.”

This article was updated on September 26 to add detail on the reported use of drones and a rocket-like object in Manipur in September.