Since The Wire published audio clips exposing the alleged complicity of chief minister N. Biren Singh and his government in the long-drawn Manipur conflict, there have been demands from several quarters for an investigation by the Union government.
For instance, 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs asserted that the audio clips established Singh’s complicity “beyond an iota of doubt”, demanding that the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Union government to probe the violence expedite its process to prosecute the chief minister of Manipur “for his crimes if his guilt is established”.
The ethnic conflict, which started on May 3, 2023, between the Valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo communities, continues to rage till date. Over 200 people have been killed, thousands injured and tens of thousands internally displaced.
In this episode of Baath Bharat Ki, Meenakshi Tiwari (deputy editor, The Wire), Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty (national affairs editor, The Wire) and Vijaita Singh (deputy editor, The Hindu) discuss the developments following the release of the audio clips.