Interview/ Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, JNU professor and Congress candidate, Inner Manipur
Q/ What promises do you make to the people of Manipur?
A/ In this unprecedented election, I have no promises, but rather an agenda for a united Manipur. My focus is on facilitating the return of displaced individuals to their original homes and promoting coexistence. There needs to be accountability for every instance of violence that has occurred here. The misleading reports circulated by the national media, especially those linking the situation to indigenous tribal rights and exploitation, must be exposed. I believe that instead of relying on these reports, the government of India should establish a fact-finding committee to uncover the truth.
Q/ The media is highlighting the alleged incompetence of the Biren Singh government in addressing the Manipur issue and questioning why Prime Minister Modi has not visited the state.
A/ This is the complexity of the government. Is Biren truly in charge of the state’s affairs, or is he merely a proxy? Even the national media has not opened their eyes to ask this question. If we remove him from all responsibility for the state’s failures, the blame will fall on Delhi, implicating Modi and Amit Shah. Biren serves as a convenient scapegoat, and he is accepting this role.
Q/ Does he not have any role?
A/ His failure to act promptly and effectively led to escalating violence, starting in Churachandpur and spreading to Imphal. Despite intelligence reports, no preventive measures were taken. However, this failure does not align with the narrative portraying him as deliberately acting as part of the Meitei community.
Q/ Has the government shown a lack of interest in resolving the year-long ethnic strife?
A/ I have a feeling that the government is also involved in this ethnic strife. For example, there is a locality called Khumujamba Leikai in Churachandpur, which was a Meitei village. When the violence happened, people were evacuated from there by armed forces. Now, right under the nose of the district administration, armed forces and Manipur Police, those houses of Meiteis were reduced to rubble. That area now shows no traces of human habitation; it has been flattened like a playground. This occurred on the administration’s watch, confirming that the state is involved in one way or another. Moreover, both the state and the country are ruled by the same party.
Q/ Why are the Meiteis opposed to the Kukis when modern society globally acknowledges indigenous rights, including rights to ancestral land?
A/ This is a bogus narrative. The Manipur issue is not an indigenous rights issue, unlike in other parts of the country or worldwide. The Kuki communities appear to be conveniently using this narrative. In Manipur, ST communities have significant representation in the bureaucracy and in the cabinet, unlike elsewhere in the country. Christian missionaries and so-called liberal individuals discuss tribal rights without grasping the reality on the ground, leading to confusion and misinterpretation. The nation is divided between Hindu saviours and tribal saviours, jumping on each other without a clear understanding of the actual situation, which is causing significant challenges.
Q/ Do you believe that Meiteis should be on the ST list?
A/ Yes. They are indigenous people, and according to the due process outlined in the law and the Constitution, it is appropriate for them to be included.
Q/ How do you see the presence of young people carrying arms in the Imphal valley? Does it suggest a failure of the state machinery?
A/ As the state has failed to perform its duty, people have taken it upon themselves to defend themselves. There are many groups in Manipur, and the national media is only focusing on one group (the Meitei Arambai Tenggol).
Q/ Do you not think that law and order in Manipur has completely collapsed?
A/ Manipur has become a theatre of violence. Things have become very aggravated, and I still blame the government. What is the purpose of the state’s existence? The government should manage law and order and guide people towards a civil life. We have unprecedented violence lingering for more than 11 months now, which has never happened in the history of India. Communal violence in India typically ends within a couple of hours, days, or at most two weeks.
Q/ What are the corporate interests in Manipur?
A/ Corporates are interested in the northeast. This is a poor state, and Meiteis are not running any big corporate houses. Corporates are trying to exploit the resources of the state. However, the major activists who are fighting against corporates are Meiteis, not these people (Kukis). Instead, they are creating a narrative that Meiteis are hand in glove with these corporate houses to extract tribal land and resources. When I become MP, I will put a stop to this, and I am not going to leave Meiteis behind either. I will not take sides in communal issues.