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Tackling Xenophobia
By Leader Writer: Jagjit T.
May 3, the day the Imphal Free Press was born six years ago, also marks the anniversary of one of the most senseless and tragic events in the history of Manipur. The Meitei - Meitei Pangal riots of May 1993 that took over a hundred lives before the madness stopped are now only a memory. It is a matter immensely to be thankful for, that reconciliation between the two sides took place promptly, and both communities have been able to move on without any lingering bitterness. However, with the ongoing troubles in Gujarat, it is but natural if some of us, particularly those who suffered and lost loved ones feel the agony of a nightmarish memory.
The communal carnage in Gujarat has so far taken nearly a thousand lives by official estimates, though the figure would be nearer 2000 if we go by unofficial ones and two months after the Godhra massacre that sparked off the horrific bloodbath, the killings and violence still continue despite the deployment of the Army. Not only has the Gujarat government failed to contain the violence, but media reports from the troubled areas - of Muslim businesses and interests being systematically targeted, of police standing by helplessly, or actively taking part, of police and administrative officials being transferred for taking decisive action against the rioting - clearly indicate that the carnage, particularly in the first few days, had all the hallmarks of a well-organized progrom which enjoyed the backing of a substantial section of the administrative machinery.
The callous and ill-considered statements made by chief minister Narendra Modi have only deepened that impression and earned his government and the Hindutva movement the censure of all right thinking citizens, and unsavory comparisons with Hitler’s Nazis.
There is of course a vast difference between what is happening now in Gujarat, and what happened in Manipur in 1993, in both scale and circumstances, but never let us in Manipur imagine ourselves immune to the communal virus. It is said that Gujarat was highly polarized communally even before Godhra, but that kind of polarization was never present. This is why one of the must disquieting aspects of May 1993 was the speed with which the madness was unleashed, the manner in which perfectly ordinary citizens became ruthless killers on the basis of a few rumors alone.
This appears to indicate hidden xenophobic and exclusive tendencies in Manipuri society that has never adequately been tackled. The fact that as many as a hundred lives were lost in the 1993 riots has been attributed to administrative and police inaction which prevented the violence from being contained quickly enough. And, even now, nine years after the rioting, none of those with blood on their hands have been brought to book. It is certainly not our intention to reopen old wounds, but it is pertinent to point out this cannot but be a source of bitterness to many who suffered.
The Meitei - Meitei Pangal riots have been termed as an aberration, and perhaps they were. Still, there are other fault-lines that need to be resolved in Manipuri society. The Nagas and Kukis, and Kukis and Zomis, after the bitter clashes of yesteryears are on their way towards reconciliation, but one other fault line came nearly to its breaking point in June last year. It is to the credit of both sides of the divide that the breaking point was never reached. For them now, reconciliation and eternal vigilance must be the watchwords.
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)
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