The Union government’s initiatives towards solving the Naga conflict have impacted adversely on Manipur and particularly on its civilian population who are growing increasingly concerned with the perceived attempts on its territorial integrity.

On October 6, thirteen armed cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) were arrested from Manipur’s Senapati district by the State police. However, under reported pressure from the union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the State government had to release the arrested cadres and hand them over to the Ceasefire Monitoring Group in Nagaland. This incident created a convulsion of sorts in Manipur where community based organizations interpreted the development as an attempt by the Union government to violate the territorial integrity of the State, by making the official ceasefire with the insurgent outfit applicable to Manipur’s territory. To make matter worse, the released cadres were accorded a grand reception in Senapati district by Naga organizations, an action which established in no uncertain terms a clear divide between the Hill areas of Manipur where mostly Nagas live and the Valley which is home to the Meiteis. 

The traditional chasm between the Hill and the Valley has been an easy target for the NSCN-IM to garner support for a greater Nagalim. The outfit’s general secretary, Th. Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur enjoys considerable appeal among his brethren there. The activities of the Naga organizations in the hills, such as the United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) have also contributed to the divide. As a result, the Union government’s objective of finalizing a deal with the NSCN-IM on the wider extent of ceasefire area appears to be viewed differently in the valley and in the hills, with the idea of the merger of the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur with Nagaland, enjoying considerable sympathy among the Nagas residing in the hill districts of Manipur.

For sometime, in the reconciliation mood in Nagaland, beginning with the Naga Hoho and the Church bodies’ initiative in December 2001 to try to bridge the differences among various Naga tribes and subsequently among Nagaland and its neighboring States, mass-based organizations in both States did try to arrive at some sort of understanding among themselves about the Naga integration issue. The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organization (AMUCO) toured areas of Nagaland and the Naga Mothers Association (NMA) and the Naga Hoho undertook peace tours in Manipur. There were feelings that, in the sideline of the consultations between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India, some sort of positive developments can be generated. However, all that has been relegated to the background. Organizations in both the States have taken tougher postures and the possibility of reconciliation again looks remote.

This has impacted adversely on the relationship between the Nagas and the Meiteis in Manipur. Commenting on the development, an Imphal based newspaper noted in its editorial on October 13, ‘the divide between the hill and valley people have never been so stark.’ In these circumstances, while there is a need for the Manipuris to affirm the faith in the territorial integrity of the State, the policy of whipping of passions seems to have only a deteriorating effect.

The fact remains that efforts to protect Manipuri's interests need to start with the infusion of a sense of community among its Naga population. Manipur’s mass based organizations (which somehow have remained primarily Meitei dominated) need to take a lead in this front. Their activities need to go beyond rallies and protest marches in the streets of Imphal. A newspaper editorial on October 14, called for efforts by Manipuris at the international level to counter the game plan of the Nagas. Some organizations have also talked of taking up arms against the Indian government's policies. 

However, such steps would have only limited impact. Manipur needs to discover its inner strength and that can only be derived from an understanding and rapprochement between the estranged communities. The advantage enjoyed by the NSCN-IM in the Naga inhabited areas of the State requires to be neutralized through developing emotional oneness. One could not have agreed more with a media statement, which said, ’Territorial integrity or keeping the geographical boundary of Manipur intact cannot be divorced from fostering a kind of emotional and social integrity amongst the different communities living in Manipur.’ It needs to be realized that Manipur’s territory can be protected by its entire population, not by any of its dominant or minor constituents.

*** The writer is a Research Officer at the Institute Of Conflict Management.

*** The article has been published with due permission from the Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies (IPCS)

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