After two and a half months of widespread and sustained violence in Manipur, including an arson attack in early May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally broke his silenceAfterwards Video pictures of tribal women walking naked The heinous nature of the state’s conflict once again came to the fore in Thoubal district on 4 May. But Mr. Modi has not yet acknowledged the causes and consequences of the conflict, which threatens to spiral out of control. suo moto cognizance of the Supreme Court of India The sexual assault seen in the video and issuing ultimatums to both the central and state governments to bring the perpetrators to justice or step aside and allow the judiciary to act is a serious indictment of their failure to restore normalcy in Manipur. Afterwards Violation Accompanied by members of Parliament and political representatives cutting across party lines, Mr Modi, who has maintained a stark and unequivocal silence on the violence raging in Manipur, called attention to the crime and promised to punish the guilty. For a leader who always wants to be in the limelight and needs to dominate the airwaves, Mr Modi’s stand on the Manipur violence so far has shown a callous attitude towards the crisis in the state. The renewed focus on the Manipur conflict finally led the state government to promise that it would bring the perpetrators to justice, but the events of the past two and a half months reveal a significant gulf between the Meitei and Kuki-zo communities. Taking steps towards reconciliation will require far better leadership than the much touted “double engine” government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Despite Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur in late May after the fires, there has been little movement on returning displaced people to their homes or ensuring a reduction in ethnic hostilities; Sporadic incidents of violence continue in the state. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s policies and statements have shown that he is unable to rise above identity politics. The cookie community sees him as part of the problem. BJP is also divided on caste lines. If one goes by the sequence of events leading to this situation and the growing caste animosity, it should be clear that Mr. Singh’s continuance as Chief Minister is untenable. But the BJP seems reluctant to anger the Meitei majority, whose support helps Mr Singh retain power. While Mr Singh’s government has finally sought to act against the crime on May 4, arresting four people following the outcry, much more needs to be done to reverse the hostile situation. Replacing Mr. Singh with a less controversial leader would give civil society representatives from different castes an opportunity to initiate sincere reconciliation and peace initiatives.