The year 2023 has been a nightmare for the northeastern state of Manipur, dominating news headlines due to ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zomis, resulting in the deaths of more than 170 people. The violence broke out on May 3, and since then, the Meitei-dominated valley has become devoid of Kuki-Zomis, while the hill districts dominated by Kuki-Zomis have become free of Meiteis. This has adversely affected the education, tourism, and business sectors of the state.
Even after the reduction of violence in the state, closing the existing gap remains the biggest challenge for the state government and the Centre. What complicates the state's scenario is the availability of weapons stolen from police armouries on both sides of the communities. Also, some weapons were introduced from Myanmar. This is the reason that the situation, despite the reduction of violence, remains a concern.
As the two communities remain polarized against each other, extremists from both groups have been trying to exploit this situation. Particularly, the Meitei extremists, who have lost their strength in the valley, have been trying to revive themselves by taking advantage of the current polarization. That’s why the signing of the peace agreement with the Meitei extremist group United National Liberation Front (Pambai faction) by the Centre and the state government assumes significance.
As this unfortunate year bids goodbye, a news report this week gives a ray of hope for the northeastern state of Manipur. According to a report in The Hindu, a Kuki woman found in the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley was safely handed over to the police by Meitei civilians. It has to be mentioned that, due to the violence, Meiteis fear going to Kuki-Zomi-dominated areas, and Kuki-Zomis are scared of going to Meitei-dominated areas. In such a situation, this gesture by the Meiteis towards the Kuki woman gives a ray of hope for peace between the two communities. Let us hope that in the new year 2024, the existing gap between the two communities will be reduced.
ULFA Faction Signs Historic Peace Treaty
December 29 will be marked as a historic day in the northeastern state of Assam as finally, the Centre and the Assam government were able to sign a peace treaty with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). The peace talks started with the ULFA, one of the most dreaded militant organizations in Assam and the northeast region, during the time of the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government. The faction that entered into talks with the Centre came to be known as the pro-talks faction — and it is this faction that signed the peace treaty.
It has to be mentioned that the pro-talks faction has been dissatisfied with the current Narendra Modi-led BJP government for being delayed in the progress of the peace talks. Having said that, the signing of this peace treaty with the ULFA is definitely a success for the BJP too, as it has been able to conclude the talks that started during the Congress era. However, the other faction of the ULFA led by Paresh Barua is yet to join the table for peace talks.
Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar Attacks TIPRA Motha
On the occasion of the 79th Janashiksha Diwas and the 75th foundation of the Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP), the CPI(M) politburo member and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar attacked the TIPRA Motha of royal scion Pradyot Debbarma for its slogan of Greater Tipraland and once again repeated how the regional party helped the BJP return to power for the second time in the state elections held this year. Notably, GMP is the tribal wing of the CPM.
Significantly, not only Manik Sarkar, CPM’s state general secretary and lone tribal Left legislator Jitendra Chaudhury, who is perceived for maintaining a soft approach towards Pradyot’s Motha, attacked the erstwhile Manikya dynasty. He alleged that the common people, including tribals, were exploited during the rule of the Manikya kings. Importantly, these attacks against Motha were made at a time when there has been a buzz in the state media about Motha joining the state BJP government.
It has to be mentioned that unlike in other parts of the country, the communist movement was born in Tripura as a result of the literacy movement launched by communist leaders like Dasarath Debbarma, more popular as Dasarath Deb, Sudhanwa Debbarma, and Bidya Debbarma, etc. This movement was known as Jana Shiksha Andolan, and from this, the GMP was born. As a result of this movement, around 488 schools were started during the 1940s when the state was under the Manikya dynasty. The royals of the state tried their best to suppress this movement. It is because of this background that the state’s royal dynasty and the CPM never shared good relations. Notably, Dasarath Deb later became the chief minister of the state in 1993, and so far, he remains the only tribal chief minister of the state.
TMC Wants More Seats Than It Deserves In Assam?
This Tuesday, the state Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora said that the party will demand at least 4 Lok Sabha seats from the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). According to Bora, the seats that the party wants to contest are the Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar, and Karimganj.
Of these, Congress was the runners-up in Lakhimpur and Dhubri seats. Will the Congress be ready to cede these seats to the TMC, a party whose strength is limited to some pockets of the state? Although the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led party is able to recruit two notable leaders — Sushmita Dev and Ripun Bora — from the Congress, the party doesn’t have the strength to win even one Lok Sabha seat on its own in the northeastern state. The grand old party is unlikely to cede more than one seat to the TMC.
According to a report by The Hindu, the Congress-led United Opposition Forum, an extension of the national INDIA bloc, has resolved to put a single consensus candidate against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance after a convention on seat-sharing and other issues held at Chapar in western Dhubri district. According to the report, of the 15 constituents of the UOF, 10 may not seek to field any candidate given the limited size of their support bases.
TMC’s Sushmita Dev has been eyeing the Karimganj seat as she is unable to contest from her traditional seat of Silchar seat, which has now been reserved for the Scheduled Caste after delimitation. So Congress may agree to cede the Karimganj seat to the TMC. Another reason that is likely to push the TMC to pressure Congress to cede this seat for the former is that in the last Lok Sabha elections, the latter was pushed to a distant third in the constituency, which was won by the BJP. Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front came in second.
The author is a political commentator.
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.]
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