By M.p. Nathanael

Copyright deccanchronicle

Despite the lingering uncertainty over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Imphal on September 13, preparations are on in full swing in Imphal and Churachandpur where he is due to meet local citizens and address them. The PM’s much-awaited trip after the May 3, 2023 mayhem that had the state has sent a ray of hope among citizens that the situation will alleviate their miserable plight and the state will head towards normalcy. That, however, remains a far cry given the hostility that still simmers among the two warring groups, Meiteis and Kuki-Zo. Over 265 people from both communities have been killed and 60,000 displaced from their homes in the past two years. The PM’s proposed visit has hastened talks between the home ministry officials and the affected parties. The Kuki-Zo groups met MHA officials on September 4 and inked a tripartite agreement, with the Manipur government being a signatory. The first meeting between MHA officials with Kuki-Zo groups in April this year ended in a stalemate as they had insisted on a “separate administration”. The talks that resumed in June went in a positive direction with the Kuki-Zo groups consenting to changes in the terms and conditions for the Suspension of Operations (SoO). The Kuki-Zo group comprises 17 outfits of the Kuki National Organisation and seven of the United People’s Front, who signed the SoO agreement on August 22, 2008. It was extended on a yearly basis till last year when then Manipur CM N. Biren Singh refused to be part of it. He advised the Centre to abrogate the SoO agreement, due to alleged violations. With his exit in February this year and subsequent imposition of President’s Rule, the doors were open for the Centre to proceed. In the September 4 New Delhi meeting, the SoO was finally extended with modified terms, including relocation of seven camps out of 12. Two camps have been closed. Unfortunately, the `60,000 allowance to surrendered Kuki-Zo militants was discontinued after violence engulfed the state in May 2023, which led to their violating the ground rules. This will now be credited directly to their bank accounts. They also have to deposit their weapons with the nearest armoury of CRPF or BSF, and will be subject to strict checks by the Joint Monitoring Committee headed by the chief secretary. The opening of the Dimapur-Imphal NH-2, another major issue, also seems to have been sorted out, with the Kuki-Zo outfits calling off the blockade that had led to enormous misery for the Meiteis living in the valley. Vehicles with essential goods, fuel and medicines had to be escorted by the CRPF, but the movement of Meiteis was banned. While the Kuki-Zo claim the road was kept open, the stretch passing through Kangpokpi, which is dominated by Kukis, was avoided by Meiteis. They say the security forces’ buffer zones will remain a prohibited area for both communities, as part of the agreement. While the Centre gloats over the opening of NH-2 and renewal of the SoO agreement, the Meiteis represented by the Coordinating Committee of Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has condemned the extension of SoO, which it opposed alleging that Kuki-Zo outfits had indulged in violence. They ignore the fact that Arambai Tenggol (AT) cadres and other splinter Meitei groups had looted 5,668 weapons from police armouries along with a huge haul of ammunition in May 2023, and used them against Kuki-Zo tribals. Over 1,500 weapons are yet to recovered. When two Arambai members were arrested for their role in the May 2023 violence by the CBI in June this year, the valley saw fresh violence with Meiteis demanding their release. Two AT cadres were arrested on August 30 with sophisticated weapons in Imphal. With no signs of hostility abating between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, the Centre has a crucial role to play in the return of normalcy to the state. While the Kuki-Zo group that signed the pact on September 4 is an outfit of the armed surrendered insurgents, civil society has accused the group of not being a representative of the Kuki-Zo at large. The Village Volunteers Coordinating Committee, representing the civil society, has rejected the agreement to open NH-2, claiming that the decision was taken without consulting most of their clans. In a press statement on September 7, the Kuki-Zo group accused the Press Information Bureau of twisting the agreement by replacing “shall be followed by a tripartite dialogue with KNO and UPF to pave the way for a negotiated political settlement under the Constitution of India in a time-bound manner” with “need for a negotiated solution to bring peace and stability to the State of Manipur”. This has irked the Kuki-Zo community, which aspires for Union territory status with a legislature. Ironically, while hostility continues between the Kuki-Zo and Meiteis, the latter vehemently oppose a separate administration for the former. Meanwhile, a report of the Independent People’s Tribunal under the aegis of PUCL comprising renowned…