This is from a friend's wall who is a Manipuri. It's not my Personal views. Sharing here because this will have more truth as it is from a person who grew up there. I have refrained from making any statement in my FB wall. But I can make a small comment here. In summary, it is a long history of many wrongs that cannot be easily fixed. Meiteis were the actual rulers before and after British. After India annexed Manipur illegally into the Indian union, meiteis were given general category status because they practised Vaishnavism (around 55% I suppose) or Islam (around 10%) and together formed 65% of the total population. They lived mostly in the valley which formed only 10% of the land. The remaining 35% lived in the hills and they never practised Vaishnavism or Islam. They gradually got converted into Christianity. After the merger of that state into the Indian union in 1949, the hill people were given scheduled tribes status with additional protection of the land from the meiteis. Meiteis didn't realise the gravity of this injustice for so long. But they face an existential crisis as the hill people pushes for autonomy. The valley is tucked deep inside nine layers of hills around it. Today, meiteis make up only 42% of the population. It is believed that the increase in the hill people is because of the influx from Myanmar. The people on Myanmar side and Indian side belong to the same community. Meiteis too are sort of the same lineage, but totally different language and culture. Poppy cultivation and drug mafia is a problem, but I won't say that meiteis are completely clean in this. Manipur has been known for drug market, thanks to the uncontrolled drug peddling on the border. Meiteis have ruled and dominated the hill people. No doubt. But meiteis weren't that advanced to compete in the general category in govt exams and jobs. They have really struggled in this area and worked really hard to survived. Hill people aren't backward at all if you compare them against scheduled tribes from mainland India. They are almost equal to meiteis and in fact better placed financially due to the reservations they enjoy. The only meiteis who are better if economically are the people in Imphal city. The rest of the valley live in pretty poor conditions. I'm from one such village in the valley and I know it very well. But due to the struggles meiteis have endured without reservation, they are far ahead of the hill people in terms of education and general upliftment outside of the govt jobs. So, if meiteis do become ST, the hill people will lose jobs and will need additional protection. I don't think that meiteis are looking for the job reservation as the primary goal. Meiteis don't want to be left with only the valley which is only 10% of the total land locked in the middle of the hills. About the inability to control the violence, you need to know the people of Manipur. They are not afraid of fights. In mainland India, people fight with long lines of bad words and hardly any physical blows. In Manipur, 5 physical blows will come first before 2 words are spoken. And those meira paibi women will go to any extent if they want to stand against any force. When two such communities fight at large scale, law enforcement can't treat them as terrorists. I know that foreign media tries to paint it as violence against religious minorities. That is absurd. It is purely a fight between two communities between which a seed of hate and divide has been planted through decades of wrong policies. It does not matter which part rules, this was bound to happen. I'm very sad about it. But it is almost inevitable. Even if peace is bright back now, it will only be a matter of time before it flares up again.
Should change to 'THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN ' since physical violence is the last resort a coward male can commit on the mentally stronger females. Sorry guys and gals, looks like my fury against the atrocities has not diminished...
" A good opposition, free press, and independent judiciary are a must for a country to prosper as a democracy. I rest." Well said and good points.. I think all the above should also RIP along with us.
As things stand in comity of Nations today, It would remain a distant dream in any democracy where its politicians are to off the people, buy the people and remain far away from the people read citizens.
A perspective from the BBC, surprisingly balanced Manipur: The abandoned villages in the crosshairs of India violence
BBC credibility in India at its lowest ebb and India filed defamation case against it and even the rumour is PM Rishi Sunak is unhappy with BBC one sided views on international issues . It is also rumoured that it sides with gangs who funds their clandestine projects.