At present, there is an unprecedented social conflict raging in Manipur. The violence has affected all communities in the state. Over 100 people have been killed, 50,000 people are currently in more than 300 refugee camps and lacs have been displaced. Religious places, granaries, and homes belonging to the common people, especially those from the minority tribal communities have been burned. The minority community has a strong feeling of being persecuted. In reality, the lives and livelihoods of the labouring poor across communities have been lost. It is the women of all communities who have been the most vulnerable. To instigate conflicts among communities, fake news, and rumours were peddled by the communal groups which later became the pretext for the alleged lynchings and rapes of women. Miscreants and communal groups have conveniently sought revenge for incidents of violence faced by their respective communities by targeting and punishing those who are unconnected to the acts of violence for which ‘retribution’ is sought. A vicious, never-ending cycle of vengeful violence continues to erupt with the failure of the state to act against such miscreants.
The state government has failed to ensure peace and its actions have served to further pit the communities against each other. The mainstream Indian media largely ignored the events unfolding in Manipur. Sadly, the central government disregarded the gravity of the turmoil in the state. While the state was gripped by the crisis, the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister remained busy in electioneering. They addressed multiple rallies in the election-bound Karnataka, and even after the end of election campaigning, did not take concrete steps to address the crisis. The new Parliament Complex, supposed to be a symbol of democracy, was inaugurated in late May even as Manipur burned and the democratic structure in the state lay in shambles; a result of the anti-minority policies adopted in recent years by the BJP governments at the centre and in the state.
Amid the present crisis, there have been claims and counter-claims of various communities. A lot of people have died across community lines, and the majority of the common people across communities are grieved by the turmoil and wish to have peace brought in the state at the earliest. Unfortunately, tied to community attachments, the ability of a section of people to empathize with the general suffering has been numbed. Emotions are running high and are open to misuse. Community chauvinism, at present, is very intense….
*****************************
After the truth-shower 