Manipur crisis holds lessons on internal security
THE use of rockets and drones carrying bombs by Kuki insurgents to attack Meiteis in Manipur marks a dangerous escalation in the unrest in the state. It will give ideas not only to the Meiteis and other militant outfits in the Northeast but also to J&K militants and insurgents, Naxals and many other forces within and outside that are inimical to India.
These drones have been mostly used by highly organised militant groups like the Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel and by countries like Israel, Russia and Ukraine in wars and conflicts. But these may now also serve as yet another lethal weapon in the hands of criminals.
The Manipur Government, the security forces and the Centre have all been caught unawares by the fresh wave of violence. Either the intelligence agencies failed to anticipate the escalation or the response was missing, which is unfortunate. The Central Government has the wherewithal to counter this threat. The Army, the Assam Rifles and the Indian Air Force must quickly get their act together and rein in this new menace. Hopefully, they will do so soon. But training and equipping the Manipur Police will be a challenge, as it is a different ball game altogether. The police there have to be reorganised, considering their unenviable track record. Intelligence agencies, both internal and external, also have to step up their work considerably.
Kuki militants have been able to carry out the recent attacks because of the huge support from drug lords, who are mainly responsible for the turmoil that has roiled Manipur since last year. The surge in the cultivation of poppy in Churachandpur and adjoining areas, primarily done by Kukis, is because of the arrival of their kin from Myanmar amid mounting pressure by the military there. Manipur lies at the tip of the Golden Triangle, and the route of this business for India and other countries runs through it. So, the drug lords want to have complete control over Manipur. They have no dearth of money to finance the Kukis’ activities. The order by the Manipur High Court last year, asking the state government to consider Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis and make a recommendation to the Centre, was deliberately misrepresented to spark a Kuki-Meitei conflict.
Kukis now want not only a separate state but a separate country, Kukiland, comprising the entire Northeast and some areas of Bangladesh. Nagas, on the other hand, want Greater Nagaland, including parts of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar, as a distinct country. And so does Assam’s ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom).
China, Bangladesh and Pakistan are aggravating this conflict to serve their own interests. Beijing has been claiming Arunachal Pradesh as a part of China. Notably, in 1962, China had invaded India from two sides — the Northeast Frontier Agency (which is now Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam) and around the Ladakh region. When Pakistan was being formed, some Muslim leaders wanted the Northeast to be a part of East Pakistan. They had said that Assam was a natural extension of the new country. That thought still lingers somewhere in Bangladesh. The Northeast is undoubtedly the soft underbelly of India. Many powerful nations would be interested in weakening India. The neglect of the Northeast, especially Manipur, over the years by the Central Government is evident. The failure to control the conflict that broke out last year has emboldened hostile forces. These elements have now come together to destabilise the Northeast and, hence, the whole of India.
The deteriorating situation in Manipur — which has alarmed not only the state residents but people across the country — is a cause for concern. Other countries must be following the developments in India and waiting to see how it responds. An emerging power like India cannot allow the situation to further go out of hand. It is time for the Indian state to hit back with its full might and show greater involvement in the region. Bringing the activities of Kuki militants under control, recovering thousands of weapons and restoring peace between the Kukis and Meiteis should be the top priorities for the time being. Besides, all political, military, diplomatic, economic and judicial measures must be taken to address the crisis. The President’s Rule should be imposed in Manipur until normalcy is restored. Changes in the political leadership are also in order. An overhaul is needed in the bureaucratic and police setup as well. Close supervision and support by the Centre is essential to ensure that things are not allowed to drift anymore.
At the Central level, there is a crying need to have a separate Ministry of Internal Security. After all, there is too much on the plate of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Internal security demands constant monitoring. The situation in the Northeast, J&K, Naxal-affected states, activities of separatists in other countries, cybercrimes, new security threats emerging from artificial intelligence, immigration from Bangladesh, among other issues, require undivided attention. In a big country like India with problems in many corners, the MHA cannot afford to treat homeland security as just one of its many jobs.
