India: What's behind ethnic violence in Manipur state?

Life is returning to normal in Manipur after ethnic violence ripped through the northeastern Indian state over the past few days, leaving more than 60 people dead and hundreds wounded.

Tens of thousands of people displaced by the fighting have been sheltering in government relief camps. Authorities said on Monday that the people who fled the deadly clashes were slowly returning home, escorted by security personnel sent by New Delhi to the state to restore order.

Manipur's government is run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said at a press briefing late Monday that around 230 people were injured, 35,000 displaced, and about 1,700 houses burnt by protesters.

"The situation is slowly limping back to normal ... We shall order a high level probe to enquire into the violent clashes," he said.

How did it begin?

The fighting erupted due to disagreements over access to educational, employment and other economic benefits.

The Meitei community, which accounts for over 50% of the state's 3.5 million residents, has demanded that it be recognized as a "scheduled tribe." The constitutionally defined status is a form of affirmative action intended to combat historical structural inequality and discrimination.

India reserves some government jobs, college places and elected seats for those categorized as "scheduled tribes."

While the Meitei — a largely Hindu community — want the status, others like the predominantly Christian Naga and the Kuki tribes have opposed this classification.

The latter two tribes account for around 40% of the state's population, and currently enjoy the scheduled tribe status, which gives them land-owning rights in the hills and forests that cover around 75% of Manipur.

Last month, the state's High Court asked the government to consider the Meitei's demand and set a deadline of mid-May.

In response, the Naga and the Kuki tribes launched a protest last week against the possible extension of their benefits to the Meitei, who they believe are already the dominant community in the state. They argue that granting the Meitei more privileges would be unfair.

"This bout of violence was not unexpected. It has been building up for years," Deben Sharma, convener of the People's Dialogue Initiatives, a civil society platform for dialogue to address violent conflicts, told DW.

"There are other reasons, too, such as the government's clampdown on reserved and protected forests in the state's hill areas, and also the Kukis' feeling of being persecuted," he added. "There are also problems with the state structure, and friction between ethnic groups just added to the mix."

Deep-seated ethnic tensions

Manipur, a state in northeastern India that borders Myanmar, has witnessed deep, decades-long tensions between various ethnic groups.

Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of the Imphal Review of Arts and Politics, said narratives of marginalization have fueled fear and insecurity among different communities in the state.

"The steam was building up for years. What happened during the tribal unity march provided the spark for the explosion," Phanjoubam told DW.

The development imbalance across various regions of the state is also a source of tensions between the ethnic groups.

The Meitei community has traditionally lived in the state capital Imphal and other urban areas, where they have had better access to educational and economic opportunities. The Nagas and Kukis, on the other hand, mostly live in the poorly developed hills.

Babloo Loitongbam, a lawyer and human rights activist, pointed out that the unaddressed grievances of various communities have contributed to the spiraling violence.

"It was a total failure of intelligence to not foresee the tensions. This episode leaves very deep scars in the ethnic relationships and requires concerted peace-building effort now," said Loitongbam.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru