Witoubou Newmai
‘Unrest within the realm of speculation’ is what best describes the unfolding situation in Manipur today.
The assertions of some important groups in the past one week in the State of Manipur form a lucid panoramic view on the present social landscape or configuration of that state that is likely to snowball further.
This is just a cursory presentation, and that, the turns of prevailing developments are highlighted as a way of presenting the panoramic view of intricate social landscape in the State of Manipur.
A week after the Kuki-Naga pandemonium over the ‘ancestral land’ issue, it comes no surprise to witness another is unfolding. This time it is on the “Manipur integrity issue” triggered by the reports that the Indo-Naga peace process has entered a crucial point.
Under the banner of recently formed Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the valley people are taking their concerns to the streets of Imphal in the past few days demanding that settlement on the Naga political issue should not “infringe the interest of Manipur.”
COCOMI is the conglomerate of major valley based organizations including the United Committee, Manipur (UCM), All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), Committee of Civil Societies of Kangleipak (CCSK), HERICOUN and LIPUL. The primary demands of the COCOMI is that settlement of the Naga political issue “must not infringe upon Manipur's integrity, and that, all provisions which might affect the State should be dropped”.
Meanwhile, it is noticed that the tone of those organizations has changed to a great degree this time compared to the past cases.
When the NSCN-IM entered the Ceasefire agreement with the Government of India in 1997, AMUCO was leading the movement campaigning on the slogan of “protection of Manipur territorial integrity.” But with the speculations that “territorial council” for the Nagas in the State of Manipur could be a part of the outcome of the ‘Framework Agreement’, the valley-based organizations have now inserted sub slogans such as “any community or ethnic based administrative unit” will not be allowed in Manipur.
As usual, joining the ‘melee’ are Kukis who have been campaigning that under no circumstances settlement on the Naga political issue should not affect the “Kuki areas” in Manipur.
Now the concern is, the same scenario for a long time on the same issue is repeated ad nauseam but a cogent discourse is still missing. Unless a cogent discourse intervenes into the situation nothing will be read correctly into the narratives. But more important question is also about the absence of the source of ‘that’ cogent discourse. In short, who will moderate this tedious situation into a solution?
