Ngaranmi Shimray
New Delhi
Why not capitalise on the opportunity offered by President’s Rule in Manipur for finalising a political settlement of the Naga Issue and the Manipur crisis. Every aspect of the Naga issue that is required to be aired, analysed and discussed must have been covered in numerous parleys between the two negotiating parties as it resulted in the “Framework Agreement” in August 2015. What should have followed thereafter was a draft political settlement for signatures by both parties. It has taken ten years since August 2015 without any signs of finalising a draft political settlement. The protracted delay increases the risk of both parties becoming intransigent under the changing geo-political scenario created by President Trump’s nudge for a multi polar world order which could result in the entire Naga peace efforts of last 28 years going down the drain. With Manipur placed under President’s Rule it would appear that the stage is ready for finalising a political settlement to the Naga Issue and the Manipur crisis created by the ethnic conflict. All parties seeking political settlement should engage themselves whole heartedly with renewed vigour to narrow down differences and work out final political settlements.
The opposition of the dominant community to the delimitation exercise ordered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court for Manipur based on 2001 Census population figures is indeed very sad. Proportionate representation is a legitimate right given to all citizens of the country and since this has been denied to Manipur, it is the direction of the Supreme Court to have it implemented. Analysis of the population data of Census 2001 seems to indicate that the valley districts will lose three assembly seats and these seats will be added to the hill districts in the “Hill Areas”. The delimitation exercise is expected to rectify the disproportionate representation. There will also be another delimitation exercise to be carried out throughout the country based on Census data to be taken up after year 2026. Yet the dominant community, used to bully the minorities and is used to having their way, is once again trying to deny the legitimate rights of the tribes in the “Hill Areas”. One wonders what would happen when the Census exercise to be carried out after year 2026 is published. The Census data of 2011 already shows the Meitei population is 43% minus the Muslim population and the combined population of tribes is 41%. It will be after 15 years plus when the next Census operations will be carried out and the likelihood of tectonic changes in the demography of Manipur cannot be ruled out.
Against all reasonable thoughts for coexistence under an inclusive government with inclusive development in a pluralistic society being the best way forward for Manipur to exist as an entity, the Naga tribes in the “Hill Areas” will soon be tempted to reconsider the matter and ask for a separate administration. The Chin-Kuki-Zou tribes have already expressed their desire on account of their exasperation in dealing with Meitei chauvinistic and hegemonist approach. The tribes are being assaulted on all fronts by the Meitei community. They want tribal lands in the “Hill Areas”, want to be ST to grab tribal lands, want to redraw district boundaries on plea of administrative convenience with intention to grab tribal lands from the “Hill Areas”, want to amend Article 371-C to grab land, oppose delimitation exercise which would benefit the tribes, deny Sixth Schedule to the “Hill Areas” and keep the lion share of funds and projects for the valley districts. Such mindset has made it almost intolerable for the tribes to remain part of Manipur.
The pathway for demanding better administrative arrangement before the conclusion of political settlement based on Framework Agreement has been opened up as the Naga leadership seems to have realised that empowering the eight tribes in six districts of Eastern Nagaland through ENPO to give powers to manage their own affairs should be finalised first. In the context of being subjugated under a dominant community, the Naga tribes in States outside Nagaland are worst off compared to the tribes within the State of Nagaland. This being the case, the go ahead signal should be picked up by the Naga CSOs and Nagas living in the State of Manipur and other neighbouring States to ask for a separate administration or any other suitable arrangement to free themselves from the shackles of the dominant community. The Chin-Kuki-Zou tribes have made it clear that they will not remain as bonded labours under Manipur.
Given the unrelenting chauvinistic and hegemonist approach of the dominant community sparing no quarters to the tribes even in matters guaranteed by the Constitution, the Naga tribes of Manipur, as a response to the opposition of the Meitei community to the delimitation exercise directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also the chauvinistic and hegemonist attitude towards the tribes of Manipur in general, should also demand for having their own separate administration. After all, no one can stop the Naga CSOs of Manipur on the pretext to wait for a settlement under the Framework Agreement as the impending political settlement with ENPO is likely to precede the much awaited Naga political settlement under the Framework Agreement. The suppressed and oppressed Nagas suffering under dominant communities should be given priority to free themselves from the shackles of bonded labour-like situation faced by them.
