Kuki Org calls for an anti-BJP verdict ahead of Lok Sabha polls
An influential Kuki-Zo organisation named The Kuki Inpi has appealed to its community members in Churachandpur to not cast their votes in favour of the ruling party, the BJP, ahead of the scheduled Lok Sabha Elections.
Tribal organisations in Manipur have frequently demanded the establishment of a separate administration in Manipur since the start of ethnic violence between Kuki-Meitei tribes on May 3, 2023.
As the nation heads for the LS polls, the Kuki Inpi issued a mandate on April 16, asking Churachandpur citizens not to vote for the BJP. The mandate stated that every citizen was free to exercise their right to vote but also appealed to tribal citizens to refrain from voting in the outer constituencies, citing the centre’s failure to help resolve the violent clashes since its beginning almost a year ago.
The clashes have resulted in the deaths of over 200 individuals and the displacement of 60,000 others till date. The group also claimed that over 360 churches and 7,000 houses were burned by angry Meitei mobs, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not addressed the issue clearly.
In fact, during a rally on Monday in Manipur’s capital Imphal, Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Manipur would not be allowed to break apart under any circumstances,” indicating the BJP’s favouring the majority Meitei population’s of Manipur and rejection of the Kuki groups claims for establishment of “separate administration”. He also added, “This election is not a battle between the BJP and Congress. It is a battle between those who advocate for the unity of Manipur and those who promote its division”.
Despite the centre’s rampant advocation about the good times ahead after the LS polls, the majority of displaced tribal communities are immensely dissatisfied by the centre’s long pause and irresponsible stance towards the minority communities displaced by the violence.
Deep-seated religious violence has led to armed militia formations
Manipur has a long history of conflict and violence dating back to the 1600s. Currently, the tribal population of Manipur consists of 25% Kuki’s and 15% Nagas, while the rest, 60%, are Meitei. Most of the Meitei population reside in the Imphal valley, while the tribal populations live in the hilly districts. The Kuki-Zo tribes have alleged time and again that most of the government’s development allocation goes to the Imphal valley, where the Meitei majority reside, while the hill districts receive just a fraction.
The Kuki’s and Nagas have fought each other before and have a deep distrust towards each other, but they are united in their hatred towards the Meitei. The Meitei community mostly belong to Hindu faith and are better represented across business and politics in the state in comparison to the tribal population of the hills.
Adding to the centres inactive approach towards the violence, the warring communities have picked up arms to defend their villages from each other but disparities in equipment and other resources indicate that the Meitei’s are better armed and more organized in comparison to the tribal populace, which also reflects in their conflict engagements.
Religious violence and intolerance towards minorities stemming from Manipur’s turbulent past have been quadrupled by the BJP’s “Hindu Rashtra” ideology, with thousands paying the price with their homes and lives.
The centre says “lasting peace” can be achieved if the BJP comes to power
Despite the centre’s promises of “lasting peace,” the Kuki-Zo populations are not hopeful of many changes occurring in the future if the BJP stays in power. Other Kuki organisations, like the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), the Kuki National Assembly, and the Global Kuki-Zomi-Hmar Women, have also appealed to the citizens to not vote for any political candidate associated with the BJP.
Many Kuki organisations also boycotted the Lok Sabha elections following the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, which requires tribal villages to surrender their arms in order to take part in the LS polls. The majority of Kuki-Zo population of Manipur are worried about Meitei attacks in the backdrop of the elections if they surrender their arms.
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