No sign of resolution to deadly sectarian violence in Manipur
At least 120 people have been killed since May in armed clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki
By Eastern EyeAug 02, 2023
CHARRED walls, collapsed tin roofs and smashed windows in a burned Kuki community church illustrate how deadly ethnic violence has led to brutal sectarian attacks in India’s troubled Manipur state.
At least 120 people have been killed since May in armed clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki in the northeastern state.
Many in Manipur believe the number could be higher.
The bitter fighting has lasted for almost three months, a deep embarrassment for India’s prime minister Narendra Modi as he prepares to host a summit of G20 leaders in September and contest a general election next year.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also heads the state government in Manipur.
Street protests spiralled into armed conflict and now, rival gunmen have dug into bunkers and outposts along the highway and in other places in Manipur. They regularly fire at each other with assault weapons, sniper rifles and pistols.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes because of the fighting, villages have been set on fire and many women sexually assaulted, residents and media reports say. The Meitei-dominated state police are seen as partisan, while army troops have been ordered to keep the peace but not to disarm fighters. There is no sign of any early resolution.
Historian and author Ramachandra Guha said the situation was “a mixture of anarchy and civil war and a complete breakdown of the state administration”.
“It is a failure of the prime minister at a time of grave national crisis,” Guha added, speaking in a TV interview. “Narendra Modi lives in a bubble of his own, he does not like to be associated with bad news and somehow hopes he will ride it out.”
The prime minister’s office and a state government spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Kukis make up around 16 per cent of Manipur’s roughly 2.8 million people, according to India’s last census in 2011. However, their demands for a separate state administration for them are rejected outright by the Meitei, who form more than half of the population.
Conflict erupted from a mix of causes including competition for land and public jobs, with rights activists accusing local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.
The politicians deny that, but months into the crisis, divisions are hardening into bitter cycles of revenge attacks that have included killings and the burning of homes, Christian churches and Hindu temples. The rivals have formed militia forces who insist they will not be laying down their guns any time soon.
Much of the violence and killings have taken place in buffer zones near Manipur’s foothills where intense gun battles erupt regularly, security officials said.
The stretch of the national highway where the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district meets Kuki-controlled Churachandpur is one of the zones that has seen some of the worst fighting.
According to government estimates, 2,780 weapons stolen from the state armoury, including assault rifles, sniper guns and pistols, remain with the Meiteis, while the Kukis have 156.
Kae Haopu Gangte, the general secretary of the Kuki Inpi Manipur, an umbrella Kuki civil society group, blamed the conflict on what he said was the desire of the Meiteis to dominate Kuki land.
The Kukis now want a separate state within India, he said.
“Until and unless we achieve statehood we will not stop,” Gangte said. “We are fighting not only Meiteis, we are fighting the government.”
Pramot Singh, founder of Meitei Leepun, a prominent Meitei organisation that has members on the frontlines, said all Meiteis supported the conflict.
Three months ago, 16-year-old Paominthang was a student from the farming Kuki people who dreamed of being a football star. Now he is armed with a .303 rifle and said he is ready to kill rival Meitei community fighters if needed.
Paominthang, who gave only one name for fear of reprisal, said he abandoned his books after a Meitei mob attacked his family. “They burnt down my house – I had no other choice,” he said, cradling his gun and insisting he had no qualms about using it in defence. “I will shoot.”
His base, dubbed ‘Tiger Camp’, is reachable via a thin path up steep and lush hills. Similar camps run by rival forces are dotted across the area.
In militia camps in both Kuki and Meitei areas, reporters saw men armed with an array of sophisticated weapons, including Kalashnikov assault rifles and homemade guns crafted out of metal pipes.
A memorial to the people who have died in the state’s spiral of violence
“We can’t show you, but we have ammunition that can last for more than two months,” claimed Phaokosat Hokip, 32, a Kuki fighter, who in May worked for an aid agency.
Hokip’s group conduct dusk-till-dawn sentry duty from their sandbagged post, staring into the dark using high-powered binoculars, with other militia members resting in shelters made of plastic sheeting attached to bamboo poles.
“If we are not here with guns, they will turn up in thousands and burn down our houses,” Hokip said.
Across the divide, in the Meitei camp, gunmen say they are fearful of the Kuki. “Even the state forces are not able to control it,” said KB, a 55-year-old Meitei who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It is a civil war.”
The Meitei people have long accused the Kuki of supporting undocumented immigrants from Myanmar and poppy cultivation, claims the Kuki deny.
“We used to live together,” added KB. “Suddenly, they attacked us, and now want a separate administration – that will not happen”.
India’s home minister Amit Shah has promised an “impartial investigation” into the violence and has said the government “stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Manipur”.
DS Hooda, a retired Indian general who served in Manipur, said the government had to tackle the crisis in “a nonpartisan manner”.
“If civilian vigilante groups are going to take up weapons to protect themselves, it is a sad commentary on the authority of the state,” he said. (Agencies).
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE is now investigating more than 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects, following years of public criticism and institutional failings in tackling child sexual exploitation.
A new report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has revealed the force has made “significant improvements” in dealing with group-based sexual abuse and related crimes.
According to the 76-page report, GMP is handling ongoing investigations involving 714 identified victims and 1,099 suspects. These are described as “multi-victim, multi-offender” cases, reflecting the complex and organised nature of many of the crimes under investigation.
Michelle Skeer, HM Inspector of Constabulary, said that since 2019, GMP has taken steps to improve how it handles both historic and ongoing abuse cases. “It is clear that the force has, for many years, been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation,” she said. “But for some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost.”
The report praised the leadership of chief constable Sir Stephen Watson and his team, noting a cultural shift within the force. Senior officers have made child protection a top priority, personally engaging with staff to reinforce its importance. “Investigating child sexual exploitation is now considered everyone’s business,” the report stated.
GMP is the only police force in the UK with a dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT), formed in 2021.
The unit has around 100 staff and a ring-fenced budget. It applies the same specialist tactics used for tackling serious organised crime, which has already resulted in 42 convictions and over 430 years of prison sentences for offenders.
According to the report, the delay in sharing crucial data from local councils, particularly Manchester City Council, which was criticised for submitting evidence so heavily redacted that some pages contained only a few words.
These delays have hindered investigations such as Operations Green Jacket and Bernese—cases linked to historic abuse in South Manchester, including the death of 15-year-old Victoria Agoglia in 2003.
Manchester City Council said legal restrictions around personal data sharing led to redactions, but it has since introduced a new evidence-sharing process with police, allowing investigators remote access to unredacted documents.
Sir Stephen acknowledged past failures and issued a renewed apology. “I am sorry that when you needed us, we were not there for you,” he said. “To those who are responsible for these repugnant crimes – as is now very apparent – we will pursue you relentlessly.”
A report by Baroness Louise Casey previously found a significant over-representation of Asian men among child sexual abuse suspects in Greater Manchester. While this remains a sensitive issue, Sir Stephen noted it was a “legitimate question” that could be addressed in a future national inquiry.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who commissioned the review, said he was “confident” the system is now in a stronger place. “Never again will any child here be labelled or dismissed when they come forward to report concerns,” he said. Burnham added that the reforms had sparked a “widespread culture change” across police, councils, and care services.
A separate Ofsted report backed these findings, acknowledging "much good practice" but calling for continued vigilance, especially in how agencies respond to missing children and those at risk of exploitation as they approach adulthood.
The Crown Prosecution Service has been approached for a comment.
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This year’s Diwali event will still see Belgrave Road continue to host what is left of the festival. (Representational image)
THIS year’s annual Diwali celebrations will be stripped back amid public safety fears. Leicester City Council has said there will be no fireworks or stage entertainment as part of major changes announced for the event.
Cossington Street Recreation Ground will also not be used for the festivities, the council has revealed. The green space previously was the location for the main stage and the Diwali Village with its food stalls, funfair rides, fashion and arts. The annual fire garden display was also based there, offering “a peaceful oasis amid the festive excitement”.
The council says major changes are needed to avoid the “potentially dangerous”, “massive” crowds that gather each year for the Hindu festival of light. The celebrations, widely considered to be the largest outside of India, have been branded a “victim of their own success” by the authority.
The changes have been announced after “serious concerns” about public safety were raised by the Diwali safety advisory group, the council said. It claimed the current set-up was branded “no longer fit for purpose” and that “urgent action” needed to be taken. “Several meetings” have since been held to consider options, the authority added.
These included potentially relocating the event to Abbey Park or Leicester city centre. However, the decision was made, following engagement with Belgrave businesses, to keep the celebrations in their historic home.
This year’s Diwali event will still see Belgrave Road continue to host what is left of the festival. More than 6,000 lights will be installed along the Golden Mile and the Wheel of Light will also return this year, the council added.
Assistant city mayor for culture Vi Dempster said: “Unfortunately, Leicester’s annual Diwali festival has become a victim of its own success. We’re being strongly advised by our emergency service partners and crowd control experts that it cannot continue safely in its current format due to the unrestricted and growing crowd numbers that it attracts, and that’s a warning we must take extremely seriously.
“We are absolutely determined that Diwali continues to be part of the city’s festive calendar. We also understand the depth of feeling to see it continue on the Golden Mile where it began over 40 years ago. To do that, we must ensure that it can take place safely. That must be paramount.”
The major changes follow a stripped-back celebration last year after the council decided to cancel the annual light switch-on due to financial difficulties, focusing on just the Diwali Day celebrations itself. The authority said at the time that costs for staging the dual events had skyrocketed from £189,000 in 2018 to a staggering £250,000 in 2023.
Graham Callister, the city council’s head of festivals, events and cultural policy, said: “Diwali has been a real highlight of the city’s festival calendar and attracts thousands of people who come from far and wide to join in the celebrations on the Golden Mile. However, we are now being advised by our emergency service partners and event security providers that we have reached the point where the growing crowds and sheer volume of people attending is causing significant concern about public safety.
“Scaling back on event infrastructure and activity means there will be the additional space needed – and more importantly less congestion – to safely welcome the crowds that want to celebrate on Belgrave Road.”
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A SENIOR Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organisation he has established have the authority to decide his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The comment runs contrary to China’s long-standing position on the matter.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said on Wednesday that after his death he would be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader, and that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust would be able to identify his successor. He had earlier said that the next Dalai Lama would be born outside China.
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“No one has the right to interfere or decide who the successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be,” Indian media quoted Rijiju as saying.
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Following Rijiju’s comments, China’s foreign ministry on Friday warned India against interfering in its internal affairs and urged it to act with caution.
“We hope the Indian side will fully understand the highly sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference.
India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the Dalai Lama’s succession plan.
Rijiju, who is a practising Buddhist, is expected to be joined by other Indian officials for the birthday celebrations in Dharamshala.
India is home to tens of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, who are allowed to live, study and work freely. The Dalai Lama remains a respected figure in India, and foreign policy analysts say his presence gives India some diplomatic leverage in its relations with China.
Ties between the two countries deteriorated sharply after a deadly border clash in 2020 but are now slowly improving.