Given the small structure and the insignificant economic contribution Manipur should generally be understood as a unified state. However this is completely a wrong picture. Howsoever small, Manipur has the largest political and ethnic divides. There were several circumstances when Manipur and its politics came into the national agenda and made the headlines. The first instance of this was seen in 2001 when mass protests lad to the Nagaland ceasefire. Next thing to grab the attention was the brutal murders of elderly women who protested naked at the Kangla Fort. It was followed by the assassination of Manorama Devi on 11th July, 04. Landmines then took around 60 civilian lives between 2003 and 2007. This time period also witnessed the mass rape of backward tribal women by armed groups. Then came the series of strikes and 68 day blockade of the NH 39. The days of the Nagaland ceasefire saw headlines like ‘Manipur burning’ and it reflects the political situation as well. The protests led by the Naga tribes were confined to the Meitei area. These prove the failure of the AF(SP)A as a political party. The tribal groups hailed the central forces as their protector and would not listen to the government’s plan of withdrawing them and replacing by state forces. Manipur on fire The moment central forces were ordered a move the tribal gathered and resorted to counter killing the state police which claimed the life of many civilians too. The landmine killing of the 60 tribal aggravated the hatred and not to mention the mass rapes. Shootings culminated at the Mao gate as a result of tussle between the state government and Naga extremist forces. Life in the Manipur is never safe and revolutions and terror killings can surface out any time. There are several ethnic strikes with demand of self governance.
the state politics in manipur has been very clumsy as their are big differences in the government leading the people and the tribal outfits who are against the state government and police. violence keeps breaking out in the province every now and then and there needs to be some initiative taken to handle such pressures by appointing native people as leaders.
