My Honest take on Manipur ( A very different inside look and long read)

Alright, let's dive into the current pain that is the world of Manipur, a topic hotter than a ghost pepper ( Or Umorok as the Manipuris insist) right now. While some folks might be experiencing Manipur fatigue, it's still a crucial piece of the Northeast puzzle, and I'm asking you to stick with me as we try to make sense of this mess without resorting to simplistic narratives. Let's talk Meiteis, Kukis, and the political circus that's unfolding, yes this is my personal opinion, yes its biased, but no, it's not totally one-sided or a caricature, so shall we? **Manipur: More Than Just a Meitei or the so-called Salais** So, you've got some of these Meitei pundits online, right? They're shouting from the digital rooftops about Manipuri and Meitei nationalism aka sSalai 7 being the very soul of Manipur. Newsflash: it's not that simple, in fact it is a very recent concept. Historically, the Kingdom of Manipur wasn't some Meitei ethnostate. Nope, it was the personal kingdom of the Manipur Rajah, kind of like his own little fiefdom. The idea of a unified "Meitei/Salai 7 nation" is a pretty new invention. For most of its history, Manipur was the Rajah and his subjects, end of story. The Rajah, in his infinite wisdom, would settle and absorb people like it was going out of style. The well-to-do Indo-Aryans who brought along their religions? They became the upper-caste Meiteis, like the Bhamons (Brahmins) and Pangals (Muslims). Those who didn't quite fit the religious mold? They ended up being labelled as Kukis and Nagas, whether they were original inhabitants or newcomers. Now, the Meiteis, they're the undisputed champs of art and culture. No contest. They've blown everyone else out of the water, even the other Indo-Aryans in the region. For such a small community, they've made a mark on everything we consider cool in modern art and culture. Seriously, it's impressive and deserves a standing ovation. But politics? That's a different story. Even the Meiteis can't deny they haven't exactly mastered that game yet. This isn't some inherent flaw of the Meitei people, but rather a consequence of Manipur being, well, stuck in the past. We're talking about a feudal state here, the last one in the Northeast, in fact. Forget ethnic nationhood; the kingdom was the king's personal property. Compared to the political movements of the Nagas and Mizos, which have been brewing for a while, the Meitei political scene is like a newborn baby, just starting to find its voice. The whole idea of separating the king's politics from the people's politics only really kicked off after Manipur joined India in the 50s and started gaining traction in the late '80s. You can see this transition from a kingdom to a people's state in the fact that many Meitei revolutionary(GOI calls them underground and terrorists) groups are all about that Communist life. Unlike Mizo or Naga nationalism, which are more about ethnic identity, the Meitei movement has historically been more focused on class struggle, you know, "power to the people" and all that jazz, not just about founding an ethnic state. People love to point fingers and blame this or that community for Manipur's current ethnic politics woes, but the real culprit is the historical mismanagement of the Manipur Kingdom. Like I said, the kingdom wasnt really into ethnic identity politics. They just resettled people willy-nilly and even let foreign groups call some of the shots. This became a huge headache when Manipur joined India, and everyone suddenly had to pick a label. Ethnic identity in the Northeast is about as fluid as water, and many of these so-called "tribes" are less about ancient origins and more about the Indian Constitution pushing everyone into neat little boxes. For a place like Manipur, where ethnic identity was an afterthought, this was a recipe for chaos. Suddenly, every Tom, Dick, and Harry wanted to make a name for themselves through this new system, and many groups identified. Here's the kicker, the real irony of this whole conflict: Meiteis and Kukis are linguistic cousins, practically family, and share a not-so-distant ancestor. Some folks, both Meitei and Kuki, try to play up the connection between certain plain Naga groups and the Meiteis, but linguistically, the closest relatives of Meitei aren't their immediate neighbours. Ironically, it's languages like Standard Tangkhul and Mizo. So, all this talk about separating Kukis and Meiteis culturally and genetically? Mostly hot air. **The Kuki Question: A Colonial Hangover** You can't talk about Northeast history without mentioning the Kukis, or the Zo people. Our whole region falls under what some smart folks call "Zomia," which comes from the word "Zo." It's this huge area stretching from Tibet to the Laotian highlands, a place that big empires mostly avoided. But Zomia isn't some political movement; it's more like a geographical and cultural zone. Now, "Kuki" has become a loaded term. Most Zo communities started ditching that colonial label way back in the 1950s. Who exactly is a "Kuki" is a debate that could go on forever. The general rule, at least until recently, was that in Manipur, "Kuki" meant Thadou-speaking folks who identified as Kuki. But if you go by the old colonial definitions, "Kuki" also included groups like the Anals, Chothes, Tarao, and Lamkang, who definitely don't call themselves Kuki today. And if we're going by the current crisis definition, then "Kuki" would also include the Hmars and Mizos, who have never identified as Kuki. It's a mess, to say the least. And then there's the whole Myanmar situation, which is a giant headache for both Manipur and Mizoram. But let's be real, the idea that immigration from Myanmar is drastically changing Manipur's demographics is a bit far-fetched. It hasn't even happened in Mizoram, which has taken in way more refugees. And singling out groups like the Hmars and Vaipheis, who barely have a presence in Myanmar, as "Myanmarese" is just plain wrong and doesn't help some Meiteis who are trying to paint everyone they see as Kuki-Zo with the same brush. Even if we ignore the Hmars and others who are wrongly labeled, most of the migration from Myanmar to Manipur comes through the Kabaw Valley, which, guess what, used to be part of Manipur. So, historically speaking, these tribal groups are just as much a part of the old Manipur Kingdom as the Meitei living in Myanmar. Sure, modern borders make things complicated, but culturally, they're all part of the same sphere and were recognized as such by the Manipur Kingdom. **Manipur's Crossroads: A Missed Opportunity?** Manipur sits at this fascinating crossroads between the Nagas and the Mizo/Zo groups, giving it a unique position to influence both Nagaland and Mizoram, and even Chin State. Remember that time a few years back when the Chin State Chief Minister ditched Mizoram's Chapchar Kut to attend Manipur's Sangai Festival? That's what I'm talking about. Manipur, and particularly the Meitei community, could be the cultural melting pot of the region, with the Meiteis leading the way. Sadly, this idea hasn't quite cracked the code of the Manipuri think tank, and the current mess is making it even harder to imagine. Some Meitei intellectuals, like the late Sir Chingtamlen, were starting to explore this concept of a more inclusive Meitei nationalism before things went south. But, as I mentioned, Meitei nationalism is still in its early stages, and being insular is unfortunately the popular trend right now, i am confident that Sir Chingtamlen's idea will further be explored by younger thinkers in the future. What the Meitei think tank should be doing is building bridges with Mizoram and Nagaland. They should stop these valley-based groups from trying to kick Mizo and few Naga groups off the state's tribal list. Meiteis already get preferential treatment in both Nagaland and especially Mizoram. In Mizoram, for example, Meiteis aren't seen as "outsiders" or "vai." Many Scheduled Caste meiteis, are given advantage over other SC Indo-Aryans in government jobs. Many Mizos had no idea that Meiteis weren't traditionally considered part of the Zo people until this whole conflict in manipur blew up. Meiteis have never been harassed because of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Mizoram and are part of the society. There has not been one incident of violence against Meiteis in Mizoram since the start of the Manipur crisis. It's a real shame that some Meitei groups are convinced that the Mizos are the enemy or that there is some grand Mizo conspiracy against them, when the truth is quite the opposite. Meitei Christianity, in particular, has strong ties with Mizo Christianity. Instead of always looking north, the Meitei think tank should be looking south for inspiration on how to move forward. Trying to remove the tiny Mizo community from Manipur's ST list is a terrible idea and will only worsen the already damaged relationship between the Meiteis and Mizos. The same goes for the Angami tribe, whom some valley groups are also trying to remove. **A Way Forward: Vision, Forgiveness, and Maybe Some ADCs** What Manipur needs is a leader, a real visionary, someone who's been around the block, has connections with both the Mizos and Nagas, and is willing to listen, even when it's tough. As for the crisis, the only way forward I can see is something like the Rwanda model, where the state pushes for humanity and forgiveness. Let's be honest, expecting perfect justice for everything that's happened is unrealistic. The best way to end these kinds of ethnic conflicts is often through forgiveness and holding individuals and families accountable to each other, not just through courts, but by rebuilding those broken bonds. It'll be incredibly hard, but it might be the only path. Look, despite all the noise and slogans, the average Meitei or Kuki just wants a stable, dignified life, like anyone else. Even with the Kuki demands, maybe these Sixth Schedule Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. And hey, maybe Meiteis should have their own ADCs too, to protect their culture and identity. It's a shame how ADCs and the Sixth Schedule have been turned into these boogeymen, with the Kukis thinking they're not enough and the Meiteis thinking they're too much. As for the Meitei ST demand, if that's what they really want, there's no good reason to oppose it. And if they want to be able to settle in the hills, why not? There are already plenty of Indo-Aryans living in ADCs across the Northeast, so why should a fellow Mongoloid group like the Meiteis be excluded? But at the same time, the tribal groups' rights and aspirations also need to be respected, including their own ADCs. I believe that Meitei identity and nationalism can grow beyond the valley, by embracing more tribal elements. Thinking of the Manipur Kingdom as just Meitei history is a mistake; it doesn't fully represent either the Meiteis or the tribal groups. Some Meiteis might see incorporating tribal identity and culture as some kind of cultural loss, but in reality, it's Meitei culture that's likely to come out on top. Look at Mizoram: the Luseis dropped their ethnic politics and brought other tribes into the fold. Now, there's no Lusei organization in Mizoram, and talking about Lusei culture is almost taboo; everything is "Mizo." But "Mizo" is now basically a Lusei-speaking community, and "Mizo culture" is mostly Lusei culture. By seemingly letting go of their specific identity, the Luseis built a larger Lusei society under a new name, which they now control. I hope the Meiteis can do something similar. If they do, all this drama about immigrants and "us versus them" will fade away. And it's not like Meitei identity hasn't done this before; it's already a mix of different tribes and castes. They can do it again. In the end, I'm rooting for both the Meiteis and the Kukis. This whole conflict is pointless and a waste of time. No, Manipur won't be split up, and no, the Kukis won't be wiped out. Both sides have everything to gain from finding a solution that works for everyone and the state as a whole. Let's hope they figure it out soon.