in all spheres . Meiteis are the vocal section , as is the case even in the other states of India , where the people from plains encroach upon the land and lives of the less educated and of different culture and customs from those of majority Hindu community , which maintains and imposes its socalled cultural and intellectual superiority over the tribal clans and community . These circumstances have exacerbated the differences in conflict between these communities , which have been brewing for the past 3 decades , often leading to clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities leading to violence and vandalism .
Successive governments have not attempted to diffuse the tensions and smooth-out the differences and antagonism between the communities but instead treated them as law and order problems and dealt accordingly .
The BJP government of Manipur state under the Chief Minister , N . Biren Singh instead of genuinely recognizing and accommodating substantively the territorial rights and identities of tribals , has adopted aggressive and majoritarian project undermining the tribal rights and identities under Article 371C of Constitution where ‘ scheduled matters ’ on the hill areas are made invisible by brute legislative majority . The Meiteis with the support of BJP government have succeeded partially in their attempt to dissolve land rights of tribals in the valley areas which is a major reason to set for the present day conflagrations .
On the other hand the judiciary system and judiciary have considered and adjudged the conflicts and the claims of the communities , based on the legalistic merits according to the colonial laws entrenched in our judicial system but not basing on reality of the day , circumstances and prevailing conditions .
There is one more thing to be said here . After evicting tribals from the forests in the name of protected forests , reserve forests and wildlife
4 sanctuaries , they are handed over to private institutions / trusts in the name of community reserves / forests in the name of conservation . More than 200 of the 220 community reserves / forests in the country are in the north-eastern states . Nearly 75 per cent of Manipur ’ s forests are managed by these communities . Most of the community reserves are held by the Wildlife Trust of India , a partner in the UK ’ s World Land Trust . The World Land Trust is the reason for the eviction of tribals and indigenous peoples from the forests by encroaching of forests in many countries of the world in the name of conservation of forests and wildlife . The Wildlife Trust of India and the intellectuals who fall in with the trust have filed a case that led to the Supreme Court ’ s 2019 verdict to evict tribals from the forests .
The BJP government in Manipur has violently evicted tribals in the name of protecting protected forests , reserve forests and wildlife sanctuaries . A total of 35,000 tribals were forcibly evacuated . Demonstrations have been held across the state in a phased manner for some time now to protest against this forcible move . The discontent intensified when the chief minister himself declared that those who took part in the protests were encroachers , drug smugglers , poppy cultivators and illegal immigrants .
In the name of “ war against drugs ” the state government , attacked tribals instead of arresting and punishing the real culprits – the international drug cartels and the big investors from the valley who are the king-pins of drug trade . Churches that have been in existence for more than five decades were demolished in the name of illegal constructions , just days before Eastern Day , when Christians offer holy prayers in April in the area where clashes are taking place . As a result of this series of actions , the discontent and anger among the tribals , which was like an ember , was ignited into conflagration by the court ’ s verdict .
The order of the High Court to concede a demand of ST status of the Meiteis the majority , has been the last straw that flared up the conflict into violence and conflagration of the present day i . e ., on May 4 the ragtag mobs in Imphal and valley areas have completely targeted and erased the land titles that the tribals held for centuries in the valley and accomplished it , clearly denotes the fundamental and principal cause of these conflagrations : ( i . e .) the inviolable rights of tribals and the question of land ownership .
The very question of M . Manihar Singh Kongpal a Meitei leader in Imphal that “ we are not allowed to buy land in the hills and settle there . How is it fair ” speaks volumes about the actual and real reason behind this conflagration . By hook or crook the people of majority community – the Meiteis – intend to nullify the constitutional land rights of tribals , people living in the hills and deny them the right to purchase land in landmass valley areas of Manipur with the willing support of BJP rulers . Vested interests in collusion with the BJP state government intend to grab and buy the wealthy and resource rich hills and lands of tribals displacing the tribals from their natural habitants and lands under their ownership as has been happening throughout the world in the name of neo-liberal economic policies – the imperialism of the day .
Thus the question of land ownership of tribals is the actual cause behind the present day ethnic conflict and conflagration . Unless this problem is solved , in favour of protecting the constitutional rights and land ownership rights of tribals , such conflicts will raise and continue even leading to the armed struggles of the tribals , as has been happening elsewhere in India as well as in some of the African Countries !
The BJP and its state and central governments are fully responsible in flaring up this conflagration in Manipur , who adopted an anti-tribal and majoritarian project and agenda against the rights of the hill tribal people of Manipur . �
Class Struggle