Manipur’s unfolding and extended tragedy, in which two of the State’s major communities, the Kukis and Meiteis, have been on a bloody communal clash since May 3, is proving how utterly meaningless all the contests to score debating points on the media are; equally, it shows how empty all political posturing and vaunts can be in matters of resolving deadly conflicts.
After nearly two months, the State remains tense, with over 120 lives lost. While this cannot be reversed, there are also another estimated 45,000 displaced people in several temporary community-run relief camps on both sides of the divide. For their sake, first and foremost, all posturing must end so that all stakeholders in this conflict theatre — not just the Kukis and Meiteis — can sit down together to evolve a way forward, with consensus, including structural administrative changes agreeable to all, and for the benefit of all.
