Janab, Aise Kaise?: Why Is Manipur Still Burning? We Ask 5 Big Questions
Five months on, peace seems a distant dream for the northeastern state. So, we ask… Janab Aise Kaise?
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Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
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Violence first broke out in Manipur on 3 May 2023. Five months on, there is still no respite for the northeastern state. In September, Manipur saw fresh violence erupt over the killing of two Meitei students.
When internet services were temporarily restored, Manipur witnessed fresh violence and protests. The schools in the state were shut and Manipur continued to be classified as a 'Disturbed Area' under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958.
Flashback
The Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed several heated debates and disruptions around the conflict-ridden state.
Opposition parties moved a no-confidence motion in the Parliament in an attempt to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the Manipur violence.
PM Modi’s statement on Manipur came four months after clashes broke out on 10 August, in the aftermath of a video from May that went viral.
The video showed a group of Meitei men stripping and parading two Kuki women naked. The mob also allegedly gang-raped one of the women. The video, reportedly shot on 4 May, only surfaced on the internet in July and sparked massive outrage and call for action in the Parliament.
But What Happened After?
India witnessed sarcasm, rhetoric and smirks from the leaders in Parliament. Days after internet services resumed in Manipur in September, more horrific images showing bodies of two Meitei students, who had been missing since 6 July, surfaced online. The students could be seen lifeless in the photos.
The internet was shut down again by the government. A probe was launched into the deaths of the two students while Imphal erupted in protests. Students protested outside Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s residence. Over 50 students were injured as pellet guns were reportedly used to disperse them.
The state government has said that everything is under control. But questions are being raised over the handling of the situation. What steps have been taken to end the conflict between the Meiteis and the Kukis? Why is there no respite in Manipur? Has snapping internet services brought back peace in Manipur?
Manipur needs good governance, not debates. The violence in Manipur has claimed over 170 lives. But five months on, peace seems a distant dream for the northeastern state. So, we ask… Janab Aise Kaise?
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