Manipur to grant greater autonomy to existing hill councils: Report
In an attempt to resolve the ongoing ethnic violence in the state, the Manipur government has reportedly proposed to the central government that it is willing to allow greater autonomy to existing hill councils. According to The Indian Express, this move by Chief Minister N Biren Singh's state government aims to resolve the concerns raised by the Kuki community while maintaining a united state.
Why does this story matter?
Around 180 people have reportedly died in Manipur since a protest against the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demands of the majority Meiteis on May 3 triggered statewide unrest. Meiteis—constituting 53% of Manipur's population—are concerned about the restrictions on settling in the state's hilly areas and the large-scale illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, tribal Kukis and Nagas—almost 40% of the population—are worried about losing their ancestral lands.
Kukis likely to reject government's proposal
Amid the current situation in the state, however, the Kukis are likely to reject this "greater autonomy" proposal by the Manipur government, reported TIE. "At the moment, they (Kukis) have dug in their heels on separate administration. Only after a prolonged period of peace is established, perhaps, this will come under consideration by them," a source told the publication.
Kuki community's demand for separate state
It's worth noting that the Kuki community has been demanding a separate administration and has accused the state government of complicity in the targeted attacks against them. On the other hand, the Manipur government has refused to accept their separate administration proposal but is now willing to increase the autonomy of hill councils, giving them more control over their regions.
MHA's work so far to resolve Manipur conflict
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been actively working to find a solution to the conflict by reportedly holding discussions with representative groups from both the Kuki and Meitei communities. Over a dozen such sessions have taken place, with top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah taking part in some of these discussions. However, no concrete resolution has been reached yet.
Meanwhile, ammunition, explosives recovered in Manipur
Separately, security forces in Manipur recovered 70 ammunition, 16 sophisticated weapons, and 16 explosives over the past 24 hours during search operations on Saturday. These were recovered from the northeastern state's vulnerable areas like Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur, and Kangpokpi districts. According to the Hindustan Times, the police also confirmed that 2,257 individuals were arrested over violations in different districts.
