The unprecedented ethnic clashes in Manipur since 3 May, 2023 leading to the murder of at least 54 people, injuring hundreds and loss of property worth many crores have not yet fully subsided. It has become more evident that in the clashes between the relatively better off and dominant “Hindu Meitei” people composed of 53% of the population and the oppressed “Christian Kuki tribals”, the BJP regimes both at the Centre and in the State are openly on the side of the former. Revealingly, the Meitei leadership integrating itself with the Hindurashatra agenda of RSS is even demanding the implementation of NRC in Manipur to thwart the entry of tribal migrants in to Manipur from neighbouring regions. Allegations of police siding with the dominant community as manifested in the police’s reluctance to register FIR and police standing spectators as killings take place are widespread.
Demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the reservation list with ST tag is a decade-long one. But the RSS backed BJP regime which in consonance with brahmanical Manuvad as it’s ideological basis has already undermined the basic character of Indian Constitution through its upper-caste oriented economic reservation, is now the biggest proponent of providing ST status to Meitieis in accordance with its fascist agenda of extreme social polarisation. As expected, this move on the part of the ruling Hindutva regime to support and identify itself with Meiteis against the Kukis has further intensified the discontent and already existing grievances of the latter on account of the growing political-economic penetration by Meiteis.
It was in this critical situation that like pouring fuel into the fire, the last month direction of Manipur High Court came directing the State government to expedite the process of giving ST status to Meiteis, perfectly in tune with the majoritarian agenda of RSS/BJP. The Court crossing it’s limits and encroaching in to the sphere of legislature which is constitutionally mandated to decide on political issues of far-reaching outcome, should be seen as part of the ongoing process of saffronisation of judiciary too.
In this context, CPI (ML) Red Star demands the BJP regime to desist from its ‘divide and rule’ policy based on majoritarian agenda in Manipur of pitting the majority section of society against the minority section by appeasing the former. We appeal to workers and all oppressed and all democratic and progressive forces including antifascist democratic sections in Meities to rise up against and defeat this heinous move by Indian fascists.
P J James is General Secretary, CPI (ML) Red Star
