Ministry of Women and Child Development

• The dispute over the burial site is the latest episode in an ethnic conflict that has rocked Manipur.
• Since May, the stream of violence has claimed the lives of over 180 people and has displaced thousands.
• Despite the violence, the central government only responded with statements after images of a shocking attack on two women were shared online.

Government inaction

• After the video was widely shared online, and more than two months after the violence first broke out, Modi finally made a statement.
• The parliament has been in session since July 20, but the prime minister has yet to make an appearance to discuss the situation in Manipur.
• In a statement, the Indian Supreme Court said violence against women in Manipur has reached an “unprecedented magnitude.”

What’s behind the violence

• Instances of ethnic violence are often attributed to decades of unresolved strife between various tribal and non-tribal groups.
• This ongoing violence was triggered by the Manipur High Court’s decision in April 2023 to include the state’s majority Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
• In response to the outbreak of violence in May, the Manipur state government shut down internet services.

Why has Manipur been ignored?

• States like Manipur have been subjected to “neocolonial governance” and have not benefited from social, political or economic development because they are often viewed as “amorphous shadowlands” within India.
• People in the region have often been neglected and positioned as outsiders by the rest of India.
• India’s democratic veneer has helped it evade international scrutiny for the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.
• International outrage at what has happened in Manipur has been minimal.