Land and Drugs: Key Drivers of Strife in Manipur

The state, with a geographical area of 22,327 square kilometers, is predominantly a landlocked region, with over 90 percent of its territory comprising hills and the remaining being valleys. It is home to three major ethnic communities: the Meiteis/Meeteis, Kukis, Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), and Nagas, along with 29 native tribes. The Meiteis primarily inhabit the valley and constitute around 53% of the population, while the tribal communities, including Kuki and Naga/Zomi tribes (Chin-Mizo), make up about 40% and reside in the hills. It’s worth noting that the Meiteis follow Hinduism, whereas over 90% of the Kuki and Naga populations have converted to different denominations of Christianity over the past few decades. Myanmar and Manipur together shared is 398 km international border.

The conflict arose when the tribal communities, led by the Kukis, expressed their protest against the High Court’s decision, fearing that granting ST privileges to the Meiteis would enable them to purchase land in the hilly areas.

In response, the All-Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM), spearheaded by the Kuki ethnicity, organized a “Tribal Solidarity March” in the seven hill districts on 3rd May 2023. Unfortunately, this rally turned violent in Churachandpur district, which borders the Imphal Valley, and clashes erupted between the protestors, numbering around 60,000, and the Meitei and Kuki populations. The violence swiftly spread to ten other districts of the state, underscoring the critical issue of land access and denial in the hill region as a major cause of conflict.

Drugs

Another crucial and hidden aspect that is often overlooked in this context is how the North Eastern Region, particularly Manipur, has become a hotspot for the drug trade, transforming from a transit point to a production hub, in the last five to seven decades.

This NE region shares international borders with Thailand, Myanmar, China, and Laos, and its proximity to Myanmar, the world’s second-largest producer of opium after Afghanistan, has contributed to this concerning development.

Manipur, in particular, is considered a part of the infamous Golden Triangle, an area surrounding the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, known for its involvement in the drug trade, which is considered to third largest business in the world, next to petroleum and arms trade.

The bulk of global illicit opium production continues to take place in a limited number of countries, notably in Afghanistan. In 2022, production in Afghanistan reached 6,200 tons, equivalent to 80 per cent of the estimated global production (7,800 tons),and was followed in volume by Myanmar (795 tons) and Mexico (504 tons – latest data available for 2019/2020).

To combat this drugs menace in Manipur, Chief Minister Biren Singh, initiated the ‘Nisha Thadoklasi’ and ‘War on Drugs’ campaigns in 2018. He also allocated a dedicated team of at least 100 police personnel in each district to root out and destroy poppy plants.

These below figures underscore the severity of the drug issue in the North East Region, making it imperative for authorities to take decisive action.

During the ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ conference held in Assam on 8th October 2022, the government revealed alarming statistics on drugs production and trade.

Between 2006 and 2013, authorities confiscated 1.52 lakh kilograms of drugs, and this amount doubled to 3.30 lakh kilograms between 2014 and 2022. The value of the seized drugs also saw a dramatic increase, rising from Rs 768 crore during 2006-2013 to a staggering Rs 20,000 crore between 2014-2022.

Since 2018, there has been a significant increase in drug seizures, along with the detection and dismantling of several illegal drug manufacturing units. As part of the war on drugs, around 3,716 acres of illegal poppy plantations and 5.51 acres of cannabis (ganja) were destroyed. In 2019, the NAB (Narcotics and Affairs of Border) along with the police team busted a brown sugar factory at Lilong in Thoubal district, with a value of Rs. 100 crore in the international market. In June 2019 and October 2020, eight brown sugar labs were busted by Manipur police, with this eight labs, six of the labs were being located in the district of Thoubal.

The drug mafia has flourished due to the unprecedented rise of poppy cultivation in the remote hilly areas of Manipur, specifically in districts like Ukhrul, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Kamjong, Churachanpur, and Tengnoupal. These regions are also Kuki tribal dominated areas, where armed underground groups are said to be involved in controlling and funding the drug cultivation, refining and trade.

Also it was reported that the armed tribal group signed under suspension of operations known as Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) insurgents have been instigating poppy cultivators in Manipur.

These areas have witnessed massive investments by drug mafias. Law enforcement agencies managed to destroy 1,420 acres of poppy plantations between 2020 and February 2021. In the same year, Chief Minister N Biren Singh rewarded a total of Rs. 10 lakh to a village in Ukhrul district for voluntarily destroying poppy plants grown in the area.

Manipur faces the menace of easily accessible drugs, including tobacco products, ganja (marijuana), alcohol, opium, Spasmo Proxivon (SP), methamphetamine (WY), codeine cough syrup, and pseudoephedrine.

Regarding the misleading church narrative, some Christian news agencies and the Church have been portraying themselves as victims in this conflict. Even the BBC claimed that around 500 churches were destroyed by mobs. In Andhra Pradesh, evangelists have been collecting donations and urging their followers to participate in solidarity prayers at local churches, taking processions in their neighbourhoods. A few evangelists arrived in Manipur under the guise of relief and rescue operations for Christians.

The Manipur violence is not linked with any individuals or parties, it is well connected with groups. We can see the modern weapons and machinery in the hands of mob, and slogans to wipe out Meities and illegal bunkers by Kukis groups are known to public through social media. The local women shielding the culprits by blocking the army battalions tasked to control the situation and some of the worrisome developments.

Govt approach:

Under the Act East Policy of NDA, in the last eight years, from 2014 to 2022, 1,350 projects worth Rs.15,867 crore have been sanctioned under the schemes of the Ministry of DoNER and NEC in the North-Eastern States. Recently, Manipur is connected with railways by constructing world tallest pier railway bridge connecting the remote areas of the state. The proposed railway line from Jiribham to Imphal will bring railway connectivity to the state capital. The railway is proposed to be extended to Moreh on the Indo-Myanmar border. With these developments Manipur will soon witness strong connectivity with rest of India resulting in further boost to infrastructure, tourism, and education.

Amidst these developments, the opposition to the High Court’s directive to grant ST status to Meities appears to be an attempt by forces inimical to the growth and prosperity of Manipur, to keep the state in a perpetual state of backwardness with poor connectivity so that their nefarious activities can go on unhindered. They have been joined by forces in rest of the country to undermine the government’s efforts at all round development of the state and tarnish the country’s reputation.

The writer is an associate at Centre for South Indian Studies (CSIS)