Politician says lack of power sharing and mutual cooperation are root causes of conflict

Photo – Ramnganing Muivah is a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Ukhrul constituency in Manipur and has served for over 35 years as an expert in the fields of finance and infrastructure development for both state and central governments in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Force Magazine Ramnganing Muivah is a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Ukhrul constituency in Manipur and has served for over 35 years as an expert in the fields of finance and infrastructure development for both state and central governments in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He has served in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Urban Development, as well as holding positions such as Joint Secretary, Principal Secretary, and Special Secretary to the Government of Manipur. After retiring as Secretary of the North Eastern Council in 2019, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly as a member of the Naga People’s Front party in 2022. He belongs to the Tangkhul Naga tribe. The Ukhrul district has a long history of insurgency, but the Nagas remained neutral in the conflict between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zos that occurred in 2023. However, in many of the violent incidents that occurred in early 2026, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts became epicenters. The Ukhrul district is a hilly district in the northern part of Manipur state. This district is the main area of residence for the Tangkhul Nagas, and some other communities such as the Kuki and Nepali tribes also live there. The Nagas claim that two more districts were carved out from Ukhrul district with the intention of breaking the unity of the Nagas. Currently, Tengnoupal district, now called Chandel district, was separated from Ukhrul district in July 1983, and Kangpokpi district was separated in December 2016. To the east of Ukhrul district lies Myanmar, to the south lies Kangpokpi district, to the west lie Kangpokpi and Senapati districts, and to the north lies Nagaland state. MLA Ramnganing Muivah was interviewed by human rights lawyer and writer Nandita Haksar. Haksar: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know that this is a very stressful time for everyone in Manipur, especially for the residents of Ukhrul and Kangpokpi hill districts. Before we talk about the current situation, I would like to know your views on the grievances presented by both the Naga and Kuki-Zo hill tribal communities, alleging discrimination against the hill districts by successive Manipur state governments and the central government. Do you agree with this point, and can you provide some statistical data to support the claim that such discrimination exists? Muivah: It is a fact that among the hill tribes of Northeast India, the condition of the hill tribes of Manipur is the worst. For comparison, all the hill tribes of Northeast India have received the highest status under the Indian Constitution, which is 'Statehood'. These are Nagaland in 1963, Meghalaya in 1972, Sikkim in 1975, and Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in 1987. Other tribes, including those living in the Assam plains, such as the Bodos, Karbis, and Dimasa tribes, as well as the hill tribes of Tripura, have enjoyed the rights of Territorial Councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Unfortunately, the hill tribes of Manipur do not even have Local Autonomy. The 'Autonomous District Council' that exists in Manipur is merely a state law and is like a toothless tiger with no powers. Recently, a retired Director General of Income Tax submitted his findings to the Chief Minister of Manipur regarding the huge disparities in budget allocation and fund investment between the valley areas and the hill districts. To elaborate, for the financial year 2024-25, the capital expenditure for the valley areas was Rs 5,215 crore, while for the hill areas it was only Rs 378 crore. This is 93 percent and 7 percent respectively. Similarly, during the same period, for normal expenditure, the valley areas had Rs 22,632 crore, and the hill areas had Rs 4,041 crore, which is 85 percent and 15 percent. As a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I have always pointed out and discussed these important and urgent issues both inside and outside the assembly. To speak frankly and without any malice towards anyone, the root causes of the violence in Manipur are not only population imbalance and drug smuggling, but primarily the lack of power sharing and the absence of mutual cooperation. There are many examples of successful countries and states that have a mixed population of various ethnic groups but live together peacefully and prosper. For example, in Meghalaya state, since becoming a state in 1972, there have been eight chief ministers, four of whom were from the Garo tribe and the other four from the Khasi tribe. The deputy chief minister was from a smaller tribe, the Jaintia. In Sikkim state, the Member of Parliament has always been from minority communities like the Bhutia and Lepcha. Similarly, the President of Singapore has always been from minority communities like the Malay or Tamil. It would be wise for Manipur to emulate these good practices of its neighboring states and countries. "The political boundaries created during the British era and the division of the people have been a tragedy for the Naga people, and we are still suffering from the consequences of this artificial demarcation. It is the deepest desire of every Naga person that all Naga people living in both Myanmar and India will one day live together united under one administrative umbrella."