After 865 firing incidents, the killing of 250 people and the recovery of 5,600 arms and 35,000 ammunition since May 3, 2023, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologized to the people, expressed “regret” for the ethnic strife and urged all communities to “forget and forgive” the past incidents. It took more than one year and a half years to feel apologetic and regret for the worst ethnic violence in the state. What next?

Political analysts question his intention behind what he said on the last day of the year 2024. Will he take actions against those guilty of violence, including those close to his party? Will the Chief Minister punish officers responsible for committing execesses and human rights violations?

What Biren Singh Will Do Next?

Will Biren Singh call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue, and make a committee comprising people from both Metei and Kuki-Zo communities?

Will he constitute a reconciliation council taking cues from South Africa that took steps to go for “forgive and forget” in true spirit?

Or is it just a stunt taken on the eve of the New Year?

It is too early to draw a conclusion, but there is no sign to suggest that Biren Singh is serious to resolve the conflict that has made thousands of people homeless.

CAPF Action Under Cloud As CM Apologises

It can be understood by the fact that on the day when the Manipur Chief Minister made this statement, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) allegedly used force to disperse women protestors at Saibol village in the Kangpokpi district, injuring many Kuki women.

Biren Singh chose to be silent on the issue, bringing his intention under a cloud.

Will Biren Singh Probe Attacks On Churches?

Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal alleged that 249 churches belonging to one ethnic group were gutted in the first 36 hours of the violence that erupted on May 3.

Archbishop Lumon also alleged that the clashes between the largely Hindu Meitei people and the predominantly Christian Kuki people included religiously motivated attacks.

It has been alleged that the churches belonged primarily to the Kuki tribe and the attacks were carried out by the Meitei tribesmen, many of whom were allegedly supporters of the ruling party.

Will the chief minister order an investigation into the allegation and punish those found responsible for the attacks?

The Manipur archbishop also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “silence”, Home Minister Amit Shah of “cluelessness”, and the local government of “indecisiveness”.

What Biren Singh will do and will he accept the allegations?

What Actions Will Manipur Govt Take?

If the reports published by the Reuters are to be believed, 77 Kukis and 10 Meiteis were killed during the first week of violence.

It also said that “the majority of the Kuki deaths were caused by murderous Meitei mobs, who roamed the streets of the Imphal city and other locales in the valley, attacking people in their homes and on the streets.”

The news agency of international repute also reported that according to government data, on May 14, the figure stood at
73 dead, 243 injured, 1809 houses burned down, and 46,145 people evacuated.

Reuters also reported that 26,358 people were taken to 178 relief camps, 3,124 people were evacuated by flights, and 385 criminal cases were registered.

Will Biren Sinh take action to address these issues and bring the people to justice?

Action After Supreme Court Slams Govt?

The approach of the state government was so callous that the Supreme Court took a dig at it and expressed shock that it took 14 days for the police to register even a zero FIR in the case of two women being paraded naked by a mob.

The apex court came down heavily on the Manipur government and
called the police investigations “tardy”. It also said that the state underwent an “absolute breakdown of the constitutional machinery”

What the Manipur Chief Minister could do was to say that the riots were instigated by a “prevailing misunderstanding between two communities” and appealed for restoration of normality.

The political observers wondered what Biren Singh would do next so that the seriousness of his approach would not be questioned.

Much is yet to be seen.