Seeking ‘self-governance’

Seeking ‘self-governance’

Subject: Polity

Section: MSc

Context: The tribal organization faces an FIR for ‘attempting to wage war against the government of India’ after it declared a separate administration within Manipur

More about the news:

• The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) in Manipur has gained prominence amid escalating tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities.
• On November 17, an FIR was lodged against ITLF general secretary Muan Tombing for allegedly “attempting to wage war” against the Indian government after he announced plans for a “separate administration.“
• The ITLF, formed in June 2022, includes various tribal councils and leaders from recognized tribes within Churachandpur district. 
• The controversy follows disputes over historical inscriptions and government actions, including the “war on drugs 2.0” and evictions, primarily affecting the Kuki-Zomi people. 
• The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity suggests long-standing aspirations for a separate administration, while the ITLF clarifies its intent for “self-rule” within the Indian Constitution to address historical injustices and ensure tribal welfare.

Some more facts about Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF):

• Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) is a tribal leaders’ forum in Manipur that describes itself as a conglomerate of the recognized tribes in Manipur’s Churachandpu.
•  It has called for the complete separation of the hill areas, inhabited primarily by the indigenous tribes of the Kuki-Chin-Zomi-Mizo group, from the rest of the state.
• The ITLF, representing the recognized tribes in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, submitted a petition to the former CRPF chief, who was appointed as the security advisor to the Manipur government following recent ethnic clashes.
• The forum expressed their inability to coexist with the dominant Meiteis, accusing them of perpetrating endless atrocities and displaying hatred towards the tribal people.

What’s behind the violence in Manipur:

• Manipur was boiling since February 2023
  • Manipur has been restive since February when the state government launched an eviction drive seen as targeting a specific tribal group.The drive led to protests but not on the scale of the one seen recently.
• High Court’s order acted as a trigger point
  • The recent protests were triggered by the Manipur High Court’s direction to the State to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei community.
  • The Court’s order brought the historical tensions between the valley-dwelling Meitei community and the state’s hill tribes to a boil.
• A ‘tribal solidarity march’ was organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) against the order of the High Court which led to the violent clashes at various places in Manipur during the course of this march.