The blockade was the fallout of identity politics in the region. Within Manipur, the divide between tribes, especially Nagas, living in the hills and people in the Valley has widened. The state government in Imphal must hear out the Naga groups and their fears regarding dilution of the powers of autonomous district councils. Imphal fears that the demand for autonomy could shore up the claim of the NSCN, the Naga rebel group led by Th Muivah, which wants a greater Nagaland by including parts of Manipur. The Centre must assure Manipur that the state's boundaries will not be tampered with. But Imphal should also realise that various ethnic communities have to stay together if Manipur's interests are to be protected. The immediate task for the state government is to facilitate reconciliation between various communities in the state that stand divided. Political groups must desist from championing exclusivist identities. It is possible, and necessary, in this increasingly globalising world for people to have multiple identities. The autonomy of a Naga identity can surely coexist with Manipuri and Indian identities. And, of course, a person need not necessarily subscribe only to these state or community-centric identities.
Relief For Manipur
The blockade was the fallout of identity politics in the region. Within Manipur, the divide between tribes, especially Nagas, living in the hills and people in the Valley has widened. The state government in Imphal must hear out the Naga groups and their fears regarding dilution of the powers of autonomous district councils. Imphal fears that the demand for autonomy could shore up the claim of the NSCN, the Naga rebel group led by Th Muivah, which wants a greater Nagaland by including parts of Manipur. The Centre must assure Manipur that the state's boundaries will not be tampered with. But Imphal should also realise that various ethnic communities have to stay together if Manipur's interests are to be protected. The immediate task for the state government is to facilitate reconciliation between various communities in the state that stand divided. Political groups must desist from championing exclusivist identities. It is possible, and necessary, in this increasingly globalising world for people to have multiple identities. The autonomy of a Naga identity can surely coexist with Manipuri and Indian identities. And, of course, a person need not necessarily subscribe only to these state or community-centric identities.