New Delhi: In a no-holds-barred interview to The Wire, Bimol Akoijam, the newly elected Congress MP from Inner Manipur, laid the blame for the ongoing violence in the state squarely at the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and the BJP.
Akoijam, known for his accurate academic analysis and public intellectualism, did not mince words as he dissected the complex dynamics fuelling the unrest that has ravaged the northeastern state for over 500 days.
“This violence is a product of polarisation in society orchestrated by the BJP and the government of India led by the party, and [of their] dubiously projecting themselves as the saviour of the Meiteis while stoking the same sentiment among the Kukis,” he said.
According to Akoijam, the violence is part of a larger, insidious plot to manipulate ethnic tensions for political gain.
“My assessment is that the BJP promised the Kuki armed groups a separate administration or state in exchange for their support during the elections. This is an attempt to destroy the idea of Manipur, to counter the historically rooted political issues represented by Manipur’s political armed groups. In effect, what we’re seeing now is an attempt to neutralise these groups, which have consistently refused to engage in talks with the government.”
Akoijam suggested an even deeper geopolitical strategy behind the violence – one that extends beyond internal state politics.
“I have sensed from day one that the crisis has a geo-strategic dimension. The Kuki armed groups are being used as a sphere of influence by the Indian state in Bangladesh and Myanmar, areas already under Chinese influence. If India can establish a buffer zone near the Bay of Bengal, it will allow the country to assert control over the region. “These Kuki groups, as many authors have pointed out, have long been propped up by the Indian state to counter the Naga armed groups and later the Meitei groups. This fits perfectly into the broader geopolitical strategy that I have understood all along.” –Agencies
