Essay On Ethnic Conflict In Manipur

Ethnic conflicts have occurred in almost all parts of the world where under developed or developing societies are coupled with multi-ethnicity. India’s North-east has been the home of 200 different tribes speaking a wide multitude of languages. Though the unrest in the region has a history of political causes, the regional conflicts is deeply rooted in its multi-ethnicity. These conflicts are social, political and economic conflicts between groups who identify themselves and others in ethnic terms. While studying ethnic conflicts in 'Northeast India ', one cannot but look at Manipur which exhibits as many problems that could possibly appear in the discourse of collective conflict. Perhaps it is the only state in the entire north-east which experiences such varied forms of issues and problems.

Manipur is inhabited by ethnic groups broadly classified into Meiteis, Meitei-Muslims, Kukis and Nagas. The last two are concentrated in the hill areas, while others are concentrated in the plain areas. Today Manipur is not only suffering from armed movements of innumerable underground organizations but also from a complex ethnic crisis. Being inhabited by different groups of people, a harmonious existence of the state is being threatened as the interests of one group clash with the other. The Nagas, Kukis and Meiteis have shared common spaces and have been competing for the same land and other resources, since times immemorial, thereby leading to an ethnic conflict which has often manifested itself in violence and bias against each other This has given rise to assertion of group identity; inter group competition for resources, political instability, insecurity and