Manipur CPI(M) state secretary Kshetrimayum Santa said the Sixth Schedule must be implemented in the tribal hills of Manipur and the tribal land laws must be revised. Poppy cultivation must be legalised in the state, like in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, he said.
Santa said there was an attempt by the RSS to implement 'Ghar wapsi' in the state. He pointed out that the fundamental forces with a political agenda, indulging in divisive politics, fuelled the ethnic strife that started on May 3.
The CPI(M) secretary clarified that although many churches were destroyed during the riots, religion was not the root cause of the unrest. He also asserted that there was no attack against Meitei Christians, even though their churches were burnt, and there were no attacks on Naga Christians and their churches during the clashes.
According to him, the riots broke out over the reservation issue. Despite being a member of the Meitei community, Santa's stance on the Meitei-Kuki issue is entirely different from the general Meitei political narrative. "As a Communist, I don't want to be identified with any particular community. The situation in Manipur is complex, and it is time to boldly speak the truth," he said.
“The government's failure to deliver justice in Manipur has exacerbated the situation. Apart from the complete failure of intelligence, the government took no action in the early days to quell the riot. Not a single bullet was fired, nor was a tear gas shell used. Moreover, on May 2, one day before the riot, there was a massive rally of BJP supporters, during which they reportedly threatened the tribals," he added.
"Chief Minister Biren Singh took a provocative stance against the tribals. Allegations like illegal immigrants, poppy cultivators, and forest encroachers were used against the Kukis. The claims that the Kuki tribesmen have destroyed the forests are not true," he said.
"The BJP governments at the centre and the state have sought the help of Kuki militants during the elections. It is the BJP leadership that has given money to Kuki militants and empowered them. BJP candidates won there," he said.
He believes that the government should adhere to international agreements regarding refugees. “It is incorrect to blame refugees for all the problems. The situation in Myanmar has worsened, and people are crossing the border to save their lives. India needs to treat the Myanmar refugees with a humanitarian perspective. When we talk about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), it is essential to show compassion and humanity towards our fellow human beings,” he said.
CPI(M) secretary suggested that the government should legalise poppy cultivation in the hills of Manipur, similar to what has been done in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh."Tribal land should be protected, and at the same time, tribal land laws should be revised," he added.
While the CPI(M) is against the separate administration that the Kuki organisations are demanding after the riot that started, it is the stated policy of the party to provide sixth schedule status to tribal hills, which allows for greater autonomy over tribal land.
Currently, according to the Kuki customary law, only the village chief is the owner of the land and the rest are tenants. Since the tribals are not getting ownership of the land, many are relocating to the valley and purchasing their own lands, which have proper land documents like Patta.
The influence of Left parties in Manipur politics is decreasing day by day. Two decades ago, CPI(M) had MLAs in Manipur, and CPI had five representatives in the 60-member assembly. "We are against identity politics. We want to demonstrate that we are a different political party," said Santa. Although the party has a low membership, according to him, it holds a strong influence in central and state government employees' unions in the state.
