Will Ajay Kumar Bhalla's appointment as Manipur governor set the house in order?

At a time when the tiny northeastern state of Manipur is looking for confidence-building measures in the form of an inclusive governance approach from the government to restore peace in troubled areas, the appointment of former Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as governor of Manipur brings hope on several counts. The need of the hour is to find a solution which goes beyond a dominant security approach to create a more participatory model where rights of all communities are protected and grievances heard, especially after the long drawn strife demands relief and rehabilitation as the first step.

After ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 last year, a physical divide in the form of so-called buffer zones became a necessary evil in fringe districts between hills and valley where several checkposts on either side were being manned by locals as well as the Manipur police. The divide might have controlled the law and order situation but it also created invisible divisions between people on both sides creating a challenge for the state government in following months. The uncertainty was accentuated with the vast internally displaced population living in makeshift camps with dimming hope of returning to their homes.

ALSO READ: Who is Ajay Kumar Bhalla?

While the government has been holding dialogue with various stakeholders both in the valley and hills, it will take a concerted approach both by the Union and state government to make the situation conducive for people to cross over from the valley into the hills and vice versa without the fear of being targeted. The second big challenge for the ex-home secretary is to ensure a complete recovery of missing weapons that may have gone into the hands of people in both hills and valley areas, making disarming the civil population a key step in restoring peace in the long term.

Strife in any state, especially in the difficult terrains of the northeast, has a major impact on infrastructure and amenities, as developmental works like building of roads take a hit. For Manipur, the problem becomes more complex as its border areas with neighbouring Myanmar get cut off, making the internal security situation a bigger challenge for the border-guarding forces.

Government sources admitted that developmental works slowed down as the focus was restoration of peace and normalcy. The outcome was disturbing since the implementation of the Union home ministry’s decision to scrap the free movement regime between India and Myanmar slowed down on the ground, with border works like fencing posing a challenge.

At the moment, the need for the Union and the state government to be on the same page remains a top priority with the worsening internal security situation in Myanmar which has reopened routes of smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition besides illegal migration of a displaced Myanmarese population.

As home secretary, Bhalla took keen interest in border management even as various options were explored on building the first line of defence with the active deployment of either the Assam Rifles or even deploying central paramilitary forces. As governor, he will carry the experience of tackling the many years of border neglect owing to many factors, said a security official, which is expected to bring clarity on addressing the key issues plaguing the state.

The silver lining is that despite several months of unrest, Manipur has not reported calls for secessionist violence.