Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh launched a frontal attack on Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today over "interfering in internal matters" of the violence-hit state. In response, Mr Sangma condemned Mr Singh for dragging in the name of PA Sangma and called it "unfortunate".
Mr Singh did not say what triggered his latest attack on the Meghalaya chief minister. However, Mr Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) had withdrawn support to the then Biren Singh government in November 2024. The NPP has seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur assembly, which is currently under suspended animation, or MLAs active but without powers.
The former Manipur chief minister in a post on X shared a video of Mr Sangma's father, PA Sangma, in which the late Congress leader was heard telling parliament that he was in favour of creating smaller states.
"We must go for smaller states. I am in favour of smaller states. There are many areas where there is a demand for separate states. In our eastern region, for example, or the northeastern region, demands for separate states - Gorkhaland, Kamtapur, Bodoland, Karbi Anglong; Garoland, my own side; Dimasa, Kukiland, so many demands are there," PA Sangma was heard saying in the old video.
PA Sangma was one of the most influential politicians from the northeast, having served as the Meghalaya chief minister, Union minister, and Lok Sabha Speaker.
The former Manipur chief minister termed PA Sangma's parliament speech in which he favoured smaller states "a dangerous idea".
"The late Shri PA Sangma once advocated for dividing the northeast into smaller states along ethnic lines, a dangerous idea that threatened the unity of our nation. Today, we are seeing similar attempts to interfere in Manipur's internal affairs to destabilise the state," Mr Singh said in the post on X.
"... The present crisis is not political at its core. It stems from a complex mix of challenges: the drug menace, illegal immigration, destruction of forests, and the systematic pursuit of power by select groups... Does Mr Conrad Sangma know that Manipur had already initiated border fencing? That the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is now strictly regulated? Has he noticed the alarming rise in unrecognised villages within Manipur's borders?" the former Manipur chief minister said.
Alluding to Mr Sangma's NPP pulling out of the BJP-led Manipur government, Mr Singh said, "It must be noted that when Manipur was facing these serious challenges, others refrained from interfering in our internal affairs. The same courtesy was expected, yet some chose a different path, one driven by narrow interests rather than genuine concern."
Conrad Sangma, explaining what his father would have wanted with what is going on in Manipur, said everyone must work together to bring peace in Manipur.
"... At this time, everyone's efforts should be towards the restoration of peace and harmony in Manipur and not indulge in political posturing. We all have to work together. I once again appeal to everyone to work for the betterment of the people of Manipur. This is what (L) PA Sangma ji would have wanted," the Meghalaya chief minister said in the post on X.
In Manipur, the valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 260 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.
Not The First Time
This was not the first time a leader from Manipur has had a war of words with a leader from another state in the northeast over the Manipur crisis.
Leaders from Manipur's neighbour Mizoram have been openly supportive of the demands raised by their kindred Kuki tribes living in Manipur. Mizoram has also sheltered nearly 40,000 refugees from war-torn Myanmar.
The Manipur government in November 2024 strongly criticised "constant meddling in the internal affairs" of the violence-hit state by the Mizo National Front (MNF), a Mizoram-based political party led by former chief minister Zoramthanga, who was defeated in the last assembly election. MNF general secretary of outreach VL Krosehnehzova had called for the resignation of Mr Singh when he was Manipur chief minister.
"The MNF should focus on the looming threat on Mizo society from the drugs trade instead of passing unwarranted comments on legally justified acts of the government of Manipur to combat drugs trafficking..." the Manipur government had responded in a statement.
Mizoram Chief Minister Laldohuma in January 2024 said he had been expecting President's rule to be imposed in Manipur any time, to which Mr Singh responded that he never commented when the Bru issue happened in Mizoram.
The Bru tribes had been living in relief camps since 1997 before they were resettled in Tripura. They fled their homeland Mizoram to reach the neighbouring state because of ethnic clashes.
Separate Administration Row
Another war of words was between Manipur Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba and his Mizoram counterpart K Vanlalvena for suggesting a "separate administrative area" for the Kuki tribes to resolve the ethnic conflict. Mr Leishemba, who is from the BJP, warned Mr Vanlalvena against "crossing the line" and asked him to refrain from interfering in Manipur's internal issues.
"My friend, Don't cross the line. Please confine in your state issues. Stop interference in Manipur's issues. Be a good neighbour," Mr Leishemba said in a post on X in November 2024.
Among the many friction points in Manipur, the general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram want a land of their own carved out of Manipur.
Both sides have accused each other of attacking villages in the foothills.
The Kuki tribes hold Mr Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, responsible for starting the ethnic violence citing a leaked audio tape in which a voice purportedly of the former chief minister took responsibility for starting the violence over his campaign against drug trafficking and illegal immigrants. The case is in the Supreme Court.
'Kukiland' Demand
Kuki leaders and groups including militants that represent their tribes and signed the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state government have pointed at the ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 as the reason why they escalated their demand from an autonomous council to a separate administration, or a Union Territory with an assembly.
Meitei leaders termed this claim a lie, saying evidence about the demand for 'Kukiland' is widely available and goes back many years.
The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) in a memorandum to Manipur Governor AK Bhalla on January 15 said the Kuki tribes have been demanding a state "since 1946-47."
The old video of PA Sangma's speech in parliament that mentioned 'Kukiland' is yet another evidence that Kuki tribes have been working to break up Manipur for a long time, and is not a demand sparked by the violence in May 2023, Meitei leaders said today.
Kuki 'civil' groups ITLF and CoTU, their 10 MLAs, and the nearly two dozen militant groups that have signed the SoO agreement have come on the same stage in demanding a separate administration and working in tandem, erasing all lines between the civil and the militant.
Meghalaya became a state in January 1972 by carving out two districts from Assam.
