The indifferent attitude of the central government is responsible for the unrest in Manipur

- Security of the State under the Constitution also falls under the duty of the Centre

- Opinion - P. Chidambaram

- It is the responsibility of the Center to provide security to each state against internal disturbances

- The central government cannot sit as a silent spectator when there is mismanagement in a state

Article 355 of the Constitution of the country reads as follows.

It is the responsibility of the Center to provide security to each of the states against external aggression or internal disturbance and also to ensure that the government of each state operates according to the constitution.

This clause is very important. It is the duty of the central government to protect each state and not to suppress or eliminate them. Thus Article 355 defines the type of power in India. It is the duty of the Center to see that a state is governed in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The central government cannot sit by as a silent spectator when there is misgovernance or non-governance in a state. These are two main duties of government.

The Center is the constitutional authority. After all, only men and women work and speak on behalf of the central government. This body of women and men is the cabinet and the prime minister is the head of this cabinet.

Double duties

In the case of Manipur, the central government has been missing both duties since May 3, 2023. Instead of fulfilling the duties under Article 355, the Central Government is violating the Constitution. Since May 3, the Prime Minister has not uttered a single word for Manipur, nor has he appealed for peace. He did not even think it fit to visit Manipur. During this time, more than 120 people have lost their lives.

If a critic believes that this is madness, we must examine the reasons behind this madness. I can think of the following reasons.

1. Manipur is ruled by the BJP and if the central government dismisses the government there, it will be a self-inflicted wound. Perhaps to boast that my country is bigger than my party.

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may want to distance himself from unpopular Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh. The twin engines boast of having a bigger engine.

3. Manipur is a very remote state. Therefore, the repercussions of the events happening here are rarely seen in other parts of the country.

4. Let the Maitis and the Kukis fight. With the Maiti under the control of the state government and the Maiti-influenced BJP, the Maiti will ultimately survive. Perhaps to take pride in sabka saath, sabka development, sabka faith.

If more than one of the above-mentioned reasons are true, the central government's Manipur policy is a worthless mixture of selfishness and indifference.

A repeat of the black day

3rd May was a black day in the history of Manipur. 30 years ago on 3rd May 1993, there were clashes between Maiti Hindus and Maiti Muslims and more than 100 people were killed. History has repeated itself on 3rd May 2023. This time the clash is between Maiti and Kukis. The clashes took place after the order of the High Court of Manipur.

The Maiti community has been demanding the inclusion of Maitis in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Manipur for a long time. In the state of Manipur, which has three main communities namely Maitis, Kukis and Nagas, each state government has not considered it appropriate to meet this demand as it would create a conflict of interest.

There were also allegations that governments were backing down but there were reasons for not taking a hasty decision. Before independence, Maitis were included as one of the tribes of Manipur, but this community was not included in the Constitutional (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. At present most Maitis are covered under the general category, about 17 percent of OBCs.

The political balance between the three major communities is very delicate. Out of the 60 constituencies in the state legislature, 40 are dominated by Maitis, 10 by Kukis and 10 by Nagas. Kukis and Nagas are among the 36 communities classified as Scheduled Tribes. If the Maitis are classified as STs, the electoral map may change modestly, but land ownership and government jobs in declared tribal areas may be affected.

Poor pointing

The clashes came after the court directed the state government to make a recommendation to the central government within four weeks, observing that the state government had not made any recommendation for the inclusion of Maitis in STs for ten years. There is much that can be said for both sides, but there is nothing that the court has to dictate. The court should have put this responsibility on political bodies like state legislatures and the Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

The Prime Minister did not give an appointment to the 30-member BJP delegation. Former Chief Minister of Manipur Shri. Even the ten opposition parties led by Ibubi Singh were not given time by the Prime Minister.

In Manipur one engine (state government) is running out of fuel while the other engine (central government) has decided to isolate itself and people are hiding in sheds. Manipur is burning due to double engine. I feel sorry for my country.