Manipur Is Burning

By:- Kevi Meru *

Muivah is not Moses and Ibobi is not Pharoah. Nagas are not waiting for a Moses to appear and lead them to a promised land flowing with milk and honey. Through the largesse of the GOI (govt. of India) and by corruption, many Nagas are living in large houses, driving fancy cars, wearing pricey designer clothes, and eating choice foods. Thanks to the monsoon of rupees raining down from the friendly skies of Delhi to Nagaland.

Okay, there is plenty imperfections and a lot left to be desired in Nagaland, but this article is focusing on Manipur. My knowledge of Manipur is limited and many will find points of disagreement with my perspective. Nevertheless, I strongly feel sharing what is on my heart may open a few eyes --- hopefully for the better --- and make them think again.

This is not a finger pointing campaign, but an appeal to Meiteis to see reason and stark realities waving before them to be acknowledged. I hope my Meitei brothers and sisters will open their ears even if they don't like what I have to say. With all due respect, I need to be brutally frank so readers may chew on it for days and come to an attitude adjustment if need be. Or as they say, sleep on it and wake up with a bit more wisdom as an ethnic group.

(1). Manipur is burning with rage, frustration, insecure feeling, lack of development, insurgency, power abuse, hatred, hopelessness. Meiteis are feeling insecure. As the dominant community in Manipur, once upon a time, the Meitei rajahs could impose their wills on the other communities. Now that is history. Still the idea of ethnocentricism is playing a big role among them. In ethno-centricism, an ethnic group thinks it is the best, it is number one, it is the sun on which all other ethnic planets revolve.

The downfall of Meitei dominance was initiated when a Meitei rajah was hoodwinked by Bengali Hindus to convert his kingdom into Vaishnava Hinduism. In Hinduism there is no conversion (one is born a Hindu and fit into a casts), but conversion did happen and the religion of bondage was imposed on Meiteis. Some resisted this move and escaped to Myanmar, Bangladesh, Assam, and other parts of India.

Hinduism is not conducive to progress and economic growth, and India is emerging economically inspite of Hinduism and not because of it. To this day around 70 percent of Meiteis are stuck with the rituals and superstitions of Hinduism --- but they have acquired the joy of eating pork. Hello!

In many so-called All Manipur organizations you will be hard pressed to find a non-Meitei member even as a token representative. It is high time Meiteis swallow a dose of humility and see others as their equal --- not that Meiteis are better than others in the first place. The Meitei rooster should no longer think its crowing empower the sun to rise.

(2). Manipur is imploding. Except for a few rare individuals, Hindusim has made Meiteis to be ungenerous. They want to dominate, they want to control, and they are stingy. Why, the very evidence is Ibobi himself, Mr. Ten Percent. Another evidence is that even to get a low teaching job, one has to shell several lakhs of rupees to whoever holds the pipeline --- this is an outgrowth of the spirit of stinginess in Meiteis. This is a curse in Manipur that desperately needs reversal.

(a) AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act). What an evil act ripe for abuse by unstable and egoistical commanders.

I salute the Iron lady of Manipur, Irom Sharmilla. But her unselfish fastings alone cannot untangle the the grip of AFSPA, as she has no message for the corrupt leaders and the insurgents. Political corruption and stinginess of those who hold the mega purse and the opposite reaction of the insurgents has given birth to this accursed AFSPA. These three axis of evils must go away altogether, or they will remain to feed on one another, making the ugly tumor bigger and more painful.

Developments and benefits are not trickling down to the average person in the street. Insurgency is a natural result from brilliant kids who can see no future and no prosperity. In such an environment, the profession of picking guns and bossing the rich at the end of the barrel proved a short cut to extract their share of wealth. To cover the shameful behinds of the corrupt rich, AFSPA has to come into play. Greedy Meiteis versus disatisfied Meites, with the armed forces as the referee. Goddess Laxmi has really come to curse Manipur. Pity the poor police and armed forces caught in the middle --- although they too have abusive elements of their own.

(b). A message to Christian Meiteis and non-Meiteis. Had Irom been a devout Christian and spent the kind of fasting before the God of the Bible, Manipur would be seeing the light of prosperity and peace by now. Because there is spiritual and transforming power in prayer and fasting. Many corrupt politicians would be exposed and disposed, the insurgents would be halved and the remaining on a wimpy run, and ASFPA would be lifted by now. But sadly this is not the case, because Sharmila's fast has only moral force and not spiritual power. The corrupt and the power-hungry never listen to moral force.

This is to say that Christians in Manipur ought to be fasting and praying in earnest and in concert. They do have a weapon (Ephesians 2:2; 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:3-6, etc) and they ought to be exercising it for the good of Manipur. Only then you will begin to see the rise and fall of many and liberate Manipur from tyranny.

(3). Pharoah Ibobi. A most hated man by many Meiteis themselves has become a hero for making a stand against Muivah. But for how long is the question. On the other hand, Muivah's stature also increased even among some ho-hum Nagas and this event has effortlessly recruited many volunteers from some enthusiastic youths. Last Saturday Telegraph (Kolkata) unleashed a pro-Ibobi, anti-Muivah article --- just like the CRPF who side with Assam whenever there is a border dispute between Assam and Nagaland. One could think also of the folks in Tirap and Changlang feeling disenchanted and disconnected from Arunachal because its government has blatantly ignored any meaningful development to these regions.

One is not sure how long the Meiteis who once hated Ibobi with perfect hatred will stick with him. Because they are realizing that they cannot survive on emotional surge and ethnic pride alone. They need rice, kerosene, petrol and medicine to survive. And Ibobi and cronies are siphoning away crores of rupees away from Manipur --- some ordinary MLAs own posh flats in Dehli. If situation gets too bad and intolerable in Manipur, they can escape to some choice cities in India and live like Meitei Rajahs --- and in the next life be begging for a drop of water in hell (Luke 16:24-25).

Pharoah resisted any advice for change until Egypt came to utter ruin. To avoid the same fate, Meiteis must come to the realization that Meiteis and non-Meiteis are equal in every way. That Imphal is not Manipur, but simply its capital. That power and flow of cash must be equitably distributed to all districts, instead of being concentrated in the hands of a greedy few in Imphal.

The insurgents should insist that there should be no more paying of exorbitant fees just to get a job. Christians must repent of it and begin praying against it.

These considerations plus the fervent prayers and fasting of Christians will turn Manipur around in a few years. Only then Manipur will become the paradise in the Northeast it once was --- beautiful valleys, good weather, rich soil, colorful inhabitants.

To my dear Nagas, as the Governor of Meghalaya recently quoted, you can change your friends, but you cannot change your neighbors. Learn to respect and peacefully co-exist with Meiteis. We cannot afford not to. Besides, our Lord commands us to love our neighbors. Both Nagas and Meiteis are in a love-hate relationship. May love triumph. Include the Kukis here.

Manipur is burning, but Ibobi is not the man to douse it, for he has collected his crores but is blind to the sufferings of the mass. Some years ago someone called Saddam Hussein the thief of Baghdad. Now you tell me who are the thieves of Manipur. Throw out the rascals and exorcise the curses. Only then Manipur will begin the process of healing. Peace and prosperity will come at last. Let Manipur shine!