Why RSS peacekeeping mission in Manipur may worsen crisis

As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) assumes the role of a peacemaker in strife-torn Manipur, concerns are being expressed that its involvement could further complicate the situation.

The conflict has already become more complex with the recent emergence of a new armed Kuki group, stirring the delicate power balance in the hills.

Sangh’s peace plan

Amid the new volatile dynamics, RSS publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar has claimed that the Sangh’s Swayamsevaks (volunteers) initiated communication with both Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities to reconcile the two conflicting groups.

Though RSS and BJP functionaries in Manipur are tight-lipped about the Sangh’s peace plan, Ambekar has said the volunteers are promoting dialogues between the communities. He is also confident about finding a solution, as the situation in the state has improved since last year.

Incidentally, in March, the RSS claimed at its national executive meeting that it would take a long time to rebuild an atmosphere of trust and cordiality between two communities.

Also read: Manipur: Four shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Churachandpur

Lack of insight

However, Ashang Kasar, the convener of the Forum for Restoration of Peace in Manipur, said the RSS’s latest assessment of the situation lacks insight.

“A drop in the number of incidents of violence by itself does not indicate an improvement in the situation. Only yesterday (July 8), the Kuki Inpi, the apex body of the Kuki tribe, reiterated that it would not participate in talks with any Meitei civil society organisation as part of the Home Ministry’s initiative. This raises a question about who the RSS is talking to,” Kasar told The Federal.

The trust deficit between the two Balkanized communities is still as deep as it was at the onset of the conflict, he revealed.

Also read: Manipur police arrest 6 militants, including 3 women

Illusion of peace

Manipur Pradesh Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, too, made a similar observation, pointing out that his party’s Inner Manipur MP Akoijam Bimol Angomcha was prevented by the central forces earlier this month from visiting a village located in the periphery of Imphal Valley over security concerns.

“There is no free movement of people. Even an MP cannot move within his constituency. Farmers are not able to till their fields in the periphery without security protection. Internally displaced people still have no hope of returning to their respective original homes. Is this an improvement of the situation?” questioned Singh.

Also read: Manipur crisis: Why is Amit Shah still relying on Biren Singh?

New conflict brewing

On the ground, the situation is far from being normal, admitted several security officials and intelligentsia The Federal spoke to.

In Kuki areas, security sources said, a new conflict is in the offing as some village volunteers have mobilised themselves under the banner of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a nascent armed-group.

The outfit is not aligned with any of the existing Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, who are under a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government.

Also read: Manipur govt lifts prohibitory orders in Imphal valley districts

Increased fratricidal killings

The SoO group held parleys with the Centre last month on issues like opening of highways for free movement, surrender of weapons, relocation of their camps that are close to Meitei-inhabited areas, and overall restoration of peace in the state, official sources said.

The overemphasis on the SoO group to resolve the ongoing conflict apparently has not augured well with other stakeholders, who seek more inclusive representation in the peace process, sources said.

The recent ambush, in which a deputy chief of an armed group under SoO was killed along with his two “bodyguards” and a civilian in the Kuki-Zo-dominated Churachandpur district, was the handiwork of the nascent UKNA, source added.

The UKNA is reportedly at loggerhead with the old groups over area domination, posing the risk of increased fratricidal killings.

Also read: Manipur: Fresh protests over arrest of Arambai Tenggol leader; two cops injured

RSS’s anti-Christian bias

The involvement of RSS at this juncture could further muddy the situation given its anti-Christian bias, said local observers.

Senior RSS Pracharak Jagdamba Mall’s recent book on the conflict has been titled Manipur in Flames: Conspiracy of The Cross. The name is self-explanatory. He argues that the separation of the hill administration and the Church’s “conspiracy” to convert Kukis to Christianity are aimed at creating a rift with “Meitei Hindus and India”.

Mall has worked extensively among the tribals of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam.

“How can anyone with preconceived bias can mediate peace? Its (RSS’s) involvement will lead to more fissures in the society, and create a communal divide,” Kasar warned.

Also read: Manipur on the boil again: Meitei leader’s arrest stalls return to normalcy

All-round scepticism

Claiming that the present conflict is the creation of RSS-BJP, Singh said the government should try to resolve the conflict instead of outsourcing it to the Sangh volunteers, who will only deepen the division.

Even those who are not against the initiative are not very optimistic about the positive outcome. Manipur BJP spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Haokip is not averse to the RSS’s involvement in the peace mediation, but he is also sceptical about the success of the move.

“No matter whether it is the RSS or Donald Trump, mediating peace will not be easy until the stakeholders on both sides realise the futility of violence,” he said.