Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh stirred a hornet’s nest by accusing the late Lok Sabha Speaker and former CM of Meghalaya, Purno A Sangma, of the “dangerous idea” of dividing North East states into smaller entities along ethnic lines.
Staunchly defending his father’s legacy, the current Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangma, chose a measured response, calling Biren’s words “unfortunate”.
Biren shared a video on X of Purno speaking in Parliament and wrote, “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.”
Manipur, which is now under President’s Rule, has been plagued by violence between ethnic Meiteis and tribal Kukis since 2023 and more than 250 have died on both sides. Biren has been accused of partiality towards the Meitei community and was removed as CM after the central government imposed President’s Rule, despite Biren being a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which runs the Centre too.
The ex-CM also appeared to be in denial that his administration had anything to do with the spark that set the state ablaze two years ago. One of the causes is that the Manipur government had been seeking to give tribal status to the Meitei community, which would allow its members to buy land in the tribal hill districts, something that Kuki groups opposed.
Today, Biren did not refer to this at all, instead saying, “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.”
Meitei politicians, the Manipur government and other groups have blamed Kukis for the spurt in the illegal drug trade and have also accused many Kukis of coming from troubled Myanmar and settling in Manipur.
Since 2023, calls for a “separate administration”, Union territory status or even their own state have grown within the Kuki community.
According to Singh this state is home to several small, vulnerable indigenous communities, whose protection necessitated the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).
According to him, after years of effort to safeguard the indigenous populations of Manipur, the state has begun to make real progress such as the implementation of ILP.
Singh also stated that Conrad should know that the violence was not spontaneous; he claimed it was instigated by those who feel threatened and insecure by this kind of progress.
“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.
The FMR allowed citizens of India and Myanmar living on the international border to venture up to 16km into each other’s country.
Biren said that Manipur’s experiences should serve as a lesson, not a platform for political posturing. “Refrain from encouraging illegal immigrants or interfering in matters that threaten this delicate balance. The people of Manipur have endured enough. Let us live in peace,” he added.
Conrad termed Biren’s statement on Purno as “unfortunate”.
“It’s unfortunate that @NBirenSingh ji has dragged the name of (L) Shri P. A. Sangma ji. Sangma ji has always fought for the people of the North East, was a strong advocate for different issues and rights of the people of the North East,” Sangma stated on X.
He said that 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) P A Sangma ji would have wanted,” he added.
Conrad’s National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew its support to the Biren-led BJP government in Manipur in November 2024. President’s Rule was then proclaimed in February of this year.
