One state that continues to contradict all claims of good governance is Manipur. Not only have the imposition of President’s Rule and a change of Chief Ministers not had the desired impact, but the conflict has broadened this year. Added to the Meitei-Kuki standoff is a Kuki-Naga one along community lines. Protests staged last week underlined the desperation that adequate political attention is missing even after 41 months of conflict. On Wednesday, protesters tried to storm a sport complex where Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh was present, two days after they tried to leave two dead bodies in front of the CM’s residence. The double-engine government must speed up equitable development and learn from the wisdom of community elders in the region who have quelled similar longstanding conflicts in the recent past.
