India: Will the violence in Manipur turn into militant separatist movements? | DW News

The Indian state of Manipur that borders Myanmar has a long history of ethnic conflict. The region has grappled with insurgencies and ethnic conflict that resulted in thousands of casualties over decades. The tensions between the two groups – the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki – have been simmering for years over a range of issues, including land rights and crackdown on minority groups. The Kukis, who belong to the same ethnic group as the Chins from Myanmar complain that the government and the Meitei majority have treated them unfairly. The Indian state’s crackdown on illegal immigrants from Myanmar has led to persecution, abandonment and a deep sense of alienation among the Kukis, who have been labelled as illegal immigrants and drug dealers. The Meitei’s on the other hand, say that the illegal immigrants are helping Kukis in procuring arms to attack them.

The current crisis more than month long violence is one of the worst in recent history. With the failure of the state to protect the ethnic groups, there has been an emergence of armed civilian groups from both sides. The latest casualties n ethnic violence that's gripped India's north-eastern state of Manipur are a seven year old boy and his mother.

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