Noted political economist N. Venugopal has attributed the violence in Manipur to the ‘sectarian agenda actively pursued by the Bharatiya Janata Party governments at the Centre and in that State’.
Speaking at a seminar organised by Kula Nirmulana Porata Samiti (KNPS) on Manipur violence and corporatisation of the hill State, Mr. Venugopal alleged that the BJP was instigating ethnic clashes between the Meitei community of Imphal valley and tribal Kukis in Manipur.
“All democratic and secular forces should join hands to stop the BJP from retaining power in 2024 or else the experiments being carried out in Manipur would be replicated across the country by putting different communities at loggerheads,” he opined.
It was unfortunate that the ruling BJP remained unmoved by the violence in Manipur even after gender crimes came to light. The tribals were facing the threat of losing their rights over forests as the ruling BJP was currying favours with select corporate firms, he said.
Journalist Usha S. Daniel, who visited the Kuki refugee camps, said that the passage of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act of 2023 had opened the floodgate of commercial exploitation of the forests in the northeast region including Manipur. ‘‘As per the Act, forest clearance is no longer required within 100 km of international borders for strategic linear projects. Forests in Manipur and other northeastern States are facing the threat of extinction due to exploitation of mineral wealth and the oil palm plantations raised by corporate firms,” he said.
