In Manipur, a serene, rural state in India, the tranquility has been disrupted by escalating tensions.
The transformation of former students into militant guerrillas signifies a readiness for protracted conflict.
One such student turned militant is a 16-year-old boy who once dreamed of a future in football.
His aspirations have since been replaced by the grim necessity to wield a rifle, prepared to defend his Kuki community against the Meitei majority.
In May, a violent conflict ignited between the Hindu Meitei and the Christian Kuki, a testament to the rising ethnic tensions.
This violence has already claimed at least 120 lives, and there is local suspicion that the actual death toll could be higher.
The catalysts for such a conflict are multifaceted, extending from land and public job disputes to allegations of local leaders manipulating ethnic divisions to further their political agendas.
As acts of revenge escalate, the landscape of Manipur bears witness to a spree of murders and property destruction.
Militias have formed on both sides, indicating that this conflict is unlikely to reach a swift conclusion.
Nestled in northeast India, bordered by Bangladesh, China, and Myanmar, Manipur is experiencing a rise in ethnic tensions, threatening to destabilize the region’s diversity and delicate balance.
The Kuki people, making up 16% of Manipur’s 2.8 million inhabitants, have been lobbying for a separate state administration, a demand that the Meitei majority rejects.
With the onset of violent clashes in May, chaos ensued, evidenced by looted police stations and a conspicuous disappearance of weapons and ammunition.
In response to the chaos, militiamen from both Kuki and Meitei factions have taken up arms, their arsenals ranging from assault rifles to homemade metal pipe guns.
An atmosphere of desolation hangs over Manipur’s agricultural lands as they lie barren, punctuated by burnt houses along the unofficial border between Meitei and Kuki territories.
Despite the presence of patrolling military forces, the peace is frequently shattered by the distant rumble of militia firefights.
There’s criticism aimed at the state’s handling of the crisis, with some accusing the government of promoting Hindu dominance, while others point fingers at the government’s support for the Meiteis, escalating the Kuki’s suspicion and resistance.
The ongoing standoff offers a bleak outlook for the future of Manipur.
Peace in this tense state appears to be a far-off dream without a commitment to a non-partisan approach.