'Manipur is critical to India's Look East policy.'
'It's a strategic state. In the Second World War, the Japanese entered Manipur through Burma.'
'China can use the same direction to approach India.'
"Manipur is the most important state in the North East because of its road access."
"In 2019, we were discussing wonderful things like Burmese religious tourism to Gaya, Bihar; medical tourism to Imphal; building more hotels and making Manipur into a trade, transportation and storage hub," says retired Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan who served for nearly 15 years in the North East.
The general was director general of Assam Rifles, the country's oldest and largest paramilitary force.
A third generation army officer, he was chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group to ensure peace in the North East.
"All our plans and aspirations for changing the thought process, or for making the North East as a development hub have been severely affected by the violence in Manipur," says the distinguished officer in the second part of an informative interview to Rediff.com's Archana Masih.
- Part 1 of the Interview: 'Violence won't end till people say let's stop it'
The looting of state armouries and access to modern weapons has posed a serious problem in Manipur.
What repercussions does it have when destructive weapons enter people's homes and villages?
Both Meiteis and Kukis have access to arms.
The looted weapons will remain with certain groups of the Meitei community and the armed groups that they have raised.
The weapons have also found their way to the insurgent groups.
The Kukis have access to weapons from Myanmar. The Kukis belong to a different race called the Chin-Zo tribe. The Chin-Zo tribes come from the Chin state [western Myanmar] which borders Manipur and Mizoram.
The entire state of Mizoram is Chin and, therefore, is supportive of the Kukis and blames the Meiteis.
In Myanmar, the Chin insurgent groups are fighting the Myanmar army and have access to weapons from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and China.
Several Meitei groups from Manipur are helping the Myanmar army fight the Chins and the same issue has now gone across to India.
It is unlikely that the Kukis will run out of people or weapons, mainly because the Chin state lies across the border and because they outnumber the Meiteis. They have an almost endless supply of people and weapons from across the border.
They buy weapons from the grey market in Ruili on the Indo-Myanmar border. China is helping Kuki groups in Myanmar by giving weapons and creating mayhem.
Manipur is an important border state with security implications, but the intra-tribal violence that started six months ago is yet to stop. What is the way forward?
Manipur is critical to India's Look East policy. It's a strategic state. If you take your mind back to the Second World War, the Japanese entered Manipur through Burma.
China can use the same direction to approach India.
As a soldier, it's extremely disheartening to see the problems being faced by our country in Manipur. Kukis control the Chin state [on the Indo-Myanmar border]. If we make enemies among sections of the population in Myanmar which is part of a very critical landmass, it will definitely help the enemy.
China is helping the rebels and insurgents in Myanmar with weapons, information, intelligence and training. It's a matter of time before China starts creating problems inside our country.
Our leaders must understand that we must have peace in our border areas. We were able to bring peace to Kashmir. I have fought in both Kashmir and the North East, therefore, it is disheartening to see that Manipur which was a model state in the North East has become an area of conflict again.
After seeing prolonged conflict, especially in the 1990s, what were some indicators that normalcy had returned to Manipur till the clashes began in May again?
Construction of railways and a passenger terminal were underway. The plan was to establish train connectivity by 2024-2025.
There is a large airport in Imphal. In fact, among all the World War II airfields, the one in Imphal was the most important and largest. The flight path could take the heaviest of planes and cargo.
Imphal had the potential to be the hub of all trade in Southeast Asia -- Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and all the other Southeast Asian countries. But this disturbance has wiped out hopes for the generations ahead because Kukis control the Chin state and they will not cooperate.
All our plans and aspirations for changing the thought process, or for making the North East as a trade hub has been severely affected.
Most importantly, we had to keep the state growing and the population secure.
I have spent a lifetime in the North East and have lost many soldiers in battles against the insurgents. We were able to control the situation and signed a ceasefire with the insurgents.
The intra-tribal problem has been manipulated. It is extremely sad and disheartening.
From your personal experiences, are there any anecdotes that can serve as a beacon in solving the situation today?
Before I was commissioned, my unit served in Mizoram, which is a 100% secure and peaceful state now. It is a model for how to end insurgency and bring peace.
The Mizo Accord signed in Shillong in 1986 brought peace in Mizoram and was the basis on which we were trying to bring peace in the rest of the North East.
I was also the chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group where we were able to get the insurgent groups to sign ceasefires and today Nagaland is also going to reap the same benefits of peace.
The most important state because of its road access is Manipur. I was part of the Indian delegation to the Indo Myanmar trade meeting in Imphal in 2019 and we were discussing so many wonderful things like Burmese religious tourism to Gaya, Bihar; medical tourism by building more hospitals in Imphal because it's just 30 minutes by flight; building more hotels and making Manipur into a trade, transportation and storage hub. But the violence will now deter people from putting money here.
The idea was to also get more colleges in the state. Unfortunately, the state government did not move important institutions out of the valley. It only concentrated on the valley and as a result the valley is crowded with government institutions, hospitals, schools etc.
It is a tribal society and this has obstructed equitable growth among the different tribes because the hills and valleys are dominated by different tribes who keep peace within itself.
But this has created a problem like the one we are seeing today.
- Part 3 of the Interview: 'Assam Rifles is probably the best fighting force in the country'
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
