Not all the Meiteis are evil: But how did all these atrocities happen?

Anthony Shongthu

Since the beginning of the current ethnic turmoil, I have been closely following the development from both sides. So, with a fair amount of confidence, I can say that I have gathered enough knowledge to give a preliminary judgment on the role of the silent majority within the Meitei community. In other words, I can confidently say that not all the Meiteis are evil!

As a person who has been brought up in Imphal, mostly among the Meiteis for the last 20 years, I have encountered many sane Meiteis, and many of my friends are also from the same community.

Moreover, being from a humble background, I am what I am today largely from the many kind-hearted persons I met during these two decades. There were many individuals who helped me when I was in need of financial as well as moral support. Out of these, a reasonably good number were Meiteis. If I had not met these generous people, my career could have ended prematurely. 

To come straight to the point, when the Meitei mob began attacking the Kuki-Zo community in Imphal, I was in my university hostel pursuing my higher studies. We never knew it was a well-planned attack aimed not only at the lives and properties of the minority Kuki-Zo people but also their intellectual property. What was more intriguing was that we never knew that the unruly mob would attack educational institutions. Even though churches were among the first targets, educational institutions and education-related materials such as books, certificates, etc. were expected to be spared. Yet, in total contrast to what we have anticipated, the intellectual property of the Kuki-Zo, particularly those of University students, scholars, and professors, were not to be left behind.

However, despite the attack on the “Kukis” being well-orchestrated, there were many saner persons among the Meiteis who did their best to save their friends and their neighbours. In my own University, I could see many students and scholars involved in attacking the “Kukis” but there were also others who did whatever they could to protect their “Kuki” friends. In one such case, when a Meitei mob numbering about a hundred stormed every hostel and residential quarters, a Kuki boy was ingeniously escorted by his Meitei friends by disguising him as a non-Kuki. Anyway, the similar looks of  Kukis, Nagas, and Meiteis have come in handy in a situation like this. Later, he was evacuated to the Assam Rifles post like many others.

In my case, I didn’t receive any help worth sharing from my Meitei friends when the mob attacked our hostel on the 3rd of May 2023. It was just a miracle that I, along with some of my friends, had a narrow escape through the back door to hide behind the bushes. Yet, there were few friends, belonging to both the Naga and Meitei community, who were really concerned for us. Even when the Army vehicles arrived for evacuation, it was these few noble souls who gave us the signal when to come out and when not to. 

Moreover, during our five-day stay at 1st Bn. Manipur Rifles, many Meitei friends had called or texted us to inquire about our situation. I am sure they were helpless but the fear of being caught by the radicalised section within their own community did not deter them from at least showing their sincere concern through mobile phones. There were also Nagas, Pangals, and even friends from outside the state who kept encouraging us and prayed unceasingly for our safety. They will not be forgotten!

Nevertheless, there were two individuals within the Meitei community who stood above all the others who were also equally kind-hearted. I will neither disclose their names nor their profession for their own safety, but I will simply share a little bit about how they walked the extra-mile to help me during those challenging times. For the convenience of the readers, I will simply call them Tomba and Chaoba.

Mr. Tomba is a much older person. I have known him for the last 15 years. And he has been so kind to me that our father-son-like friendship has grown beyond all social boundaries. He would often visit my village, and I would usually return the same favour whenever I could. So, when Tomba heard about the mob attack at my hostel, he rang me up to inquire about my situation. On the next day, i.e., the 4th of May 2023, as he was aware that we had reached 1st MR, he immediately came to see me, and handed over whatever amount he had at that moment. He also took the trouble of picking up some of my relatives who were stuck in different locations. Since then, he kept asking me to update my situation till we were safely evacuated to Kangpokpi on the 8th of May 2023.

Similarly, Chaoba is also a senior to me in academics though he is not as old as Tomba. Our relationship was also not as close as with that of the former, but close enough to count him as one of my few valued Meitei friends. While we were in 1st MR, he called me up and asked if he could do anything for me. So, I told him the little things I badly needed at that moment.

One fine morning, he came to see me with a lot of things such as a mat, mosquito net, bedsheet, pillow, quilt (thin blanket), shorts, t-shirt, a pair of towels, socks, slippers, and even a used-underwear. Apart from these, he also brought a packet of 1 Litre package drinking water bottles, cold drinks, juice, biscuits, and many more. Not done with this, he also gave me some amount in cash before he left. He too kept inquiring about my situation till we reached our hometown safely.

Now, my intention in sharing all this is nothing but to show that there are still saner human beings amid madness where murdering and chopping off of human bodies are openly celebrated as a sign of victory reminding us of the past headhunting days we often listened to as a story. In other words, I am pretty convinced that it is only a minority within the majority Meitei community who have been engineering all these deaths and destructions.

One may ask how violence on such an unprecedented scale happens if it is only the minority within the Meitei community. The answer is simple: first, it is a well-planned project; second, it has been tacitly supported by the state government since the inception of the plan; third, the use of different tactics including the spread of fake news, control of the media, silencing the intellectuals, etc., have been crucial in the success of the plan, and fourth, it is also partly because of the silence of the majority which enabled the radicalised section within the dominant community to run the state.

Now, as all the intellectuals who do not subscribe to the dominant narrative advocated by the radicalised section, such as the Arambai Tenggol, Meitei Leepun, Meira Paibi, UNLF-P, etc., are forced to shut their mouth; as all the media houses are controlled by these groups; and as nobody dared to speak against the narcissistic leadership and his private militia groups, the current ethnic cleansing pogrom is unlikely to end soon. However, a day will come when the leaders of these private militia groups are awarded for accomplishing the tasks assigned to them, but the silent majority and the whole state pay the price collectively. Let us remind ourselves of what Desmond Tutu said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” 

(Courtesy: KSO Bulletin, Thingkho le Malcha, Issue No. 240, 20 May 2024).