Aasima Banu Sheikh is a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She’s far away from her home in Manipur and is a Manipuri Muslim. Of late, she’s been getting news of clashes sparked by almost petty incidents, between groups of Muslims and the Meitei community, who form the Hindu, ethnic majority in Manipur. “Can people simply be attacked for attending festivals of other communities?” asked Sheikh. “Even though we are living in the 21st century where there is so much talking about freedom, people are killing each other. This is really shameful.”

News from Manipur doesn’t reach mainland India too often. In March and April, there have been at least three serious incidents of violence in and around Imphal. On March 25, six Muslim boys were brutally beaten up by a group of Meitei while they were on their way to Yaoshang Thabal Chongba ground for Holi celebration in Lilong, near Imphal. Less than two weeks later, there was another incident in which Meitei brutally thrashed three Muslim boys, allegedly for trying to steal a vehicle. Two of the three succumbed to their injuries. Four days later, on April 11, the Meitei and Muslims clashed again, this time in Imphal’s Konchak neighbourhood. There were no casualties, but Newslaundry spoke to journalists in Imphal who said approximately 30 people from both communities were injured, eight houses were vandalised and some cars were torched.

These incidents were reported in local media in Manipur, but they barely made a ripple in national newspapers. One reason for this is that there’s a strong sense of distrust among Manipuris when it comes to the mainland. “Please don’t use my name,” said one journalist who spoke to Newslaundry about these recent incidents. “Everything is very sensitive and if what is coming out is favouring the other… it will be a problem.” The same sentiment was voiced by another journalist too. Both of them reiterated that Manipur was a deeply divided land.

The anger against the Meitei isn’t new or exclusive to Manipuri Muslims. As people who live in the valleys, the Meitei are not seen in a favourable light by those who live in the hills. Muslims and the Meitei have a particularly animosity-ridden history. In 1993, as many as 100 people had lost their lives when communal riots broke out between Muslims and Meitei. “It is a structured thing and has been solidified over generations,” explained Azad, a Manipuri Muslim and a research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University. “There are so many racist terms used for the Muslim community,” said Saad, who requested his name be changed. “We are made to feel inferior due to our darker skin colour. Even when they call us by our ethnic name, pangal, they say it in a very insulting manner. There is a tradition of hate. With or without provocation, we are attacked.”

The rift between the two communities is so deep that they persist even when the different factions are protesting against the same ‘enemy’— the State government. On the evening of April 11, one group of Manipuri Muslims took to the streets in Jantar Mantar, protesting against the violence their community has been suffering. Muhammed Azam, an advocate who was present at the Jantar Mantar protest, said, “Manipur police is not taking any action, not even filing an FIR. Section 144 (unlawful assembly) has been imposed after the morning clash [of April 11] and when the community protested, the police force opened fire on them.”

On the same day that the Manipuri Muslims took out their protest march, there was another group, also from Manipur, which also showed up at Jantar Mantar to register a protest against the State’s apathy. Literally on the other side of the road, Manipuri tribals were protesting against three bills brought by the State government, which they claim infringe on their rights. This protest has been going on since November last year.

Yet the two groups, with their different agenda and common enemy, didn’t come together. They marched on opposite sides of the same road.

When asked if the Manipur Tribals’ Forum would consider joining forces with the Muslims against the Manipur state government, Mrinul was quick to reply, “It’s not that we have don’t have a common enemy, but that doesn’t mean that we are together. These here my brothers (the Muslims), we call them pangal, fighting their own fight and we are doing the same.”

Azam stood stiff, maintaining a diplomatic silence in Mrinul’s presence. Although other Manipuri Muslims, like Azad, were vocal about how Muslims are victimised, the issue is more complex and rather than communal tensions, the root of the problem appears to be lack of governance.

“Manipur is a failed state,” said human rights’ activist Kshetrimayum Onil. “The incidents of mob lynching and mob justice are clear indications. However, to call such incidents communal would be wrong. People indulge in mob lynching because the law and the judiciary are not performing their duty of serving justice properly. There is a sense of frustration from the state machinery that drives people to take such actions. And on top of that frustration, it’s very easy to get licensed arms here. So, the slightest provocation can lead to firing.”

Even so, despite the long history of discordance between the Meitei and Muslims in Manipur, it seemed like some bridges were being built far away from home, in Jantar Mantar. Some Meitei students, like Chinglen, who is the convener of the North-East Forum for International Solidarity, did express solidarity with the Muslim community. “We are creating a peace community involving various groups in Manipur to spread awareness about the importance of peace and harmony,” he said.

“What is needed in Manipur today is for the youth to be educated and made aware about the importance of peace and how it can turn their lives around,” Onil said.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the State government has sprung to action and an arrest  related to the March 25 incident was made last week. Although still tense, the situation has improved with the two communities deciding to let police investigation take its due course, said a local journalist who didn’t want to be named.  

“We have to keep in mind what Manipur will be like 20 years down the line, if we continue this way,” said Onil. “We have to make Manipuri youth think about their life 20 years from now and then let them decide if this bloodshed and violence is what they want or they want something better in life.”

Correction: Saad’s quote was previously wrongly attributed to Azad.