The Manipur Violence; Beginning of the End or End of the Beginning? A Critical Study

Abstract

In the Indian state of Manipur, significant violence erupted in early May (end of April) 2023. Over a hundred people have been killed since then, and tens of others have been forced to evacuate their homes. However, while receiving almost no international notice, the issue has posed some critical questions regarding managing inter-ethnic relations in the world's greatest democracy. For many years, tensions between various groups have lingered, but it is now clear that this has burst into new violence. In addition, there have been calls for the state to be partitioned. This type of crisis is known as 'External Self-Determination,' in which a group wishes to secede from an existing country and form its own sovereign state. As a result, the purpose of this investigation is to answer three particular questions: What exactly is the basic root of this tragic massacre? And would it be dangerous to be perceived as a "new federal state in India, or even a sovereign country?" Finally, how will this unwelcome circumstance be resolved?