Misinformisation Of Manipur

The term ‘informisation’ was coined in China when Jiang Zemin officially made revolution in military affairs part of the national military strategy to modernize China’s Peoples’ Liberation Army. Informisation was related to align the PLA with Network Centric Warfare (NCW).

Today, America is petrified at the thought of directly fighting China and is looking for a Ukraine in the Indo-Pacific, preferably India? But America leads the world in ‘misinformisation’ which has peaked in its narrative about the Ukraine war. American successes in misinformisation have apparently influenced us so much that we now have our own little Zelensky in Imphal

It was mentioned in an earlier that violence erupted in Manipur after the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur took out a protest rally on May 3, following the Manipur High Court directing the Manipur Government to recommend to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs grant of ST status to Meiteis; although some Meitei communities are already included in SC/OBC lists.

Before May 2023, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh already faced accusations of expelling tribes from their villages, demolishing decades-old churches in Imphal, and classifying a majority of tribal settlements “reserved” forests; implying indigenous tribal inhabitants are illegal. A flashpoint was eviction of villagers from “reserve” forest land in Churachandpur District.

The brazenly damning move during the May violence was state-sponsored videos alleging the “Army was helping the Kuki Nagas”, including a video similarly accusing the Assam Rifles (AR) deployed in the Imphal Valley. Significantly, the claim of having killed 35-40 militants is ‘poppycock’. So are ‘sponsored’ messages on social media to incite the Meiteis.

The above tweet also was meant to portray that the Army/AR are ineffective. The state government is silent about the claim that “300 terrorists and Lungi-clad jihadi Muslims” (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army?) have crossed over from Myanmar. On the contrary, a narrative is being built that the Meiteis, who are 53 percent population of Manipur, are planned to be “exterminated”, using an author well suited to spin-doctor such a story. Not very different from the US, psyching Europe they are on Russia’s breakfast menu.

But could it not be possible that our little Zelensky actually wants to exterminate or boot out all non-Meiteis from Manipur and has reached out to Manipuri insurgents/terrorists based in Myanmar, even the PLA of Manipur trained and armed by China? Are these outfits assisting little Zelensky?

During his recent visit to Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed for peace, asked for surrender of looted weapons, announced a judicial probe into the Manipur crises, CBI probe into the incidents of firings/ killings, Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia, and a job for next of kin for those killed.

Army Chief General Mohan Pandey has said that those not supposed to hold weapons must surrender them or action would be taken against them. Combing operations have already commenced on June 1.

News reports immediately after Amit Shah’s Manipur visit stated that 140 weapons, including Light Machine guns, have been surrendered. Incidentally, the “official figure” of weapons looted from armories is 4,500 although actual may be even more. So, 140 weapons is a drop in the ocean.

But then according to ‘Deep Throat’, these weapons were not looted but were ‘distributed’, get the point? Little wonder three central Rapid Action Force personnel were found burning the meat shop of a Kuki Naga.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan says that the violence in Manipur is not linked to “insurgent” but an ethnic conflict. So why is the media talking of militants and terrorists?

Demands are being raised to abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed by the Government of India with Kuki Naga groups in 2008, under which these Kuki groups were to be confined to designated camps and their arms kept under lock. During an inspection in early May, these arms were found intact. So there is no reason to cancel the SoO; not that Kuki Nagas cannot get weapons from elsewhere.

In a similar agreement between GoI and the NSCN (K), weapons were not surrendered and these outfits continued illegal tax collection, which is big business along with narcotics and weapons smuggling in Nagaland even today.

News reports of August 2015, stated that under the agreement signed between the Modi Government and NSCN (IM), the insurgent outfit’s cadres who surrender, will form two Army and four paramilitary force battalions once the “historic” peace accord with the Centre comes into effect. It was feared even then that this would adversely impact Kuki tribes who cohabit with Nagas in Manipur’s hill districts and the NSCN (K).

From the above it should be quite clear that the fires that have been deliberately lit in Manipur are not going to die down easily no matter the periodic lulls, unless better sense prevails and ‘Zelensky’ doesn’t continue to go brazenly after the Kukis.

China and Pakistan would be too happy if he sticks to his pursuit but Kukis would certainly not take it lying down although Zelensky can target Kuki families. But this would also affect GoI handling of all Naga tribes across the board throughout the northeast.

It is quite possible that Zelensky is buoyed or spurred by central schemes like the Ministry of Culture acquiring an array of DNA profiling kits and associated state-of-the-art machines for establishing the genetic history and trace the “purity” of races in India.

So what happens to the “impure” Indians including Hindus? Are they to be exterminated like Pakistan is killing Ahmediyas as non-Muslims along with all minority communities? Of course this would plunge India into a civil war but then some ‘blind’ followers unofficially say this is precisely what we need to transform into an ethnically cleansed “pure” India.

And, this is where ‘Agniveers’ trained and discarded by the Army after four years will supply manpower for the private political militias. So why would America’s Joe Biden Administration not pamper India as the turkey before thanksgiving?

Lt General PRAKASH KATOCH is a veteran of the Indian Army. Views expressed are personal.