Manipur violence fueled by extremist groups, says coalition of 14 organizations

An umbrella coalition comprising 14 organizations has called for a more nuanced understanding of the violence plaguing Manipur, contending that extremist groups have been instrumental in driving the prolonged conflict rather than it being solely a communal dispute.

The coalition took issue with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's assessment of the crisis, arguing that his characterization fails to account for the involvement of militant organizations and armed groups that have capitalized on communal tensions to further their own agendas. The organizations stressed that addressing the root causes of the violence requires acknowledging the role of these extremist elements in perpetuating conflict.

The coalition's statement represents growing concern among civil society groups over the trajectory of the Manipur violence, which has claimed hundreds of lives since erupting in May 2023. These organizations have previously highlighted the need for comprehensive investigations into the activities of extremist networks operating in the state.

The groups have urged policymakers to move beyond viewing the conflict through a purely communal lens and to implement strategies that target the operational networks of extremist organizations. They have also called for enhanced coordination between security agencies and local communities to combat the influence of militant groups in the region.

The coalition's intervention underscores the complexity of the Manipur crisis and the divergence between ground-level assessments and official government statements regarding the primary drivers of the violence.