Meitei group seeks Amit Shah’s intervention over Manipur pilgrimage site blockade

A Meitei organisation has sought Union home minister Amit Shah’s immediate intervention over the denial of access to the sacred Thangjing Hill in ethnic violence-hit Manipur’s Kuki-Zo dominated Churachandpur.

Thousands of Kuki-Zo women demanding denial of “unauthorised entry” into areas identified as “theirs” staged sit-ins across Churachandpur ahead of the pilgrimage on Monday, even as the Union home ministry has vowed to ensure freedom of movement across Manipur.

The Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation (MHWF) said Thangjing Hill is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites for the Meiteis and home to Ibudhou Thangjing, Manipur’s guardian deity. It said that the Meiteis have for generations undertaken annual pilgrimages there, particularly during Cheiraoba or their New Year.

The MHWF said pilgrims faced intimidation, including death threats. It cited the presence of armed militants at the hilltop and said evidence related to this has been submitted to the authorities in the form of video footage and documentation. The MHWF called the blockade to prevent the pilgrimage on Monday a blatant violation of constitutional rights and a direct attack on the Meitei religious freedom.

“Such actions are comparable to Hindus being barred from pilgrimage to Kailash Parbat or Muslims from travelling to Mecca,” the MHWF said in its memorandum to Shah, citing violations of freedom of religion, movement, and the right to life.

The group raised concerns about a broader pattern of obstruction amid reports that Meitei Hindus have been unable to travel to other pilgrimage sites for the last two years due to highway blockades.

The MHWF said threats over accessing Thangjing Hill are not merely a law-and-order issue but represent a deliberate provocation aimed at inciting unrest. It said there has been little enforcement of constitutional rights despite the president’s rule in Manipur and the presence of over 100,000 security personnel.

The MHWF referenced a Union home ministry directive dated March 1, ordering the free movement of people across the state starting from March 8, with warnings of strict action against those obstructing it.

It asked the Union government to ensure the safety and security of Meitei pilgrims visiting Thangjing Hill. The MHWF sought action against militant groups and their supporters obstructing the pilgrimage, and adequate security forces around the site to maintain peace and prevent any potential escalation. “The government of India must now decide whether it will uphold the Constitution and the rights of its citizens, or allow intimidation by armed groups to override the rule of law,” the MHWF in its memorandum, which was also submitted to the governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

Six groups issued a statement last week urging Meitei pilgrims against climbing the hill between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-dominated Valley and the hill district of Churachandpur. The statement said no “approach to” Kuki-Zo land will be allowed unless the Union government reached a settlement with the Kuki-Zo community under the Constitution. It cited speculation that the Meitei community intended to cross the buffer zone en route to Thangjing Hills.

The statement said any attempt to cross the buffer would be seen as a direct provocation, placing full responsibility for any resulting unrest on the Meitei community. It emphasised the importance of maintaining the status quo to avoid further escalation.

The Meiteis identify Thangjing with their spiritual heritage and refer to it as Thangting, claiming it as part of their ancestral land within the Churachandpur district.

The Kuki-Zo groups urged the government to ensure their community’s safety and interests are protected. They reiterated their stance over the buffer zones, citing historical and political grievances.

The ethnic violence in the state has since May 2023 claimed at least 260 lives, displaced around 60,000, and forced Meiteis and Kukis to withdraw to their respective strongholds. The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, live largely in the plains of Imphal valley, and the Kukis, predominantly Christian, in the hills. Fortified buffer zones separate the Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas.

The president’s rule was imposed in Manipur in February as N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister, days after the Supreme Court directed a central forensics lab for a report on leaked audio tapes allegedly featuring him purportedly saying the ethnic violence was instigated at his behest.