Manipur in flames
Valley and hills divided, northeast Indian state burns over land rights.
Arson, deadly protests and a curfew. That’s the reality in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, where recent clashes have left at least eight people dead and the homes of several lawmakers burned to the ground. The unrest stems from a longstanding conflict cutting through Manipur’s hills and valley. Tribal people in the hills say they’re being overrun by valley residents encroaching on their indigenous land, jobs and resources. The Meiteis, who live in the valley, say they want the same land rights as their tribal counterparts, and that the real threat is “outsiders” moving to Manipur. The Stream asks whether Manipur’s cultural and political divides are too deep to overcome, today at 19:30 GMT.
On today’s episode, we speak to:
Golan Naulak @GolanNaulak
Independent researcher, London School of Oriental and African Studies
Binalakshmi Nepram @BinaNepram
Founder, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
womensurvivorsnetwork.org
Garga Chatterjee @GargaC
Columnist
hajarduari.wordpress.com
Babloo Loitongbam
Founder, Human Rights Alert
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