Manipur: KANAM Rebuts Dr. Raj Singh’s Peace Proposal

NOTE: This article is a reproduction of a release issued by the Kuki Alliance for Nampi Awakening Movement (KANAM), rebutting Dr. Raj Singh’s proposal for peace titled “Policy Proposal for Ending Ethnic Conflicts in Manipur: A Balanced Approach to Peace, Autonomy, and Land Reforms,” published in The Sangai Express.

The link to the original article is here: https://www.thesangaiexpress.com/Encyc/2025/3/9/Dr-Raj-SinghIntroductionThe-deliberations-by-some-of-India-s-luminary-thought-leaders-at-a-recent-seminar.html

A False Narrative by KANAM

Dr. Raj Singh’s so-called “balanced approach” to resolving ethnic conflicts in Manipur
is nothing more than a repackaged Meitei supremacist proposal, attempting to
masquerade as an academic and policy-driven solution. His article is filled
with historical distortions, strategic omissions, and a blatant Meitei-centric agenda that
seeks to deny Kukis their rightful autonomy while dangling an empty threat of
secession before the Government of India. It is time to dismantle this nonsense and
expose it for what it really is.
Let’s begin with the biggest joke in his argument: the threat of Meitei secession. Does
he seriously believe that the entire state of Manipur would break away with the Meiteis
if they were to secede? The only areas that would make up this so-called “independent”
Manipur would be Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching—
nothing more, nothing less. The hill areas that are predominantly Kuki and Naga will
remain part of India, because neither the Kukis nor the Nagas will ever agree to secede
with the Meiteis. Yet, Raj Singh and his ilk push the absurd narrative that Manipur as a
whole will break away if Kukis are granted a Union Territory. This isn’t just delusional—
it is an outright lie.

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This threat is not a serious policy argument; it is a political blackmail tactic aimed at
scaring the Indian government into submission. The Meiteis know very well that even
if they were to secede, they would instantly become a tiny, landlocked, economically
irrelevant nation surrounded on all sides by India. They would need India’s permission
for everything—trade, movement, access to ports, and even basic supplies. Without
Indian support, an “independent” Meitei state would be reduced to a pathetic, third
rate, beggar nation that would have to plead with India for survival.

And yet, Dr. Raj Singh has the audacity to act as if this is a credible threat? Does he
think the Government of India is stupid? Does he think that the tribals are idiots who
will suddenly agree to join an “independent” Manipur just because he says so? This
type of arrogance and delusion only reinforces why Kukis will never accept any
arrangement under Meitei control.

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Beyond this secession bluff, his entire framework is a farce designed to ensure Meitei
dominance under the pretense of reform. He proposes an enhanced ADC
(Autonomous District Council) model while keeping it under the control of the Manipur
state government. How does this solve anything? The Hill Areas Committee (HAC) has
already been ignored and overridden countless times, and he thinks that a slightly
upgraded ADC will make any difference? This is not a solution—it is a scam.

He pretends to talk about “equity” but completely avoids addressing the decades of
systemic marginalization faced by tribals in Manipur. Kukis have been massacred, their
villages burned, their women brutalized, and their lands seized under the watch of
a Meitei-dominated government. But instead of acknowledging this state-sponsored
ethnic cleansing, Dr. Raj Singh carefully sidesteps the issue and pretends as if the
problem is merely one of “misunderstanding between communities.” This is historical
whitewashing of the worst kind.
Another one of his disgusting hypocrisies is how he speaks about “Manipur’s territorial
integrity” while using it as an excuse to deny Kuki demands for a Union Territory. This
so-called territorial integrity is nothing more than a tool for the Meiteis to maintain
absolute control over the entire state while suppressing the tribals. The Meiteis argue
about territorial integrity only because they want to continue their colonial-style rule
over the tribals, just as they are doing now. If they truly believed in fair governance,
they would not be trying to force their rule upon people who want nothing to do with
them.
Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: The Kuki demand for a Union Territory is not
negotiable. No amount of scare tactics, fake threats of secession, or diluted
governance models will change that. Meiteis need to stop living in a fantasy
world where they think they can continue their colonial rule over tribals forever. The
Kukis are not asking for Meitei approval—they are asserting their constitutional and
historical right to self-governance under the Indian Constitution.

If Meiteis really want peace, let them propose a real solution—one that does not involve
Meitei overlordship. Otherwise, they should stop with this nonsense propaganda and
empty threats. The entire premise of Dr. Raj Singh’s article is based on Meitei
entitlement, the false assumption that Kukis will remain trapped under their rule forever.
That era is over. The only viable path forward is a separate Kuki administration—within
India, under the Indian Constitution, and free from Meitei interference. End of
discussion.

THE SCENARIO IF MEITEIS ARE ABLE TO SECEDE FROM INDIA WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS:

NOW LET US REVIEW ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS TO MANIPUR VIOLENCE AND THE SCENARIOS LOGICALLY: