The North-East is in turmoil. Continuing ethnic violence in Manipur has caused a huge loss of life and property. Most of the seven states of the region have publicly opposed the Union government’s move to implement the Uniform Civil Code, and the Naga peace accord appears nowhere close to conclusion. In an interview to this newspaper, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the head of North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), talks about how the UCC would not affect the tribal culture and traditions and that he sees no problem in its implementation in the north-eastern states. He reveals that the Naga peace accord is stuck because of the difference of opinion between the Central government and the Naga organisations over a separate Constitution and flag for Nagaland, and says the situation in Manipur is improving and the state requires a healing touch to bring back complete normalcy.
Excerpts:
Manipur is on the boil. Violence in the state is not abating. A deep divide exists between the Meiteis and Kukis. The latter have now demanded a separate state. What do you think of crisis? There are three communities, which dominate in Manipur -- the Meiteis in the plains and the Nagas and Kukis in the hills. It is unfortunate that there was a prolonged conflict and the Central government had to intervene and deploy the Army and paramilitary forces. However, in the last 20 days, things have improved dramatically.As you know, Home Minister Amit Shah camped there for three days and Union MoS for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai camped there for a month. I think the situation has improved but we need to create a bridge between the two communities… a lot of healing touch is required. I think, with the passage of time, all that will happen.
At the core of the divide and dispute in Manipur is the Meitei demand for their inclusion in the Schedule Tribe list. How do you plan to handle it? It is a very complex situation. There are a lot of issues in Manipur. There is this grievance of Meitei and there would be grievance on the other side too. I think you need to accommodate conflicting views when you talk about a solution. As of now we are not talking about the permanent solution of the problem. We are trying to bring peace and stability. And, once peace and stability is established, we have to address the core issues.
What are the core issues? Let’s not go too deep now. Even my single statement can be misinterpreted. You’ve read too many articles and we know what the issues are. Let me not narrate the issues right now, because the situation is critical. But it is sufficient to say that in the last 20 days, the situation has improved in Manipur.
Do you see any external hand behind the Manipur crisis? The spokesperson for Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) had recently said that China was behind the Manipur crisis? I think that it (violence in Manipur) was not intended and nobody had thought that the situation could become like that. I don’t think we should discuss the reasons. The inquiry commission is working under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court. As and when peace returns, the commission will be able to unearth the reasons. We want to focus more on healing touches rather than engaging in fault-finding. People who have not visited the North-East should not comment on these issues, because one cannot be an expert only by reading Facebook or Twitter posts. You need a deeper understanding. As I am from the North-East, I am refraining from passing any comment as it may make the situation worse. I am saying the situation is improving and everybody is working for peace and harmony.
Opposition parties are keen to take up the Manipur crisis in Parliament during the Monsoon session and seek answers from the government? I think they can make it an issue but the only thing is that they should not give any irresponsible statement, which will complicate the issue. They have a right to raise the issues whenever there is any disturbance in any state. I would like to appeal to them not to raise the issue in a manner that could contribute to the deteriorating situation. It should be a healthy debate and you should engage in a restrained manner, because the situation is not fully normal.
The Uniform Civil Code is another issue that is creating fissures in the region. A ruling party in Meghalaya has said it does not want to give a representation on UCC, the Mizoram assembly has passed a resolution against UCC and there are others who have openly opposed it. What’s your take on it? The Constitution mandates that the country should have a UCC. We cannot wait for 100 years to implement that. Having said that, we have to understand that the tribal communities have certain distinct practices and traditions. But these are not religious practices; these are a part of their ethnic life. The UCC is about a common religious code. The diverse ethnic traditions of tribes are a completely different thing. So what the chief ministers of Manipur and Meghalaya are saying has nothing to do with the UCC.
The UCC does not interfere with the ethnic life of our tribes. The simple answer is that UCC is only for bringing harmony in religious practices. So, the ethnic diversity stands in India. We are not trying to bring out a uniform ethnic civil code. We are trying to bring a uniform religious code. We have had good discussions with the people of Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. I don’t think it will be an issue at all. You must be aware that the tribals don’t practice polygamy in the North-East. The tribals give more to their girls (daughters) than what is required. And as far as the Khasi and the Jaintia tribes are concerned, they give 100% property to their girls. In Khasi and Jaintia communities, boys get nothing; everything goes to girls. Once they see the draft of the UCC, they will be happy.
There is a lot of talk within your party about carving out a new state from West Bengal. The nomination of Ananta Rai Maharaj to the Rajya Sabha and your engagement with Kamtapur Liberation Organisation chief Jibon Singha, both of whom have been demanding a separate state, has also brought the issue centrestage. What’s your take on this? Jibon Singha was with the Bengal police. He is with us because he wants to start negotiation. He is not under confinement. In fact, most of his colleagues have gone back home. As far as Ananta Maharaj is concerned, he is a religious leader of the Rajbanshi community. He is a resident of Assam but has influence in West Bengal. His nomination to the Rajya Sabha has nothing to do with any demand for a separate state. His nomination has come as recognition of his services. This is also recognition of his community, which has never had representation in power.
You recently said at a FICCI meet that Assam will overtake Punjab in terms of Gross State Domestic Product. Which are the sectors driving growth in Assam? Twenty years back, Kolkata was the centre for eastern and northeastern India and it was the economic capital. But today, for the northeast region, Guwahati is replacing Kolkata. Now, Guwahati is also getting recognition in the broader south Asia landscape. The people from Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh now come to Guwahati. The IT, agriculture and many other sectors are booming in Assam. We have witnessed consistent growth in the last five years. Even during Covid pandemic, our average growth remained good.Assam is currently at the 17th number insofar as GDP is concerned even as Punjab is ranked at 16th. Last year we had a growth of 19% in GDP. We hope to overtake Punjab at this rate, unless Punjab grows faster and climbs the chart.
You have been closely involved in the Naga peace talks. What are the sticking points, why is there no agreement in spite of years of negotiations? There is a stumbling block; all other points are ready. The Naga leadership is insisting that they need a separate constitution and a separate flag. The Central government has made it clear after the abrogation of Article 370 that we want one nation and one constitution, one flag. The situation has therefore become irreconcilable. There are discussions going on to resolve these issues and the results will soon be seen. I don’t think the Naga leadership will immediately change its position or the Central government will accommodate. It will take a little time, but the best thing is that the government of India and the Naga leadership are talking with each other. There is an agreement that there should be peace and no violation of ceasefire.Nagaland has huge deposits of oil and natural gas. No Indian state has that kind of reserves. It can compare with many big nations in this aspect. But society is not ready for exploration. Nagaland is waiting to take a decision whether it should go for the solution first or development first.
How do you look at the opposition parties coming together for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP-led NDA? Which are these parties? These are the parties that are already in coalition with the Congress in some states. About a decade ago, parties used to get together to oppose the Congress, because the Congress was a major national party at that point of time. But, today, the BJP has replaced the Congress as a major national party. So the parties are gathering against the BJP.The Opposition meet is taking place as recognition of the might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They know that they cannot take on Narendra Modi alone because he is so powerful and so popular by virtue of his performance and by working for the people’s prosperity, nation’s growth and peace with the idea of ‘sab ka saath, sab ka Vikas’.
