The 2024 Indian general election got scheduled in the midst of a year-long ethnic violence in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which has seen more than 200 people killed and around 60,000 people displaced.[2]
The violence resulted in complete geographic separation of the two communities within a month of the onset of violence, with the Meiteis having fled the hill districts and the Kuki-Zo having fled the Imphal Valley. The violence nevertheless continued with arm-toting militias launching attacks on the opposite community and 'village defence volunteers' defending their villages. Over 6,000 guns that had been looted from the state's armouries remain with the militants and other civilian activists.[3]
The Outer Manipur constituency, which covers the surrounding hill districts and reserved for the state's Scheduled Tribe (Kuki-Zo and Naga) communities, only Naga candidates have contested. The Kuki-Zo community decided not to field any candidates.[4]
The BJP decided to support its NDA ally Naga People's Front, while the INC fielded a candidate from the Naga community.[4]
Campaigning, threats and boycott calls
The leading Meitei militia group, Arambai Tenggol with 60,000 cadres, announced "restrictions" on campaigning on 30 March 2024. It discouraged election campaigns, feasts, the use of loudspeakers, flag raising and election meetings, claiming that such events are more divisive than unifying, and would potentially lead to conflicts and violence. Manipur's state government as well as the central government stayed silent in the face of such impositions.[5][6]
On 19 March, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the Congress Party's Outer Manipur candidate, Alfred Kanngam Arthur, while he was participating in a village-level consultative meeting in the Ukhrul district. The candidate was unhurt.[7]
On 28 March, the Congress Party's Inner Manipur candidate Bimol Akoijam was threatened by unidentified miscreants at his home. They gave an ultimatum to his family to send him for a meeting the following day.[8][9]
The Congress Party expressed deep concern and requested the police to provide protection to the candidate.[8] On 14 April, miscreants opened fire at a campaign site in Moirang where Akoijam was expected to organise a campaign meeting the following day. Perceiving the threat, Akoijam cancelled the meeting.[10]
Two days later, armed miscreants again disrupted an election meeting at Kumbi. Akoijam confided to the press the extent of threats he was receiving and commented that these were from "my own community" [Meiteis].[11]
A week before the first phase of polling, armed militants, alleged to belong to Arambai Tenggol, attacked a border region of Kangpokpi district in the Thoubal river valley, called Phailengmol Island Block, and killed two Kuki-Zo village defence volunteers. Graphic videos of their corpses being dragged, mutilated and body parts displayed were circulated.[12][13][14]
The gruesome attacks and display caused the Kuki-Zo civil society organisations to come out with calls for boycotting the general election, saying "no justice, no vote". The Global Kuki-Zomi-Hmar Women Community, including journalists social workers, politicians and leaders, had earlier written to the Chief Election Commissioner, informing him of its decision to boycott the polls. Following the Phailengmol attack, the Kuki National Assembly and Kuki Inpi have also joined the fray.[15][16]
On 16 April, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills (covering the Kangpokpi district) asked all Kuki residents of the district to abstain from voting.[17]
Kuki Inpi Churachandpur issued a directive asking its residents to vote against the ruling BJP and its allied partners.[18]
Polling
The poll for the two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur was scheduled to be held on two days. During the Phase 1 polling on 19 April, it was held for Inner Manipur and three districts (Kangpokpi, Chandel and Churachandpur) of Outer Manipur. During the Phase 2 polling on 26 April, it is to be held in the remaining districts.
During the Phase 1 polling, several chaotic scenes were witnessed in many parts of the Imphal Valley.[19][20]
At Moirang Kampu (in Imphal East), a group of unidentified miscreants arrived in an SUV, had an argument in the polling booth and then fired a few rounds at the people from their vehicle. A 72-year old man was hit by a bullet. The enraged voters then destroyed the polling devices.[19][20] Assault and firing was also reported from at least three other locations (Arapati Maning in Imphal East, Wangoo in Kakching and Thamnapokpi in Bishnupur).[19][20] Several other polling stations in the Valley districts were captured by armed miscreants, with video clips flooding the social media. Many fingers were pointed at Arambai Tenggol militants. In one clip, the Congress candidate Bimol Akoijam is seen complaining to senior police officials about his polling agent having been threatened by armed miscreants and the agent having had to leave the polling station.[20] The state unit of the Congress party filed a complaint with the chief election officer for the state alleging booth capturing, voter intimadion and other irregularities at 36 polling booths in Inner Manipur and 11 polling booths in the Sugnu area of Outer Manipur.[20] The Election Commission ordered a re-poll at 11 polling booths, which was held on 22 April with over 81% voter turnout.[21][22]
In the Outer Manipur constituency, the Kuki-Zo people in the Kangpokpi district were reported to have abstained from voting as per the instructions of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills. News-reports mentioned empty polling stations with "complete zero turnout".[23][24][25]
The election commission reported 22% voter turnout, which is mainly attributed to the Nepali and Naga voters in the district.[25]
In Churachandpur district, early news-reports mentioned poor turnout,[26]
but the election commission data at the end of polling showed 64% turnout in the Churachandpur assembly constituency and 72% in the Saikot assembly constituency, with similar figures in other constituencies.[27]
The polling agent of Naga People's Front alleged large-scale booth capturing by armed militants in these constituencies, requesting a re-poll from the election commission. "All our voters and workers were threatened with arms and chased away by the militants", wrote the polling agent.[28][29]
