Manipur Violence: How Govt Has Created Buffer Zones in 4 ‘Sensitive’ Districts to Keep Kukis, Meiteis in Check

Almost two months into the unique and unprecedented conflict in Manipur, the division of state as per ethnicity is now complete. The central security forces have created kilometres of ‘buffer zones’ in and around four sensitive districts of the state where Kukis and Meiteis – the two communities involved in the conflict — live.

The idea behind creating ‘buffer zones’ is to ensure that Meiteis and Kukis remain confined to their villages and do not attack each other. The buffer zones include a demarcation for the community, multiple police outposts and regular patrolling at the most sensitive spot, said a senior officer of a central security force camping in the state.

In Manipur, the police and administration have also been divided as the state government has removed almost all senior Kuki and Meitei officers from their respective positions.

The team of CBI officers, which landed in Manipur early this month, does not include Meitei officers, though the central agency has them serving in several other positions.

‘Buffer’ in Administration Too

“Apart from creating a geographical buffer zone, there are also some administrative buffer zones created. To keep the system neutral and get the government machinery to stay out of any ethnic influence, officers from other states have been sent to Manipur. We are just trying to minimise internal conflicts in the administration,” said a senior state officer.

A buffer zone is generally created between two nations or between two international borders to keep two forces away from any type of conflict like citations.

Even though Manipur has seen multiple levels of insurgency and ethnic conflicts in the past, this is probably the first time when the people have been asked to stay confined in their own villages.

“There is no mingling between communities. Distrust is running very high. People are still angry. The economy has gone down, there is no income. Businesses are shut. Supplies are running out. But we are surprised to see that people are not fatigued yet. They are not frustrated with blockades and such mindless violence. This is a unique situation, none of us has experienced it before,” said a senior officer of the central security force.