A recent Manipur High Court judgement for the government to provide its recommendation on the topic within a month gave the demand more traction. This was viewed as a step that would enable the Meitei to receive a reserve.
Source: India Today
On Wednesday, the tribal organisations held a Tribal Solidarity March to oppose it. Throughout the rally, there was a lot of violence and arson. The Assam Rifles and the Army have been requested. Orders to shoot on sight have been issued, and the internet has been shut off.
Many castes and communities are demanding reservations, and those who are already benefiting from them are rejecting the requests of the new groups. As a result, reservations are becoming a more contentious social and political problem.u00a0
The majority community in Manipur, the Meitei, has 40 representatives in the Assembly’s 60 members. The native communities view the demand for reservations as a plot to rob them of their rights and seize control of the entire state.u00a0
The tribal communities are mocked as outsiders and seen as settlers who emigrated from Myanmar. Although the direct cause of the violence is the demand for reservations, there have also been other points of contention.u00a0
The N Biren Singh-led BJP administration has been accused by the tribal communities of having a target on its back. Numerous occurrences from the past two years, such as home evictions, have been accused of being hostile and discriminatory. The instances were justified by the government as routine administrative procedures.
The lack of adequate and cheap educational facilities provided by the federal and state governments, as well as the economy’s inability to provide enough jobs for the country’s youth, have contributed to the rise in demand for reservations. Therefore, quotas are viewed by all groups as a means of obtaining limited educational and career chances.u00a0
Source: NewsX
Political factors have led to governments’ willingness, but the courts haven’t been especially supportive. The problem is also entangled with other social and economic disputes and grievances, as is the case in Manipur. The Meitei community looked to the state government as its protector. It handled the situation poorly because it failed to foresee the violence. Political solutions are required for contentious topics like reservations and other grievances.u00a0
Bans, restrictions, and the use of force can only make the issues worse, especially in a state that has had negative experiences with repression and strong-arm tactics.
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