Manipur’s small Muslim community, known as Meitei Pangal, who are 8.4% of the population, are “very insecure” as a result of being caught in the middle of the violence.“We are completely shattered in terms of the economy and education…life for Meitei Pangal is completely shattered,” said the spokesperson of the United Meitei-Pangal Committee of Manipur, Mohammad Raees Ahmed Tampak.In a 25-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Tampak said the Meitei Pangal community are very concerned by the fact that there are now signs they are distrusted by both sides. The Indian Express reported on August 7 that when three Meitei were killed in Kwakta, which is preponderantly Pangal, the Meitei suspected that the Pangal community had helped the Kuki do this. On the other hand, when a village called Leithen, close to Kwakta, was emptied by the Pangals and became a base for armed Meitei civilians, the Kuki became suspicious of the Meitei Pangal community.In the interview whilst Tampak was openly and unhesitatingly critical of the prime minister, Narendra Modi’s handling of the crisis in Manipur he was repeatedly reluctant to criticise Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. Whilst of PM Modi Tampak said he has not handled the situation properly and that people feel let down by him and that some believe he has turned his back on Manipur, he was unwilling to say anything similar about CM Biren and even denied that his organisation had, at a press conference yesterday, alleged that the Manipur government “allowed” the situation to flare up and has thereafter “turned a blind eye”. This was reported by The Hindu on August 19.When asked if the Meitei Pangal community, which is only 8% of the population, is hesitant and reluctant to criticise CM Biren, because he’s a Meitei, who are 53%, and adore him, Tampak clearly suggested, without explicitly saying so, that this was the reason.It is completely understandable that a small community of just 8% would not want to in any way annoy the 53% majority of the state, which is why Tampak feels free to criticise the government in Delhi but is very uncomfortable and unwilling when similar questions are asked about the government in Manipur.For this reason, if not also for others, this is an interview you should see.
