Shooting the Sun: Why Manipur Was Engulfed by Violence and the Government Remained Silent

The ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur in May 2023 have brought into
focus the complexity of identity politics in the state. What began as an
opposition by tribals living in the Hills to the demand of the Valley-based
Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe status turned out to be linked to the problem of
illegal migrants, refugees from Myanmar, and to the proliferation of poppy
cultivation and ‘narcoterrorism’.
Conflicts between ethnic groups are not new in Manipur. But the violence in
2023 was shocking for the sheer viciousness on display. Any effort to find
explanations to this conflict only throws up more questions.
Why is there such immense anger in the people of the state? Is this a religious or
an ethnic conflict? How do varying interpretations and perceptions of Manipur’s
history affect the present? What role did extremist Meitei organizations and
Kuki-Zo militants play in the violence? Why were the police and paramilitary
forces—of which huge numbers are deployed in Manipur—unable to bring the
situation under control? Are there any corporate interests behind this violence?
Why did it take several months for India’s national leadership to break their
silence on the issue? Will peace and normalcy be restored in Manipur?
Human rights lawyer Nandita Haksar has known Manipur for more than two
decades and has written extensively on various aspects of its history. In this
urgent book, she explores with clarity and insight, and also courage, a complex
geopolitical problem, exposing the bankruptcy of identity politics in the state,
never losing sight of those that have suffered—and continue to suffer—the
most in this conflict.