Amazon India has come under scrutiny for promoting and selling the controversial e-book “The Inevitable Split – Documents on State sponsored ethnic cleansing in Manipur, 2023,” published by the Zomi Students Federation (ZSF) and ITLF on its Kindle platform. This book has sparked widespread controversy for allegedly spreading misinformation through Kuki propagandists, which certain sections of the Indian media have uncritically amplified. Critics argue that the book on Amazon unfairly demonises the Meitei community while portraying the Kuki community as victims of minority persecution.
The books calls for a “Separation Only Solution” for Manipur that borderlines on secession from India.
In response to these developments, the Commissioner (Home) of the Manipur Government directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur on 8 July 2023, to take legal actions against the ZSF and to ban the book. The government’s concern stems from the potential of this publication to mislead the international community by presenting a distorted narrative of Manipur’s history, its people, languages, cultures, and religions.
The conflict in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities has escalated into violent ethnic clashes, triggered in part by the Meitei community’s demand for inclusion in India’s Scheduled Tribes list, which the Kuki community opposes. The situation worsened on 3 May 2023, when Kuki communal organizations organized a “Tribal Solidarity March” that turned violent. This led to armed Kuki militants and mobs attacking Meitei neighborhoods, resulting in casualties, property damage, and forced displacements. Retaliatory attacks followed from Meitei groups in the valley districts.
Recent unrest in Manipur intensified following the Manipur High Court’s 19 April 2024 directives, with the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur organizing a “Tribal Solidarity March” against the Meitei ST status demand. This march led to violent clashes, prompting the deployment of the Indian Army and other central forces. The state government issued “shoot at sight” orders in extreme cases to control the violence.
Other contributing factors to the unrest include growing tensions between the Meiteis and tribes like the Kukis, disputes over state government notices declaring certain villages as illegal settlements, concerns about the delimitation process, and the impact of the Myanmar military coup causing a refugee crisis. Additionally, there are allegations of a sudden increase in villages in Churachandpur district and claims that some tribal groups are obstructing anti-drug efforts.
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