When the centre can’t hold, things fall apart
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
K V Madhusudhanan, a former Inspector General of CRPF in the Northeastern sector, examines India’s persistent apathy toward the Northeast region, where ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos in Manipur has been escalating since May 2023. The conflict erupted following a high court order recommending scheduled tribe status for Meiteis, triggering deep-rooted tensions over land rights, political power, and ethnic identity.
The author argues that Delhi’s traditional neglect of the Northeast has allowed this crisis to fester, with both state and central forces facing credibility challenges. He emphasizes that symbolic gestures like a prime ministerial visit matter in democracies, and warns that continued administrative lethargy could reverse decades of integration, pushing the region back toward the insurgency-dominated era that seemed to have ended.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Systematic Regional Neglect
India’s government consistently deprioritizes Northeast conflicts regardless of which party holds power, perpetuating regional alienation.
Complex Historical Grievances
Meiteis claim territorial restrictions despite forming 52% of population, while tribal communities fear loss of protected status.
Institutional Credibility Crisis
Both state police and CRPF face accusations of bias, with initial inaction enabling weapons looting and escalating violence.
Triggered by Policy Failures
Hasty forest evictions without rehabilitation plans and controversial scheduled tribe recommendations catalyzed latent ethnic tensions into open warfare.
Symbolic Leadership Matters
The Prime Minister’s absence from Manipur and prolonged silence amplify perceptions of discrimination and government indifference toward tribal sensitivities.
Reversing Integration Progress
Decades of successful counter-insurgency operations and political integration risk unraveling if administrative lethargy continues unabated.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
India’s Chronic Northeast Neglect Fuels Crisis
The central thesis argues that India’s systematic governmental apathy toward the Northeast region has allowed the Manipur ethnic conflict to escalate unchecked. This institutional neglect, combined with hasty policy implementation and lack of high-level political engagement, threatens to reverse decades of integration progress and revive insurgent sentiment throughout the Northeast.
Purpose
Call for Urgent Federal Intervention
Written to advocate for immediate central government action in Manipur, the author leverages his insider perspective as former CRPF Inspector General to demand that Delhi abandon its traditional lethargy toward Northeast conflicts. He aims to convince policymakers that symbolic gestures, rehabilitation efforts, and proactive administration are essential to prevent regional disintegration.
Structure
Problem Identification → Historical Context → Policy Critique → Urgent Prescription
The article opens by establishing governmental apathy as the core problem, then provides historical background on Manipur’s ethnic composition and grievances. It proceeds to critique both the initial policy failures and subsequent administrative responses, building toward a forceful concluding argument that immediate federal intervention combining military resolve with rehabilitation efforts is imperative before insurgency resurfaces.
Tone
Urgent, Critical & Authoritative
The author adopts an urgent, admonitory tone backed by insider authority from his CRPF leadership experience. He criticizes governmental inaction candidly while maintaining analytical balance when presenting both Meitei and Kuki-Zo perspectives. The concluding sections intensify into forceful advocacy, warning that continued delays will prove catastrophic for regional integration.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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An act of responding to an attack or injury with a counter-attack; revenge action taken against an aggressor.
“The casualty of 10 caused by the CRPF while retaliating against a full-fledged attack on their camp…”
The quality of treating all parties equally without bias or favoritism; neutrality in judgment or treatment.
“…has resulted in questions being raised of the central forces’ impartiality and integrity.”
A storage place for weapons and military equipment; also refers to the collection of weapons themselves.
“The state police’s alleged inaction during the initial days of the conflict resulted in loots of the police armoury.”
In a manner that is unequal or unbalanced relative to something else; excessively or insufficiently compared to what’s appropriate.
“…settlement in Imphal valley has placed them disproportionately ahead of the hill people in political and administrative clout.”
To make a problem or difficulty worse by adding to it; to increase or intensify an existing negative situation.
“The perceived discrimination and apathy would only compound the sense of alienation resurfacing in several parts of the Northeast.”
A state of sluggishness, inactivity, and lack of energy; administrative slowness or unresponsiveness to urgent situations.
“The legacy of lethargy in dealing with the Northeast must go.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the article, the state police were praised for their quick and effective response during the initial days of the May 2023 conflict in Manipur.
2What percentage of Manipur’s population do Meiteis constitute, and to what percentage of the state’s geographical area are they restricted?
3Select the sentence that best captures the author’s view on what triggered the current ethnic violence in Manipur.
4Evaluate the following statements about the Northeast region based on the article:
The Northeast experienced a period of relative peace after years of insurgency before the current Manipur crisis.
The Prime Minister visited Manipur multiple times during the crisis and addressed the conflict publicly.
Meiteis have disproportionate political and administrative power compared to hill tribes despite occupying limited territory.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5Based on the author’s argument, what can be inferred about his view on the relationship between symbolic political gestures and substantive governance in conflict zones?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The conflict centers on competing claims over land access and tribal status. Meiteis, who constitute 52% of the population but are restricted to 10% of the state’s geographical area in the Imphal valley, seek scheduled tribe status to access more land in the hills. Meanwhile, Kuki-Zo tribes fear losing their protected status and territorial rights. The March 2023 high court order recommending ST status for Meiteis, combined with forced evictions from reserved forests without proper rehabilitation, triggered these latent tensions into violent conflict.
The author argues that governmental apathy toward the Northeast transcends political parties and represents an institutional pattern. He observes that ‘The heat is not felt in Delhi when the Northeast burns,’ noting that the region’s distinct history, culture, and ethnicity contribute to its perpetual marginalization. The Prime Minister’s failure to visit Manipur or address the crisis publicly exemplifies this neglect, reinforcing regional alienation that the author warns could reverse decades of integration progress achieved through counter-insurgency operations.
The CRPF’s retaliatory action on November 11, which resulted in 10 casualties while defending against an attack using sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers, raised questions about central forces’ impartiality. However, the author—as a former CRPF Inspector General—defends this response as unavoidable given the war-like intensity of the attack. He argues the resolute retaliation was necessary to prevent more weapons from falling into insurgent hands, though he acknowledges both state and central forces now face credibility challenges.
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This article is classified as Advanced level due to its sophisticated political vocabulary (apathy, alienation, impartiality, lethargy), complex sentence structures, and nuanced argumentation requiring readers to synthesize multiple perspectives on ethnic conflict. It demands understanding of Indian federal-state relations, Northeast history, and the ability to evaluate competing territorial claims while following the author’s policy critique. The text assumes familiarity with institutional structures like CRPF and concepts such as scheduled tribe status.
As a former Inspector General of CRPF in the Northeastern sector, Madhusudhanan brings insider institutional knowledge to his analysis. His operational experience with protracted counter-insurgency campaigns and political negotiations gives him unique credibility to critique both military responses and governmental apathy. His defense of CRPF’s controversial November retaliation while simultaneously criticizing broader policy failures demonstrates his ability to balance operational realities with strategic policy critique—making his advocacy for federal intervention particularly authoritative.
The Ultimate Reading Course covers 9 RC question types: Multiple Choice, True/False, Multi-Statement T/F, Text Highlight, Fill in the Blanks, Matching, Sequencing, Error Spotting, and Short Answer. This comprehensive coverage prepares you for any reading comprehension format you might encounter.
