Multipronged Menace

How long?" is the moot question. Even after more than seven decades of its merger in the Union of India, and five decades of its statehood, Manipur is still reeling under the debris of insurgency.

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The recent gunfight in Manipur's Chandel district, in which 10 armed militants were killed during a spat with Assam Rifles, is yet another indicator that insurgency in Manipur is alive and kicking—much to the chagrin of common masses and the administration. The neutralization of militants, by no means, can be celebrated with a sense of victory. It is rather a sign of failure in stemming the resurgence of insurgents from the very heart of the region—its population. Among those killed, several might have turned into worthy Indian citizens had they not gone the murky route. Some of the deeper wounds of society in Manipur are still waiting to be healed.