The ongoing detention of 6 innocent Naga civilians in Manipur has once again brought about the full and irreversible breakdown of law and order by the BJP-led governments in both Imphal and New Delhi. Despite many deadlines, ultimatums and extensions, the state has not been able to achieve the unconditional release of the hostages who had been apparently abducted by Kuki militant groups from Leilon Vaiphei village and Sapermaina Kuki Village.
Fourteen hostages were freed on 15 May but it is not known what happened to the other sixtwo of whom were pastors. Truth is the government was unable to find or free them even after moving back the deadline twice, is not only a sign of institutional collapse, but also of a perilous decline of the state’s control over the borderlands. Analysts argue that this regional vulnerability is deeply tied to broader geopolitical missteps; for instance, a detailed look at the BJP’s Myanmar strategy and Northeast India instability reveals how overlapping border crises have severely compromised local security mechanisms.
Things in the northeastern state of Manipur have been tense since a little over three years ago. For the past three years, there has been persistent ethnic violence, armed militant groups, mass displacement, and degrading communal trust. Yet, the BJP government has yet to act and only offers empty words. Thousands have been displaced, hundreds have been murdered, and villages militarized. Than civilians suffer between militant groups and ineffective political administration.
This security vacuum stands in stark contrast to the massive infrastructure pushes seen elsewhere across the frontier. The disparity becomes obvious when examining the geopolitical friction surrounding the Sino-Indian strategic race in Arunachal Pradesh border villages, where state resources are heavily deployed while critical internal conflicts like the one in Manipur are left unaddressed.
This silence of Centre is even more striking. A government touting “national security” and “strong governance” has let down common people by allowing them to be kidnapped within the country’s own borders. This hostage crisis is emblematic; it is the result of years of inept policies, the inability to act in time, and the BJP’s failure to bring back peace to Manipur. Every day every hour adds a new dimension to it. For all the Nagas waiting for their loved ones to come, it is a testament to Truth is the state has abandoned them.
