‘Manipur Tapes’ Cast Doubt on Chief Minister’s Role in Violence

The Wire Releases Recording Allegedly Featuring CM Biren Singh's Voice

Newsreel Asia Insight #314
August 20, 2024

A mass grave site of Kuki-Zo victims in Manipur’s Churachandpur district. Photo by Surabhi Singh / Newsreel Asia

An audio recording has surfaced allegedly featuring the voice of Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh discussing violent tactics amid ongoing ethnic conflict. The tape, allegedly made at his official residence, has been submitted to the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the violence, as reported by The Wire.

In a three-part series, The Wire says while it has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of Singh’s voice on the 48-minute recording, its sources have confirmed the date and context of the meeting. The participants of that meeting, who wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, claim the voice is indeed Singh’s, according to the media outlet.

For context, Manipur is home to three main ethnic communities: the majority Meitei people, who live in the Imphal valley, and the Kuki-Zo and Naga tribes, who inhabit the surrounding hills. The violence in Manipur began weeks after an April 2023 directive from the Manipur High Court, which seemed to suggest granting tribal status to the majority Meitei community. This status would allow them to purchase land in the hills, traditionally inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes, sparking fears among the Kuki-Zo of losing their ancestral lands.

The region’s valuable natural resources, including oil, particularly in the hills where tribal communities reside, have attracted government and corporate interest.

The violence has caused significant displacement and loss of life. During the initial days of the violence in early May 2023, thousands of arms and ammunition were stolen from the state armoury, predominantly in the Meitei-dominant Imphal valley. These weapons were then used in the ensuing violence.

Since May 3, 2023, at least 67,000 people have been displaced, and 191 Kuki-Zo deaths have been reported. While the Meitei community has also suffered greatly, Meitei groups have not released the number of their fatalities and casualties.

There is now almost complete ethnic segregation, with Kuki-Zo families relocating away from the Imphal area and Meiteis moving out of regions dominated by the Kuki-Zo.

In the recording, published by The Wire, the speaker, believed to be Singh, discusses instructions supposedly given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a visit to Manipur weeks after the onslaught of the violence last year.

In the recording, Singh allegedly recounts Shah asking, “Biren ji! ... Arre! Tum bomb marta hai (Are you using bombs)?” Following this, Shah reportedly directed him to cease using bombs, and reinforced this directive by involving the Director General of Police and others. After Shah departed, Singh purportedly told his team, “Hoi! Chupke se karna hai, open nahi karna hai (It should be used covertly, not openly).” He allegedly added that those doubting him could verify this with the “commandos” on the front line.

“Commandos” in Manipur, recruited from the Manipur Rifles, local police and the Indian Reserve Battalion, are specialised units trained to handle high-risk operations, including anti-terrorism efforts, hostage situations and violent clashes related to ethnic or communal conflicts. A police source earlier told The Print that these commandos, not officially part of the state’s law enforcement structure, are selected by the Chief Minister’s office unofficially.

During the initial phases of the ongoing violence, some sections of the commandos were accused of joining Meitei mobs that burned homes and attacked Kuki-Zo villages with weapons.

In the recording, the Chief Minister is purportedly also heard saying: “Till now, about 4,000-5000 guns have been snatched [from the state armoury] but who has been arrested at all? They have not arrested the CM…if they arrest, it, the CM, will be the first. It is me who will be arrested for the snatching away of the 4000-5000 guns.”

Further, Singh is allegedly heard on the recording stating that about 300 Kuki-Zo individuals have died, acknowledging that the number of Kuki-Zo casualties exceeds those of the Meiteis.

Singh then allegedly states that the Kuki-Zo people originate from Myanmar and were historically given shelter by the Meitei King. He purportedly expresses his pain over their attacks on the Meiteis. Singh then adds, “I shouldn’t be saying this but let the gods be witness, if I were not here on this seat, I swear, if I were not on this seat, if I was not CM, I would have shelled bombs. I am saying very clearly, bomb!”

Further, the recording suggests that the Chief Minister is taking credit for “how and why the conflict started.”

The Chief Minister is purportedly also heard referring to the origin of the “issue,” and claiming, “I started operations,” though it’s not clear what he meant by the term “operations.” He then allegedly explains that his administration “started seeking governmental land over reserved forest land, protected forest land.”

Before the violence began, Kuki-Zo people had alleged that Singh was targeting them with an eye on their land and resources, forcibly evacuating tribal families from some forest areas.

The government of Manipur dismissed the audio as “doctored,” asserting that the claims of it being Singh’s voice are false, after the Kuki Students’ Organisation released excerpts of the recording in a press release. The Commission of Inquiry, to which the recording has been submitted, is now expected to verify its authenticity through a forensic examination.