Manipur, in India's northeast, has a new chief minister after being under direct federal rule, which was imposed a year ago, following ethnic violence that left more than 260 people dead. Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a fifth-dan black belt in Korean martial art taekwondo, took oath last week, inheriting a state still scarred by clashes between the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki-Zo communities. Since the 2023 violence, the communities have been largely segregated, confined to separate regions, with thousands displaced from their homes.
Singh has a long association with taekwondo and has taught the martial art for years. But he is also a seasoned politician. Despite long ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) ideological parent, the 62-year-old was a late entrant to electoral politics. Singh, who belongs to the BJP, was first elected in 2017 and has since served as assembly speaker and a state minister overseeing portfolios including education and rural development.
Now, as he takes charge of a troubled state, the question is whether he can help bring peace. Opinion remains divided. While some Manipur residents and analysts see hope in his leadership, others remain sceptical. 'It is difficult to say anything right now, and the next few weeks will be crucial in giving a clearer picture,' said Pradip Phanjoubam of the Imphal Review of Arts and Politics magazine.
Even as Singh takes office, tensions in Manipur continue to simmer. On 21 January, a man from the Meitei community was killed in a Kuki-Zo-dominated area where he had been living with his wife, who is from the Kuki-Zo community. This was the latest in a series of killings linked to the conflict. Hours after Singh took oath on 4 February, protests broke out in the state's Churachandpur district, with roads blocked and markets and offices shut. Kuki-Zo civil society groups and student organisations condemned the participation of some Kuki-Zo legislators in the formation of the new government, calling it a 'betrayal' and reiterating their demand for a separate administrative arrangement for Kuki-Zo-dominated areas.
Singh belongs to the Meitei community. However, three ministers in his cabinet, including one deputy chief minister, are from the Kuki-Zo community - a composition that reflects an effort by the BJP to balance ethnic representation in a deeply divided state. But some in the Kuki-Zo community are not convinced. 'Peace is not just the absence of violence. It requires trust, justice and political sincerity,' Mang Khongsai, a Kuki student leader, told the BBC, expressing doubt about Singh's ability to bring peace under the current circumstances.
The return of an elected government creates space for political engagement. Yet, deep mistrust between communities has resurfaced even in periods of relative calm. 'Peace will depend on whether that authority is used to rebuild trust across communities rather than simply restoring administrative normalcy,' says Phanjoubam, the Imphal-based editor.
Singh has a long association with taekwondo and has taught the martial art for years. But he is also a seasoned politician. Despite long ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) ideological parent, the 62-year-old was a late entrant to electoral politics. Singh, who belongs to the BJP, was first elected in 2017 and has since served as assembly speaker and a state minister overseeing portfolios including education and rural development.
Now, as he takes charge of a troubled state, the question is whether he can help bring peace. Opinion remains divided. While some Manipur residents and analysts see hope in his leadership, others remain sceptical. 'It is difficult to say anything right now, and the next few weeks will be crucial in giving a clearer picture,' said Pradip Phanjoubam of the Imphal Review of Arts and Politics magazine.
Even as Singh takes office, tensions in Manipur continue to simmer. On 21 January, a man from the Meitei community was killed in a Kuki-Zo-dominated area where he had been living with his wife, who is from the Kuki-Zo community. This was the latest in a series of killings linked to the conflict. Hours after Singh took oath on 4 February, protests broke out in the state's Churachandpur district, with roads blocked and markets and offices shut. Kuki-Zo civil society groups and student organisations condemned the participation of some Kuki-Zo legislators in the formation of the new government, calling it a 'betrayal' and reiterating their demand for a separate administrative arrangement for Kuki-Zo-dominated areas.
Singh belongs to the Meitei community. However, three ministers in his cabinet, including one deputy chief minister, are from the Kuki-Zo community - a composition that reflects an effort by the BJP to balance ethnic representation in a deeply divided state. But some in the Kuki-Zo community are not convinced. 'Peace is not just the absence of violence. It requires trust, justice and political sincerity,' Mang Khongsai, a Kuki student leader, told the BBC, expressing doubt about Singh's ability to bring peace under the current circumstances.
The return of an elected government creates space for political engagement. Yet, deep mistrust between communities has resurfaced even in periods of relative calm. 'Peace will depend on whether that authority is used to rebuild trust across communities rather than simply restoring administrative normalcy,' says Phanjoubam, the Imphal-based editor.
