It may be difficult for some people to fathom this, but there was a time when N Biren Singh was the true ‘leader’ of all of Manipur, not just the Meitei community. In 2022, he was hailed as a true leader after the Bharatiya Janata Party, under his leadership, not only cleaned out the Congress but also ensured an absolute majority for the party. Meiteis and Kukis were voting for the BJP. Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, the president of Manipur BJP, was campaigning for her party’s Kuki MLA candidate Paolienlal Haokip, and saying how the BJP had never done anything to discriminate between communities.
Fast forward to 2025, and no one knows when, and if, a Meitei leader will campaign for a Kuki MLA in Manipur.
For over two years, Manipur has been engulfed in flames of violence, with tensions between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities escalating to unprecedented levels. Many have blamed the state’s Chief Minister, Biren Singh, for stoking these flames, fueling the conflict with his policies and rhetoric. But now that he has resigned, does his departure signal the possibility of peace, or is it just a political move in a much deeper and more complex struggle?
Biren Singh’s resignation comes after months of pressure from within his party and the growing demands of an outraged public. This is not the first time we have witnessed this either: remember when Meira Paibis ‘interfered’ after Biren Singh tried to resign in 2023?
On Wednesday, Dhiren Sadokpam, Editor-in-Chief of The Frontier Manipur, penned a scathing column with an equally damning headline. Much ado about nothing, mused Sadokpam, focusing more on explaining why we had arrived at this point. “National parties,” he said in his column, “have consistently side-lined leaders who openly challenge their core leadership, with many facing expulsion or political irrelevance after criticizing the party line or state leadership.”
‘What changes for us? Nothing’
This perhaps explains why for many in the Kuki-Zo community, his departure does little to quell the rage that has simmered for over two years. Ginza, General Secretary of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo advocacy group, expressed doubts about the resignation. “Whether Biren Singh resigned or not doesn’t change anything for the Kuki-Zo,” he said, adding, “The demand for a separate administration remains.”
The Kuki-Zo community accused the ‘Meitei-dominated state government’ of violent acts and systemic discrimination. According to Ginza, “The Meitei community has driven the Kuki-Zo out of the Imphal Valley, destroying our homes and places of worship. Blood has been shed, and there’s no going back.” The wounds, he argued, go beyond the resignation of a single leader. “Only a political solution—beyond individuals—can redeem the Kuki-Zo,” he added, hinting that the community’s aspirations for autonomy have been solidified by years of violence and marginalisation.
Ginza’s frustrations also reflect a broader sentiment among Kuki-Zo leaders, who believe Biren Singh’s resignation should have come sooner. “He should have resigned during the first year of the conflict,” Ginza said. “His moral failure was clear. His leadership has been a stain on the state of Manipur. Allowing him to remain in power is essentially condoning the violence against our people.”
The Kuki-Zo community has long accused Singh of being biased against them, with some going so far as to label him a communal leader who openly displayed animosity toward their people. According to Ginza, Singh’s actions are seen as an outright betrayal of his duty to govern all communities equitably. “Never in the history of Manipur have we seen such a one-sided Chief Minister. He should be held accountable for his crimes against the Kuki-Zo,” he asserts.
Despite this, there is a glimmer of hope that the resignation might open the door for a more inclusive political solution. “Now that Biren has resigned, this could be a positive step toward finding a political solution,” Ginza remarks. But while he believes that a president’s rule may be necessary to rebuild trust, he is clear that there can be no peace without tangible, systemic changes that address the needs of the Kuki-Zo.
Biren Singh’s resignation was not the result of public outcry—it was driven by internal dissent within his party. According to a political analyst speaking on the condition of anonymity, the resignation had been “long overdue.” Many BJP MLAs have been calling for Singh’s departure since May 2023. “The centre had been the only entity propping up Singh,” the analyst explains. “But with the disqualification hearing of 11 MLAs from JDU and NPP, dissenting voices within the BJP grew stronger, and they seized the opportunity to push for his resignation.”
The analyst suggests that Singh’s resignation was only a matter of time. “If he had not stepped down, his government would have likely fallen due to a no-confidence motion. Political uncertainty will persist until a new CM is appointed.”
However, this uncertainty may be the least of the state’s problems. As Manipur stands at a crossroads, it’s unclear whether any political change—whether in leadership or governance—will be enough to quell the deeper societal rifts that have torn apart its communities.
Also Read: Much ado about nothing: Why Biren Singh’s resignation changes nothing
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