Beyond Ethnic Conflict: The Political Economy of Manipur’s Narco-Frontier
The violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023 has primarily been explained as an ethnic confrontation between the valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo community. Debate has focused on issues such as Scheduled Tribe status, land rights, constitutional protections and the long-standing hill-valley divide. Although these factors are undeniably important, reducing the crisis…