Content:

1. Manipur’s worsening humanitarian crisis
2. Closer than ever

Manipur’s worsening humanitarian crisis

Background and Context

• Geographical and Ethnic Complexity:
  • Manipur shares a porous border with Myanmar, contributing to complex migration and security issues.
  • Ethnic tensions between the Meitei (dominant in the Valley) and Kuki-Zomi (dominant in the Hill districts) communities have escalated into violent conflicts.

• Data Deficiency:
  • Longstanding armed conflicts and displacement events have resulted in a lack of reliable humanitarian data.
  • Fragmented data collection obscures the full extent of vulnerabilities, particularly for unregistered displaced persons.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance)

Practice Question : Critically examine the humanitarian implications of the Manipur conflict, highlighting the challenges in data collection and relief measures. Suggest ways to address the crisis. (250 words)

Key Humanitarian Concerns

• Forced Displacement:
  • Around 58,000 displaced individuals reside in relief camps across Valley and Hill districts.
  • Unregistered displacement includes individuals living with relatives or outside formal camps, further complicating relief measures.
  • Over 19,000 people fled to neighboring states (Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya).

• Health Crisis:
  • Breakdown in Healthcare Access:
    • Hill district residents (particularly Kuki-Zomi communities) face blocked access to major hospitals in Imphal.
    • Average travel time for patients from Churachandpur to tertiary hospitals: 17–24 hours.

• Underreported Mortality and Morbidity:Deaths due to delayed treatment (e.g., dialysis unavailability, maternal deaths, pneumonia in children).Threats to medical facilities and medicine blockades worsen conditions.

• Mental Health Crisis:High prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (65.8%), moderate anxiety (24.8%), and severe anxiety (15.2%) among displaced persons.Suicides reported in relief camps due to prolonged displacement and livelihood loss

• Living Conditions in Relief Camps:
  • Prolonged displacement (over 2 years since initial camps) with unmet basic needs:
    • Water scarcity leading to high household expenses.
    • Unsanitary conditions causing health hazards.
    • Malnutrition and food insecurity affecting children and vulnerable populations.
    • Dwindling resources due to donor fatigue and conflict-induced inflation.
  • Over 22,000 children in camps face severe disruption in education and nutrition.

Information and Documentation Gaps

• Unrecognized Categories of Displacement:
  • Youth migrating for education and livelihood.
  • Patients seeking medical care outside the state.

• Misinformation and Disinformation:
  • Media blackouts and conflicting reports distort the humanitarian narrative.
  • Absence of granular data hampers policy formulation and effective response measures.

Measures to Mitigate the Crisis

• Immediate Humanitarian Interventions:
  • Increase external humanitarian support (corporate social responsibility initiatives and international aid).
  • Enhance the supply of clean drinking water to reduce the financial burden on displaced households.

• Healthcare Solutions:
  • Establish humanitarian corridors to evacuate critically ill patients through Imphal airport.
  • Improve access to essential medicines and prevent blockades.

• Supply Chain Restoration:
  • Reopen and secure transport routes for food, medical supplies, and essential goods through neutral communities.
  • This would mitigate inflation and stabilize local economies.

• Long-term Support:
  • Ensure sustained aid to prevent donor fatigue.
  • Focus on education continuity for displaced children.

Constitutional and Governance Dimensions (GS2 & GS3 Relevance)

• Article 355: Obligation of the Union to protect states against internal disturbances.
• Article 371C: Special provisions for Manipur for safeguarding tribal rights.
• Federal Governance Concerns: Balance between state autonomy and central intervention.
• Internal Security Challenge: Impact on national integrity and border security with Myanmar.

Closer than ever

Context : Strategic Importance of the Visit

• Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to India after a decade signifies the strengthening of bilateral relations.
• Upgradation of ties to a strategic partnership aligns India-Qatar relations with India’s ties with other GCC countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Relevance : GS 2 ( International Relations)

Practice Question :Critically analyze the significance of the India-Qatar strategic partnership in the context of West Asian geopolitics and India’s energy security. (250 words)

Economic Cooperation

• Qatar supplies 45% of India’s LNG needs, making energy a cornerstone of bilateral trade (~$15 billion).
• Qatar’s commitment to invest $10 billion in Indian infrastructure and manufacturing boosts India’s development agenda.
• Signing of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) fosters smoother economic transactions.
• Aim to double bilateral trade by 2030 reflects long-term economic synergy.

Geopolitical Dimensions

• Qatar’s balancing act: hosts the U.S. military base while engaging with groups like the Hamas and Taliban.
• India leverages Qatar’s regional influence for Afghanistan engagement, especially amid Taliban’s resurgence.
• The Amir’s pardon of eight Indian naval personnel strengthens diplomatic goodwill and trust.

Regional and Global Context

• Visit occurs amid heightened tensions in West Asia (Israel-Gaza conflict), highlighting regional diplomacy’s complexity.
• India’s measured stance on the Israel-Hamas issue contrasts Qatar’s more vocal regional positions.
• The evolving India-Qatar relationship may help bridge divergences in their regional outlooks.

People-to-People and Cultural Ties

• Indian diaspora in Qatar (~700,000+) is pivotal to Qatar’s economic sectors and acts as a strong cultural bridge.
• New MoUs in sports and youth affairs aim to deepen cultural and social engagement.