Manipur’s Thriving agricultural lands have been badly affected by the state’s ethnic conflict. Once flooded by Farmers on the field, now echoes loneliness and emptiness in the state. Notably, the state’s ethnic conflict, which began in May 2023, has taken over the agricultural lands.
Consequently, Manipur’s Thriving Agricultural lands have turned into no-man’s land and are pervaded by barricades and solitude. Not only citizens, but also agricultural lands are suffering from the ongoing state ethnic conflict.
One of the farmers from Churachandpur’s village, named Ujungmakhong, has stated that he is not able to access his field. “Plenty of Grass has taken over. The smaller weeds can be removed with herbicide. Up until now, we haven’t received any assistance,” he added further.
The village holds about 15 hectares of land, which is uncultivated now. The violence occurred due to state ethnic conflict has disturbed both livelihoods and food production.
Nearly 22% of Manipur’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) comes from the Agriculture sector, but after the state’s ethic conflict, the economy of the region has been severely affected.
In addition, Dr Thiyam Bharat Singh, an Associate Professor at the Centre for Study of Social Inclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSI) at Manipur University, has reported that around 5,127 hectares of farmland have remained fallow for two years. He stated that this has led to a loss of around 15,000 metric tonnes of rice”. This reduction in food production critically influences the GDP. The ethnic conflict has weakened the agriculture sector, resulting in food shortages.
Consequently, these circumstances pose a significant threat to the cultural heritage of Manipur. On the contrary, peace and tangible support can rejuvenate Manipur’s agricultural sector and efface the threats to food security and balance in the economy of the region.
