Better late than never. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has, at last, spoken up, appealing for peace in Manipur, which continues to be singed by the fire of an ethnic conflagration that has engulfed Meities and Kukis. Ironically, the RSS’s appeal has only reinforced the contrasting response from the usually voluble prime minister: Narendra Modi is yet to speak on the crisis. Mr Modi’s silence has dealt a cruel blow to the hopes of Manipur’s suffering population, segments of which have begun to criticise the prime minister’s indifference. It is being speculated that the RSS’s apparent show of commiseration is, in fact, a subtle nudge to Mr Modi on the part of Nagpur to break his silence. It could, on the contrary, be a strategic decision, intended to not only fill the void created by a maun prime minister but also divert attention from other uncomfortable accusations. Such as the claim from a Kuki militant leader that the Bharatiya Janata Party had struck a deal with his outfit before the general election of 2019 and the assembly polls in 2017. Or that the BJP is being blamed, as has been done by an overwhelming number of citizens’ groups, for its pursuit of a divisive policy that has been instrumental in widening existing fissures among ethnic groups.

Meanwhile, things continue to simmer in Manipur. The deterioration has been such that a former lieutenant-general compared Manipur’s situation with that of Syria; a Union minister, whose residence was set on fire by a mob, has also commented on the breakdown of law and order. That the BJP governments in the state and the Centre have abdicated their responsibilities is evident. And this from a party that is in the habit of demanding the imposition of president’s rule at the drop of a hat in states ruled by the Opposition. What is particularly worrying is that the spirit of partisanship seems to have calcified even law and order agencies. The besieged Kuki people have, for instance, pointed fingers at state police personnel who, it is alleged, have prioritised their ethnic ties above constitutional duties. Even civil society organisations, which have played a significant role in dousing flames in the past, have either been neutered or are divided. It would be foolhardy to ignore an embattled Manipur. The sparks may cross over not only to neighbouring states — Mizoram houses both Kukis and Meiteis — but to a sensitive, strategic international border.