WEBDESK: In a grim reflection of India’s crumbling internal stability, paramilitary forces have now been deployed to protect farmers in the conflict-torn state of Manipur. Yes, in the so-called “world’s largest democracy,” growing rice now requires the presence of heavily armed personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Reserve Police Force (BSF).
Rice cultivation now needs Rifles in India
After recent violence between Meitei and Kuki communities, the Indian government has ordered troops to guard farmers working in the foothills of Manipur. According to officials, the move is meant to protect Meitei farmers from armed attacks though this is hardly a long-term solution. It’s yet another bandage on the deep ethnic fault lines that continue to bleed across India’s North-East.
Imagine the absurdity in 2025, farmers in a supposed “regional power” cannot safely work in their own fields without soldiers standing by. From Manipur to Nagaland, Assam to Mizoram, the entire region remains on edge, riddled with historic grievances and unresolved conflicts. And it’s not just the North-East. Kashmir remains under heavy military control, Punjab simmers with dissatisfaction, and Tamil Nadu continues to push for greater autonomy.
India’s unity is not built on trust it is held together by troops, coercion, and slogans.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Modi and his government continue to boast about India’s rise as a superpower. But what kind of “superpower” can’t even guarantee basic safety to its own farmers? What kind of global leader watches as over 230 million of its people live in extreme poverty? Where 190 million still defecate in the open because they don’t have toilets?
This is not “Incredible India” this is “InsecureIndia.” A country that claims to lead the world while it fails its own people, especially those on the margins.
Indian FM Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is also facing intense criticism and online mockery after video edits of him walking in slow motion, complete with laser eyes and dramatic music, but failed foreign policy. The reels has instead turned into meme content across social media platforms, with Indian citizens themselves calling it cringeworthy and out of touch.
