India, May 4 -- It's been three years since an ethnic conflict began to roil Manipur. Over 270 people have been killed in clashes, mostly involving Meitei and Kuki groups, and thousands displaced from their homes. The then BJP government of Biren Singh resigned after its gross incompetence and unpopularity were exposed, followed by a stint of rule by central administrators. A new government of elected representatives is now in place, but peace remains elusive. In April, at least 11 people died in separate clashes: The bodies of a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister killed in a suspected mortar attack on April 7 were buried only last week, after state-wide protests and shutdowns. What began as clashes involving the Meiteis and the Kukis over the reservation policy have now drawn in the Nagas as well, which means the entire Manipur state - not just the Imphal Valley and Kuki zone in the hill districts - is now a conflict zone. What explains this prolonged state of unrest? Many parts of this country have experienced violence due to insurgencies and communal clashes since Independence. But it's rare to have disturbances within a state go unaddressed for this long and in this manner. Take the case of a Centre-appointed three member Commission of Inquiry, set up in June 2023, a month after the violence started, to investigate the omissions and commissions that led to the conflict and to fix accountability. After four extensions - the last deadline was May 20 - the panel is nowhere close to submitting its report. The panel chair resigned midway, and a new official has been appointed while thousands of submissions from public officials and citizens, including victims, are gathering dust in files. Justice is wound up in the proverbial red tape, and the State offers procedural excuses to justify the commission's failure. Meanwhile, Manipur continues to bleed. Manipur's ethnic conflict carries the weight of history. An enlightened politics that rose above the ethnic fault line and petty power manoeuvres was necessary to bridge the communal divide and bring social peace. Such leadership was absent when flames of hate engulfed not just the street but also civil society and public institutions. The indifference of the Centre's commission points to a larger structural crisis - of the State abandoning its responsibility to get to the root of a problem and resolve it. Policing the street, eliminating vigilante groups, and securing the borders are essential, but the challenge is ultimately political. Unfortunately, Manipur continues to await that leadership....