The tribal Meities and Kukis of Manipur are still migrating since the violence that erupted earlier this month.
The Manipur issue that led to various causalities and immigration throughout the past few weeks, hasn’t come to a standstill as of yet.
The sudden burst of outrage in Manipur that created immense severity has caused the death of around 73 lives and been a reason for the homelessness of thousands. Entities in knowledge of the situation have claimed that the violence has created evacuation in this small state. They stated that the Meitei community are leaving their hills while the Kuki tribe vacate their houses and desert the valley area.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) is an organisation working alongside Bharathiya Janata Party or BJP government to maintain stability in the state. The committee has informed that approximately 7400 Meities have moved to the Imphal valley abandoning their hills whilst the Kuki tribe leave the Imphal valley and the areas around to ensure safety after the incidents happening throughout the past weeks. Hundreds and thousands of Kukis are going their way back to the hills, said Letzamang Hoakip, BJP MLA from the place where the violence got under way, which is Henglap in Churchandpur.
Around 53% of the total states population comprises the Meitei community while around 44% percent are the 33 tribes adding the Kukis and the Nagas. The tribes earn their daily bread by following the traditional Jhum cultivation in the hill regions where Five districts of Manipur amongst the nine are located. As people who left their home grounds over the years and retreating in sought of safety are contributing to the sharpening of the demographic division.
Image courtesy: News 18
A want of separate administrations for the hills was demanded under the constitution by Haokip along with 9 other tribal legislators which was rejected by N. Biren Singh, the Chief Minister. He claimed that this immigration due to violence is being seen everyday.
Also the spokesperson, Khuraijam Athouba, of COCOMI said that the periphery of the hills reports cases of clashes almost everyday. Adding to it he claimed that to analyse the situation a meeting with the security advisor of the state and central government, Kuldeep Singh was scheduled on May 18.
Series of actions that occurred in the due course of the erupting violences at Manipur:
The state has gone through colossal brutality which was seen through various viral social media posts that shared the visuals of houses and shops cloaked with fire. The opening gambit of this issue was the Protest March led by the All Tribal Student’s Union Manipur (ATSUM) on the 3rd of March which was against the order issued by the High Court of Manipur. This order stated the inclusion of non-tribal Meities in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
Image courtesy: the economic times
These Meities make 64% of the state’s population however own around only 10% of the state’s territory as non-tribals in Manipur are not allowed to purchase any land. Considering them under the Scheduled tribes would grant them the power to purchase land thus stirring a feel of unease across the local tribes of the state thus leading to such violences. The government of Manipur was forced to position the army, discontinue internet service and enforce curfew throughout the whole Manipur.
Meghachandra, the Congress President of the state asserted that the violence is prevailing. Many shops owned by the Kuki people were fired at, which were in the heart of the Imphal valley. Many houses were cloaked in fire which belonged to the Meities at Churchandpur. All of this is scaring the laymen. He also informed that due to the shortage of essentials many who took shelter have left the relief camp. Claiming this he still wonders why the centre is mute over this issue.
Churchandpur has witnessed an evacuation of almost 1310 people, in Tengnoupal’s Moreh town almost 3000 have left their dear home and around 260 abandoned the Chandel district, revealed a study by the COCOMI. A police officer of Manipur, who prefers to stay anonymous, informed that the disruptions are created by a certain armed group hivwer the government is trying all possibilities to regain sanity.
