Aizawl: More than 5,800 people from Manipur have fled to Mizoram following recent violent clashes between Meitei and tribal communities and have taken shelter in various districts of the neighboring state. Officials gave this information on Sunday. He informed that a total of 5,822 people of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo community are living in temporary relief camps in six districts of Mizoram.
Officials said the Aizawl district currently has the highest number of displaced people at 2,021, followed by Kolasib with 1,847 and Saitual with 1,790. Meanwhile, Mizoram Lok Sabha member C Lalrosanga has supported the demand of Manipur’s tribal legislators for a separate administration for tribals.
The clashes had broken out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 percent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
Claiming that the tribal people can no longer live under the Manipur government, 10 Kuki legislators on Friday urged the Center to set up a separate administration in the wake of violent clashes. Seven of these MLAs belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
