Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between the bulk Meiteis and tribals which have left over 150 folks lifeless.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), an umbrella group of tribals in Manipur, on Saturday wrote a letter to opposition alliance INDIA, in search of its assist for his or her demand of a separate administration and implementation of President’s rule in the violence-hit state.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between the bulk Meiteis and tribals which have left over 150 folks lifeless. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s inhabitants and stay principally in the Imphal valley, whereas tribals, which embrace Nagas and Kukis, represent 40 per cent and reside principally in the hill districts.
“We fervently appeal to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take up our cause and apprise the nation about our plight. “We implore you to assist us survive this onslaught by supporting our demand for a separate administration from Manipur and to urge the central authorities to introduce President rule instantly in Manipur to finish the violence,” the ITLF stated in its two-page letter to the opposition events.
The letter, signed by ITLF chairman Pagin Haokip and secretary Muan Tombing, stated virtually three months into the sectarian battle, peace stays a distant dream in the northeast state. “While all sides have suffered, the minority Kuki-Zo tribals have borne the brunt of the violence, making up over two-thirds of the deaths in the conflict,” it claimed.
READ | ‘All have to attempt for a peaceable answer’: Opposition INDIA MPs in Manipur
The ITLF alleged that 1000’s of weapons looted from state armouries in capital Imphal are getting used in the “ethnic cleansing campaign”. “To add to our plight, state police commandos with sophisticated guns and mortars have been openly joining armed Meitei gunmen in raiding tribal villages and attacking the frontlines… Gaps in military buffer zones are being constantly exploited, and the army and other security forces are handicapped because President’s rule has still not been implemented,” it stated.
It stated blockade of the one nationwide freeway main to the hills of Churachandpur, the state’s largest district, additionally signifies that lakhs of tribals are dealing with scarcity of important commodities and medication. “Those that are available are ferried from Mizoram through mountainous roads, leading to a huge increase in the prices of goods,” the ITLF stated.
Since the beginning of the violence on May 3, the ITLF stated it has recorded 119 confirmed deaths, principally harmless civilians, among the many tribals with over 7,000 properties burnt, 359 church buildings destroyed and greater than 40,000 tribals displaced. “Tribals and Meiteis are now separated physically. After so much blood and trauma, there is no possibility of them living together again. We refuse to entertain the thought of going back to living under the communal Manipur government controlled by the Meitei community,” the letter learn.
It stated “the next logical step is to separate us politically. For the Kuki-Zo tribals to survive in our own land we are asking the central government to give us the right to govern ourselves under the Indian constitution.”
