KOHIMA: Around 1,500 people from the ethnic violence-affected Manipur have taken refuge in different parts of neighbouring Nagaland, an official said on Friday.
While many of these people are staying with their relatives, others are in houses provided by villagers.
“The Nagaland government is yet to collect the accurate data. However, as per available reports, around 1,500 people from Manipur have taken shelter in various parts of the state,” Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha told PTI here.
The clashes between Meitei and Kuki tribes, which started early last month, have so far claimed over 100 lives and some 10,000 army and para-military personnel had to be deployed to bring back normalcy in the northeastern state.
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Meanwhile, the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), a tribal body, on Friday visited six villages in the Chumoukedima district, where the displaced people have taken refuge. The organisation distributed relief materials to them.
In a statement, the CPO said a total of 704 Kuki people have come to these villages from Manipur.
Clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised 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 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
10 parties seek PM Modi’s intervention
Meanwhile, ten political parties in Manipur, led by Congress, on Friday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest.
Criticising the Prime Minister’s silence over the Manipur situation, three-time Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader O Ibobi Singh said that Modi’s silence over the devastating violence in Manipur proves that the Centre is neglecting the state.
He also emphasised that while the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah was appreciated, Manipur continued to suffer from unabated unrest and persistent reports of violence.
The Congress leader further expressed the view that if the Central government had intervened on time, the crisis could have been resolved much earlier.
The ten political parties in its meeting on Friday at Congress Bhawan in Imphal also resolved to urge the state government to convene a special session of the Manipur Assembly for a detailed discussion on the ongoing unrest.
The meeting was chaired by the Manipur State Congress President K Meghachandra Singh.
The 10 political parties include the CPI, CPI-M, JD-U, Forward Bloc, RSP, SS-UBT, Trinamool Congress, NCP, and a local party, besides the Congress.
Last month, a Congress delegation led by party President Mallikarjun Kharge met President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi and sought her intervention in the Manipur crisis.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)