Security of 'our people' in Manipur: A major poll issue in Mizoram
BJP is worried as mood of Zo community is against Biren Singh
New Delhi/Aizawl
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday in connection with the recent unprecedented violence in the state.
CM with Lt Gen Sahi
The chief minister, accompanied by state ministers, MLAs and state BJP president A Sharda Devi, rushed to Delhi on Sunday amid reports of fresh violence and repeated gun fights between the security forces and suspected Kuki militants.
Last week, Mr Biren Singh chaired a meeting with 3 Corps Commander, Lt. General, H S Sahi on the post-violence situation in Manipur.
Officials say the violent clashes between two communities - the Meitei (Meetei) and the Kuki - and arson committed in several places across 11 districts in Manipur, on May 3-4 have so far left 74 dead and 243 others injured, said Kuldiep Singh, security advisor to the Manipur government.
Stage is set for November polls later this year in Mizoram along with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has asserted in unambiguous terms that his government and the people of the state will not remain mute spectators to the turn of events and violence in Manipur that has seemingly targeted Kukis.
The Kukis are also generally called 'nomadic tribes' in the north east as they reside across the region in substantial numbers. Kukis fall under a larger family of 'Zo kindred tribes' and thus share a strong ethnic bond with Mizos.
Over 5000 'internally displaced people' including women, children and sick are at present taking shelter in different parts of Mizoram.
Union Home Minister Shah has assured Mizoram CM, Zoramthanga, of all assistance and that necessary steps will be taken to keep things under control in BJP-ruled Manipur. The Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) is a constituent of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
The BJP leadership may also took stock of the situation as the general mood of the Zo community could be against Manipur CM N Biren Singh-led ministry in Manipur.
It is also worth mentioning that an estimated 30,000 Myanmar people including a large number of children and school students have taken shelter in this north eastern state since February 2021 when violence followed the military coup in that country.
Moreover, sources told 'Nagaland Page' there also around 700 refugees from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts inhabited by 'Zo' tribes who called themselves 'Kuki-Chin' community.
"Majority of them are Bawm and Pang communities. They speak a language quite similar to Mizo language and understand Mizo language," a community leader said over phone from Aizawl.
The Manipur fracas and unprecedented violence and displacement of tribals in such a large number has yet again rekindled the demand of 'Greater Mizoram' among certain sections of people in Mizoram and Manipur.
Ten legislators who have demanded a separate administration under the Constitution of India in effect belong to the Zo community. These of course include Kukis and other sections like Paiteis, Vaipei etc.
“We may decide to demand a separate state, union territory or even be part of ‘Greater Mizoram’,” says Paolienlal Haokip, BJP MLA from Saikot assembly constituency in Manipur.
The legislators in their joint statement have alleged that the state of Manipur has failed to protect the tribal community.
Ethnic Zo legislators of Manipur and civil societies of the hill areas and other leaders in Mizoram are likely to hold a meeting in Aizawl soon to take a final decision on the matter, sources said.
“Our people can no longer exist in Manipur as the hatred against our tribal reached such a height that MLAs, Ministers, Pastors, Police and civil officers, laymen, women and even children were not spared, not to mention the destruction of places of worship, homes and properties," the statement from the MLAs stated.
Sources in Mizoram government say the number of Manipur’s internally displaced people (IDP) has risen to 5,509 as of 1700 hours on Saturday.
Saitual district, which hosted 1,825 IDPs has the highest number of them taking shelter followed by Aizawl and Kolasib districts at 1,797 and 1,734 respectively.
Substantial number of IDPs are also taking shelter in Mizoram-Manipur-Myanmar border Champhai, Khawzawl and Serchhip districts.
Majority of them are homeless as their houses were gutted by non-tribal mobs that went on rampage in the wake of violence that erupted on May 3 in Churachandpur and other areas.
The lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram, K. Vanlalvena (MNF) has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to constitute a Joint Parliamentary Team which included ‘Christian MPs’ to carry out independent investigation into the recent violence in Manipur.
In a letter to Modi, the lawmaker Vanlalvena requested that the Joint Parliamentary Team should be sent to the affected areas of violence and investigate the entire sequence of events "so that the truth may be unearthed and justice is delivered".
Meanwhile, reports from Imphal claimed that Meitei villagers of Senjam Chirang in Imphal West have alleged that the pipeline for Senjam Chirang Rural Water Supply Scheme of Imphal West and the water source of the Sahirok river passing through Leilon Pheijang (Sansang) and Haraothel Village in Kangpokpi district have been cut off for the past few days by suspected armed militants.
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