Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh spoke to his Mizoram counterpart on Sunday and asked him to ensure security for people of the Meitei community living in the neighbouring state.
In a tweet about his phone call with Singh, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga did not mention if Singh had asked him to take measures for the Kuki community as well.
Manipur is on the boil since May 3 due to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The violence has left more than 100 persons dead, over 300 injured and thousands displaced.
About 10,000 members of the Kuki community have taken refuge in Mizoram in the wake of the violence, according to The Hindu.
On Sunday, Zoramthanga tweeted that his government, residents and non-government organisations are empathetic towards the Meiteis.
“Therefore, for the Meitei who are residing in Mizoram, they have nothing to fear as long as they are in Mizoram,” he wrote. “We shall go on to promote safety and security for them.”
In fresh violence on Sunday night, an Indian Army soldier was injured after unidentified men resorted to unprovoked firing in the Imphal West district. The soldier was evacuated to the military hospital in Leimakhong.
Opposition parties have criticised Modi for being silent over the violence in Manipur. Several Bharatiya Janata Party legislators from Manipur belonging to the Meitei community have also arrived in Delhi in the last few days to meet the prime minister. Chief Minister Singh is expected to come to the national capital this week, according to The Hindu.
Mizoram’s only Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena, who is also a member of the ruling Mizo National Front, advocated for imposing president’s rule in Manipur, The Indian Express reported.
“The violence has continued for far too long and now it is time that the Biren Singh government is removed,” he told the newspaper in an interview. “The Centre should put the state of Manipur under president’s rule. The central forces have to take over.”
On Sunday, members of the Meitei community in Imphal East district boycotted the prime minister’s fortnightly radio show Mann Ki Baat. They gathered at the district’s Singjamei area, broke their radio sets and chanted “Mann ki baat taningdey” (We don’t want to listen to Mann Ki Baat).
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The violence in Manipur first broke out after thousands of people participated in a protest march to oppose the demand of the Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribes category.
The protestors included the Kukis, one of the larger tribal communities in Manipur. For months now, they have been at loggerheads with the state government, and, in particular with the chief minister, who the community claims harbours Meitei “majoritarian” sentiments.
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