Guwahati: As the death toll in Manipur ethnic clashes crossed 70 last week, a sense of fear and uncertainty grips people from both Kuki and Meitei communities. The mistrust runs deep in the aftermath of the clashes this month, and it is likely to take massive efforts by the Centre and the state government to try bridge the divide.
More than 46,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps so far, with about 3,000 others evacuated to other states in special flights. As many as 385 FIRs have been lodged across the state and 456 stolen arms recovered, security adviser to Manipur government, Kuldiep Singh, told media in Imphal Sunday.
On Monday, moments after Manipur CM N. Biren Singh returned from Delhi to announce that “there is no such situation that will affect or alter the integrity of the state”, 10 Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar legislators, including seven from the BJP, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding “separation from the state of Manipur”.
“There are no tribals left in Imphal valley, there are no Meiteis left in the Hills,” they wrote, blaming the Manipur government and its police for the “pogrom against the Kuki tribals”.
The Meiteis, the Nagas, and the Kuki-Chin-Mizo or the Kukis are the three main ethnic groups in Manipur. While the Meiteis inhabiting the central Valley belong to the general category, the tribals (Scheduled Tribes) living in the Hill districts belong to two groups — the Naga and Kuki.
Terming the ethnic conflict “premeditated”, the legislators stated that Kuki colonies and houses were marked — aided by a survey done some years ago by “radicalised Meitei groups” — and attacked in Imphal city.
“No resignations have been announced yet, but we are ready, if that’s what it takes,” one of the BJP MLAs in the ten-member group told ThePrint.
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‘Would rather starve…’
Hailing from Zoumunnuam village in Churachandpur, Joseph Khumingthang and his wife Hoinelhing are praying daily for the fast recovery of their son David, who has been admitted to the district hospital since 12 May.
The 22-year-old miraculously survived a mob attack in Imphal that left him with a broken jaw and grievous head injuries.
On 14 May, which also happened to be Mother’s Day, doctors at the hospital told Hoinelhing that her son would “make it”. On 5 May, David underwent an emergency operation at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, and was shifted to the neurology ward of the hospital.
Although he was discharged 12 May, and brought home to Churachandpur for a brief time, he was rushed to the district hospital as his condition worsened.
Joseph and David, along with three other daily-wagers, had gone to Imphal for work a week before the 3 May violence. Joseph said that a Meitei contractor provided them shelter at a locality in Imphal when violence spread to the Valley.
On 4 May, a mob surrounded the residence of the contractor, demanding to see the Aadhaar cards of the workers. Joseph and another Kuki villager somehow managed to escape, but David and two of his co-workers were reportedly dragged out and beaten unconscious.
“We can speak to him, he can still recognise us,” Joseph told ThePrint. “He even tried to speak, but was not audible. His jaw is completely broken.”
The police had escorted Joseph and his colleague that evening to a relief camp in Imphal, where they stayed for the next five days. The Army later evacuated them to Churachandpur. Two others are still stated to be “missing”.
David’s family had presumed him to be dead when they saw videos showing him and two others lying on the road in a critical state, gasping for breath, on social media.
But a few days later, David’s mother received a call from RIMS, informing her that her son was alive. “I was surprised and shocked to know he’s alive. When I first saw him at the hospital, I looked at the wounds on his head and face,” Hoinelhing told ThePrint.
Referring to the Meitei contractor who tried to save her son and others, she said, “He’s a good man who helped us hide from the mob, but we will never work for them again.”
“We would rather starve,” she added.
‘Fortunate to be alive’
A 67-year-old retired government servant from Khuga Tampak village in Churachandpur district said that he was fortunate to be alive as the mob had torched his house and several others, forcing them to flee. About 1,400 Meitei residents lived at the village.
Clashes had broken out after the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ took place on 3 May.
“They have burned my house, not my heart, my career or my will power. I am fortunate to be alive. But what about people who have lost their lives? I do not even blame the Kuki people — it is the mishandling of things at the government level,” the retired government servant said.
Recalling the night of May 3 when the situation worsened and civilians were trapped in besieged villages, he narrated: “Four persons defended our village with licensed barrel guns when a large group of people marched in. They had automatic weapons, we came to know later. More joined in batches… It was around 7:30pm. Our volunteers warned them, but they wouldn’t back off. There was some pushing and shoving, and it led to blank firing from both sides. In midst of the chaos, some of them approached from behind and torched our houses.”
“Whatever happened was beyond my wildest expectations. I was born and brought up in Churachandpur, and I have close friends from the Kuki community. If a chance is given to me to return, I will certainly return to Churachandpur. I don’t know when that possibility will come.”
Along with his family, the retired government servant is now taking refuge at a place near Moirang town in Bishnupur district. “Some of my family members have gone to Imphal, others to Bishnupur. Some say they will never return to Churachandpur,” he added.
‘Till things get better’
The Army, meanwhile, is guarding affected villages along the foothills of the Hill districts and in the Valley areas.
Varun, a resident of Irengbam village in Bishnupur district’s Nambol subdivision, said several Kuki-inhabited villages in the foothills of Kangpokpi district were burned down on the evening of 3 May, following which both Kuki and Meitei residents of adjacent villages fled to safer areas in the night.
Now, the communities are guarding their areas with small arms and handmade weapons, and there is palpable fear among the villagers, he said.
“In the peripheral areas of Imphal valley, the Meitei people are a bit reluctant and apprehensive to return home. There is also an apprehension about armed Kuki groups intermingling with the villagers,” Varun told ThePrint.
“On a daily basis, the Kukis used to come to my village with crops and firewood, which they would sell before returning home,” he said. “There was never an issue until now. We studied together, and it was all peaceful. What happened has resulted in an unwanted situation, with far too complicated agendas playing around since the past few years. We do hope normalcy returns. Random activities should continue, and will have to continue.”
Echoing the same sentiment is Hemin from Loivol Khonou village in Kangpokpi district.
More than 70 houses were set ablaze in the village, he said, adding that the distance between the last houses separating Kuki and Meitei families is hardly 5 metres.
About 200 metres away in the adjoining Bishnupur district, the Meitei residents of Waroiching escaped to nearby Leimaram village for safety. About 350 people are still camping there.
“I have Meitei friends since childhood. They are the ones who told us it is better to escape as the approaching mob was too big,” Hemin said. “We escaped to Chiru village and to the hills.”
“Out of 12 villages, 8 were burned down on the night of 3 May, including Nhunkhojang and Kuki Aigejang villages,” he added.
The womenfolk of these 12 villages are taking shelter at the Assam Rifles camp at Keithelmanbi, about 4-5 km away in Imphal West district. There are about 405 Kukis from these villages who are waiting for peace to return before they can return to their villages.
With all valuables and money burned to ashes, these families are struggling to manage food amid other challenges. Very few could save their documents, he said.
“The Kuki sub-tribes in the neighbouring villages are currently providing help with no aid from the government, so far,” Hemin added.
“The Army has helped in every situation. We are getting confidence from them. We plan to get back to our villages, and 37 people have returned. We are not allowed to go to the Meitei village and they are not allowed to come here — till things get better.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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