News Excerpt:
The murder of a Meitei farmer triggered retaliatory attacks, including the burning of homes belonging to both Kuki-Zo-Hmar and Meitei communities located along National Highway 37 on the Assam-Manipur border.
More about the news:
- Jiribam has now become the latest hotspot of ethnic violence in Manipur. The state has been embroiled in ethnic clashes between the tribal Kuki-Zo-Hmar people and the Meitei community since May 3, 2023.
- These conflicts have led to the displacement of over 50,000 people and the death of at least 221 individuals.
- The mob rampage that followed the murder prompted the Jiribam administration to impose prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144.
- Over the course of the ongoing strife from May, clear and rigid lines had come to be drawn in other parts of Manipur between regions where Meiteis can live and work, and where Kuki-Zos can live and work.
About Jiribam:
- Jiribam district, with a population of around 50,000, is home to 13 communities, including many Hindu and Muslim Bengalis and Nagas.
- Jiribam lies on the westernmost side of Manipur, about 220 kilometers from the state’s capital Imphal. It borders Assam’s Cachar district.
- The district has a history of managing violence through community efforts.
- It was noted that a bridge separates Kuki-Zo and Meitei villages, each equipped with bunkers or makeshift defense structures.
- These were dismantled by police and security forces following the recent violence. Currently, about 800 Kuki-Zo people have sought refuge in Assam, while 900 Meiteis are living in seven camps within Jiribam.
- Around 5,000 troops, previously withdrawn for the general elections, are returning to the state.
- Currently, about 36,000 personnel from the army and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) are deployed in Manipur, with a significant presence in buffer zones to separate the warring communities.
- Security decisions are being managed by the Unified Command appointed by the Centre to ensure neutrality amid community divisions within the state police.
