‘Misunderstanding between Kukis and Meitei led to conflict’

GUWAHATI: Y Upendra, president of the Manipur Peoples’ Front, said, “We would like to inform the people that the unfortunate incident of violence that happened in Mnaipur was between the indigenous Meitei people of Manipur and the Kukis Chin, not between the Meitei and Tribal of the State, and there is also no such conflict between the Hindu and Christian communities.”

The All Assam Manipuri Students’ Union, Manipur Peoples’ Front, Manipur Basti Meirapaibi Women’s Association, and the World Meitei Council, Assam Unit, had a joint press meet at the Guwahati Press Club in Ambari on Thursday. These organizations condemned the violence that took place in Manipur between Meitei and Kukis.

The sole purpose of the meeting is to make the common people of the country, and of Assam and Manipur in particular, aware of the fake news about the current violence in Manipur that hits headlines on social media these days.

N Sanahal Singha, president of the All Assam Manipuri Students’ Union, said, “Since last year, the Manipur Government has cracked down on the illegal poppy cultivation in different parts of Manipur as a part of the government’s anti-drug mission. Because of that, many Kuki Chin immigrants from Myanmar were cultivating poppy in Churachandpur and the adjoining districts. They were not happy with this anti-drug policy of the State government. Also, the eviction of the illegal encroachers from reserve forests and protected forest areas was another reason Kukis were not happy. Further, Kukis are not illegal immigrants from Myanmar; we have thousands of Kuki indigenous people living in Manipur. But in recent years, the huge population of Kuki Chin migrated from Myanmar and illegally encroached upon the reserve forest of Manipur, and because of that, the number of Kuki Chin has increased by around 30 percent. The ST demand by the Meitei community is also the reason for the conflict. If the Meitei people get ST status, reservations among the Kukis will decline rapidly in the state. These facts created misunderstandings among the communities.”

All four organizations—AAMSU, MPF, BNWA, and WMC’s Assam unit—have requested that both communities maintain peace and harmony. Also, they have requested that the state and the Central Government intensify relief and rehabilitation work and compensate the affected families for their property losses.

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