AIZAWL: At least nine tribal MLAs and various civil society organizations from Manipur hills areas will hold a meeting in Aizawl on Wednesday in view of the ethnic violence that rocked the neighbouring state recently, a leader said on Tuesday.
The leader said that the Kuki MLAs and leaders of the recently formed Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), comprising of various civil society organizations of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar group in Manipur will hold a consultation on Wednesday evening to review the current situation in the state and discuss the political agenda and future course of action.
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He said that the discussion in the proposed meeting is believed to be centered around security issues, separate administration for tribal people and relief measures.
Earlier on May 12, 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven from the BJP, had urged the Centre to create a separate administration for the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar community in the wake of the violent clashes between their majority Meiteis and the tribals.
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The MLAs had alleged that the violence was perpetrated by the majority Meitei community and was ‘tacitly supported’ by the BJP led state government.
“The unabated violence that began on May 3 last in Manipur perpetrated by majonty Meiteis tacitly supported by existing Government of Manipur against the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zorni hill tribals has already partitioned the state and effected a total separation from the State of Manipur,” the MLAs had said in a joint statement.
The MLAs had said that their people could no longer exist under Manipur as the hatred against the tribal community reached such a height that MLAs, ministers, pastors, police and civil officers, laymen , women and even children were not spared in the recent ethnic violence.
Besides, thousands of houses, including places of worship and properties belonging to the tribal people werealso burned down, they had said.
Meanwhile, people from violence-hit Manipur continue to trickle in Mizoram as more than 1,000 have entered the state in the past two days, raising the total displaced people to 6,932, officials said on Tuesday.
A total of 2,401 people of Zo or Mizo ethnic tribe have taken shelter in Saitual district in the northeastern part of the state bordering Manipur, they said.
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Aizawl district, which also shares a border with Manipur, is currently hosting 2,259 internally displaced people from the neighbouring state, while 2,099 people took shelter in Kolasib district near Assam border, they said.
The remaining 173 people took shelter in Champhai, Khawzawl and Serchhip districts.
The displaced people are lodged at temporary relief camps and several others are also given shelter by their relatives, officials said.
The state government is making massive efforts to provide shelter, food and other relief materials to the displaced people, they added.
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