Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has flown to Delhi, with his ministerial colleagues and MLAs, to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other central leaders. The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss the recent ethnic violence in the state that has left around 70 people dead and several hundred injured. The Chief Minister was initially supposed to go to Delhi immediately after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, but the meetings were postponed due to the Karnataka Assembly elections. The issue of the ongoing Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Kuki militant outfits of the state is also likely to be discussed.
The visit to Delhi assumes significance as 10 tribal MLAs belonging to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi groups indirectly demanded a “separate state” for the tribals on Friday in the wake of recent violent clashes between the non-tribal Meiteis and the tribals. Of the 10 MLAs, five belong to the BJP, two each from Janata Dal-United and Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) and one is an Independent. The Janata Dal-United, the KPA and the independent MLAs are also part of the BJP led alliance government in Manipur.
The recent ethnic violence, clashes, arsoning, vandalization, and destruction of government and private properties broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organized in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension and protests over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land and destruction of poppy cultivation, which had led to a series of agitations in local level.
The non-tribal Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Valley areas, while the tribals belonging to Naga and Kuki communities constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. According to the Manipur government’s security advisor Kuldiep Singh, since May 3, 71 people have died, of which 41 fell prey to the ethnic violence, while others died due to various other causes, including drug overdoses. A total of 339 cases of attack and arsoning have been registered.
