As community members leave the state due to safety concerns, a top Mizoram official assures Meitei leaders of their safety: report

A senior state government official met with community leaders to reassure them of their safety after Meitei community members left Mizoram due to safety fears, according to a report.

The state administration and Meitei community leaders met as a number of Meitei residents from Manipur and Assam who were living and working in Mizoram recently departed the state due to safety concerns.

Since May 3, there has been ethnic violence in Manipur. After the state’s tribal groups organized a Tribal Solidarity March on May 3 in opposition to the planned scheduled tribe (ST) designation for the Meitei people, violence broke out across the state. Since then, thousands of people have been displaced and over 130 people have died. Houses of legislators and other political figures have also been assaulted and set on fire, as well as police stations, offices, religious buildings, and political organizations.

According to NDTV, Mizoram Home Secretary H Lalengmawia met with leaders of the Meitei minority and reassured them of the state’s safety and security.

According to NDTV, there are around 1,500 Meitei households living in Mizoram, and there have reportedly been hundreds of community members who have recently departed the country.

Senior police personnel are trying to secure the security of the Manipuris, according to a statement from the Mizoram Police.

“Senior police officers and all police personnel on the ground are working diligently to ensure the safety and security of Manipuri people/Meitei in various parts of Mizoram,” according to a statement released on Sunday by the Mizoram Police.

Meitei community is reassured by Mizoram civic society
The Meitei community has been assured of their protection by the state administration and the civil society of Mizoram.

“The Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), a significant civil society organization, has further urged the Meiteis to coexist amicably. Following consultations with the state administration, the Mizo Students Union (MZU) has decided to postpone its planned initiative to compile statistics about Meiteis in Mizoram, according to NDTV.

The news comes days after a video of two tribal women being paraded nude and mobbed in Manipur sparked anger and criticism throughout the country. This week, a video from May 4, the day the unrest in Manipur started, emerged. So far, five persons have been taken into custody in this matter.

The Manipur government has offered to charter planes in the meantime to make it easier for Meitei community members who wish to return from Mizoram to do so.

Why are Meitei emigrating from Mizoram?
Meitei community members started fleeing Mizoram after a group of ex-insurgents ‘advised’ them that they are no longer safe there.

According to The Indian Express, the group Peace Accord MNF Returnees’ Association (PAMRA) released a statement in which it stated that the violence against the Zo ethnic community in Manipur had deeply hurt the feelings of Mizo people and that it was no longer safe for Meitei people to live in Manipur. It also urged the Metis in Mizoram to leave “for their own safety.”

According to The Express, which also noted that the Mizos and the Kuki tribals in Manipur share ethnic ties, the indignation after the release of the film showing two women paraded nude and molested by a crowd has also caused a fear among the Meitei community members in Mizoram.

“The Mizos of Mizoram have been attentively observing the changes in the neighboring state since they have a strong ethnic tie with the Kuki-Zomis of Manipur. Since the unrest started on May 3, 12,584 Kuki-Zomi people from Manipur have really sought refuge in Mizoram, according to The Express.

The Meitei and the tribal people are the main parties involved in the war in Manipur. The Meiteis have long campaigned to be recognized as a scheduled tribe (ST). On May 3, the state’s tribal groups organized a march against the planned ST classification, which sparked unrest in the area. According to a story in The Economic Times, “Violent skirmishes erupted at numerous locations in Manipur during the course of a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised on May 3 by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM). In various areas, notably the Imphal Valley, which is mostly populated by the Meitei people, many houses were destroyed.

The event shown in the trending video happened on May 4. In the event, a Meitei crowd grabbed two indigenous women as they were displayed nude. when many months, the matter finally came to light this week, and the police immediately filed a FIR when the video sparked indignation throughout the country. The investigation has resulted in the arrest of five persons so far.