Despite the deepening crisis following the ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur, Meitei and Kuki villagers living in the Lamlai area in Imphal East district vowed to prevent violence and help each other. The villagers of the two communities in this part of the state are seen helping each other in times of such crisis. Maintaining the ties that bind them, the villagers say it is the "armed outsiders" that are infusing enmity between the communities and causing havoc in the state.
Oinam Chandrabali, one of the womenfolk of Thamnapokpi Awang Leikai, Yaingangpokpi in Imphal East district, said on Tuesday, after meeting the MLA of Lamlai assembly constituency, that the villagers of Gwaltabi, Thamnapokpi, Sanasabi, and surrounding villages signed a peace agreement in the wake of communal clashes that broke out between the two communities since May 3.
In the peace agreement that was signed on May 5, the villagers of the two communities in Lamlai mentioned that villages in the surrounding areas have been living together for decades and will continue to do so in the future too.
The villagers also resolved to maintain peace and harmony among each other, and if any outside force tried to breach the accord, they agreed to inform each other immediately, Chandrabali added.
During one of the attacks on Meitei villagers during the wee hours of Sunday, suspected Kuki militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, also attacked the villagers of Gwaltabi, Thamnapokpi, Sanasabi, and other surrounding villages inhabited by the Meitei communities by violating all the peace accords, she added.
However, in the militant attack, Kuki villagers of Dongsel, who were among those that signed the peace accord, saved over 40 Meitei people, while some Kuki villagers of Samusong protected the belongings of a Meitei couple and returned them, she added.
Following the attack, the villagers have been staying like refugees, she said, adding that some armed outsiders with sophisticated weapons attacked the innocent villagers to infuse enmity among the two communities.
Chandrabali also said that people have reported in the media that some central paramilitary forces are helping the Kuki militants directly or indirectly while the Meitei villagers were being attacked.
However, not all the central forces are helping the Kuki militants, as many central paramilitary forces, including the BSF, Army, CRPF, and some other forces, are helping to fight against the Kuki militants too, she pointed out.
She further appealed to the public to not block all the central paramilitary forces from entering a gunbattle zone and to not be misled by a conspiracy of some central paramilitary forces.
Drawing the attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the tense situation, womenfolk of Thamnapokpi Awang Leikai, Yaingangpokpi in Imphal East urged him to immediately withdraw the suspension of operation (SoO) with the Kuki militants during his visit to Manipur, saying that attacks by suspected Kuki militants will affect the unity of various communities living peacefully in the state.
So far, in the aftermath of the communal clashes that burned Manipur since May 3-4, Meetei villages in the fringe areas of Imphal valley have been reportedly facing unabated attacks by Kuki militants despite the deployment of central forces in the region, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the unprecedented violence in Manipur has left over 75 people dead, hundreds injured and thousands others displaced and homeless as their houses have been burned to cinders.
As uncertainty stares, with the situation remaining out of control, people in the state are struggling to cope with the difficult and challenging times amid the imposition of indefinite curfew and internet shutdown. Gripped by fear and panic, they wait for the authorities concerned to restore peace and normalcy in the state soon, while thousands have fled the state to safer places outside the state.
