Manipur ethnic clashes displace 40,000, kill nearly 100

In the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, violence has erupted between the mainly-Hindu Meitei community and the predominantly Christian Kukis. Since May 3, nearly 100 people have been killed, 310 injured, and over 40,000 displaced. The conflict was triggered by a Kukis-led protest against the Meiteis demanding to be designated as a Scheduled Tribe. The Meitei Pangals, a Muslim community in the region, have found themselves caught in the crossfire between the two warring sides.

“We hid behind the bed for some time. Then between 10.30pm and 11pm we got out and went and hid in the mosque. We only got back in the morning,” Samim Sahni, a 25-year-old mother of two children, told Al Jazeera.

The Meitei Pangals, who make up about 8% of Manipur’s population, live in the valley areas and have relationships with both the Kukis and the Meiteis. However, since the violence began, they have faced pressures from both sides.

Violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 following a peace rally in Churachandpur against a range of issues, including the demand by Meitei groups to be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This would grant the community access to grants and reservations in educational institutes and government jobs.

The Meitei Pangals living in Ward 8 of Kwakta Municipal are literally in the crossfire between the Kukis and the Meiteis. Local resident Mohammed Razauddin told Al Jazeera, “Since May 3, firing has happened three-four times. We leave our houses every evening and stay in nearby areas.”

Adding to the tensions in Manipur is the demand for a Scheduled Tribe status by a section of Muslims. In February this year, the Meitei-Pangal Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee held a protest in New Delhi demanding the status. Riyazuddin Khan, advisor to the All Manipur Muslim Development Committee, said, “We have a right to demand the ST status. But it is up to the central government to decide to give this to us. What is happening now is undemocratic and unnecessary.”

Last week, the All Manipur Muslim Organisations Coordinating Committee submitted a memorandum to federal home affairs minister Amit Shah during his visit to the riot-hit Manipur. The Muslim group demanded the central government’s “immediate attention and action to restore peace, harmony, and normalcy in the region.”