There is a new displacement in Manipur as 2,000 people go into neighboring Assam.
Tensions have been running high in the state's Jiribam since a Meitei man's body was discovered there on June 6 with marks on it.
About 2,000 people have been displaced as a result of the flareup and subsequent evacuation in Manipur's Jiribam district, leading security authorities to place the nearby Cachar district in Assam on high alert.
An MLA from Assam's Lakhipur constituency, which borders Jiribam, Kaushik Rai, said that about 1,000 people have taken refuge in Cachar and that the number is still rising.
He claims that although the majority of these individuals are Kukis and Hmars, who are both from the sizable Zo tribe, there are also Meiteis among the group.
"On Monday, we, the DC, and the SP met with a number of Lakhipur community organizations to underscore the importance of containing the Manipur flare-up. Our population is extremely varied. here – Bengalis, Hindi-speakers, Bengali and Manipuri Muslims, Biharis, Dimasas, Hmars, Kukis, Khasi, and Rongmei, among others. There are people who have sought shelter here but whatever happens, Assam should not be affected,” he said.
The Lakhipur sub-division has increased security, according to Cachar SP Numal Mahatta, and special commandos have also been stationed there.
One of the people who left the violence with his family was a resident of Jiribam's Hmar Mizo Veng. He did not want to be identified and is currently staying at Cachar's Hmarkhawlien hamlet. He added that on the evening of June 6, they crossed the Jiri River by boat.
His family had stayed in Jiribam despite the state's escalating strife until he left.
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