Exodus of Meitei community people from Mizoram continued on Monday in wake of an “advisory” by former militants in the state even as the Mizoram government has assured their safety and security.
Around 2,000 Meitei families from Manipur and Assam have been living in various places of Mizoram, including Aizawl, for many years and are engaged in various government and non–government works, studies, and business.
Officials said that around 200 people, including women and children, left Mizoram on Sunday and Monday by road and took shelter in Cachar district of southern Assam. Cachar district officials said that these Meitei community people, comprising government employees and small traders, are seeking security from the Manipur government to go to their home state.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the officials to provide relief and shelter to these people.
Some Meitei community people directly went to Manipur on a flight from Aizawl.
The exodus of Meitei community people began on Saturday after an organisation of former militants, the Peace Accord MNF Returnees’ Association (PAMRA) issued an “advisory” on Friday for the Meiteis living in the state.
Sources in Imphal said that 56 people of Meitei community arrived in Manipur capital on a flight from Aizawl on Saturday. These people, mostly teachers of different institutes, including Mizoram University, and students of paramedical, veterinary and nursing colleges, left Aizawl on their own. Many other Meitei community people left Mizoram by road for southern Assam on Sunday.
Asked by IANS, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that there is no plan yet to evacuate the Meitei community people from Mizoram.
Meanwhile, Mizoram Inspector General of Police has asked the Commandants of the three Mizoram Armed Police battalions to strengthen the security of the Meitei people living in Mizoram.
The Mizoram government, in a statement, said that it has been closely following the developments in Manipur in the wake of the ethnic conflict which has engulfed the neighbouring state since May 3.
In view of the press release issued by the PAMRA which was construed and reported in some sections of the press as a diktat to leave Mizoram, state Home Commissioner, H. Lalengmawia held a meeting with representatives of PAMRA.
In the meeting, PAMRA representatives clarified that the press release that was issued by them was an advisory requesting Meiteis living in Mizoram to exercise caution in the light of public sentiments regarding the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and was not a diktat or a quit notice to Meiteis, the statement said.
The Home Commissioner also met the representatives of All Mizoram Manipuri Association, assured them of their safety and security and not be misguided by rumours, and also persuaded them to inform their fellow Meiteis – both government employees and students – not to leave the state due to the misinterpretation of the PAMRA press statement.
So far no incident of violence or untoward incident has been reported involving the Meitei community people in Mizoram. Biren Singh, in telephonic conversations with his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga last month, asked him to provide adequate security to the Meitei community people in Mizoram and he assured Singh that his government would take all possible steps for the security of the Meitei community people in Mizoram.
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