GUWAHATI: Beleaguered Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday called up his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga and sought his help to douse the flames of ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis. Zoramthanga is a Mizo. Mizos and Kukis share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. Thousands of displaced Kukis of Manipur are taking shelter in Mizoram.
“The Chief Minister of Manipur spoke to me over the phone at 12.30 pm regarding the #Manipur ongoing violence asking for my aid in resolving the issue with a hope that henceforth there would be a peaceful co-existence,” Zoramthanga tweeted.
Singh also sought his help to ensure that the Meiteis living in Mizoram are safe. Zoramthanga apprised Singh that the Mizoram government has already taken certain steps to abate the Manipur violence, adding the Meiteis living in Mizoram have nothing to fear.
No incident of violence was reported from any part of Manipur on Sunday even as the Central and state forces continued with joint marches. Protesters, including women, in Imphal vented their ire against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They congregated at a marketplace and destroyed a radio during a symbolic protest against Mann Ki Baat. “We don’t want to listen to Mann Ki Baat,” they shouted.
In the Imphal Valley on Saturday night, hundreds of women holding fire torches took part in a protest against the violence. They demanded the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the abrogation of the “suspension of operation” agreement that the government had signed with some Kuki insurgent groups.
Meanwhile, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale condemned the violence in Manipur and appealed to the government, including the local administration, police, security forces and central agencies to restore peace immediately.