GUWAHATI: The immediate impact of the viral video in Manipur is being felt in neighbouring Mizoram as the Meiteis have started leaving the state.
The exodus commenced after an organisation of former militants – Peace Accord MNF Returnees’ Association (PAMRA) – in Mizoram had allegedly asked the Meiteis of Manipur on Friday to leave the state for their “own safety”.
A routine flight of Alliance Air on Saturday arrived in Imphal from Aizawl, carrying 66 passengers – 56 of them Meiteis, official sources said.
The passengers were mostly teachers of different institutes, including Mizoram University, and students of paramedical, veterinary and nursing colleges.
“Many others” took the road route to Assam’s Barak Valley. Mizoram has over 2,000 Meiteis – half of them from Manipur and the rest from Assam. Many of them are employed in different sectors, including central government offices.
It was learnt some 300 Meiteis from different parts of Mizoram have gathered in Aizawl. They will leave the state on Sunday. The Manipur government is likely to send a chartered flight to Mizoram to bring the people.
The Mizoram government beefed up security in Aizawl since Friday night, hours after PAMRA asked the Meiteis to leave the state.
In a letter to the commandants of two police battalions and an India Reserve Battalion, Deputy Inspector General of Police Lallianmawia wrote: “In anticipation of possible development of tension which could threaten the security of Meiteis living in Aizawl, due to the public outrage against the recent viral video of two tribal Kuki-Zo brutally assaulted in Manipur, security arrangement is made…in order to ensure the safety of Meitei in Aizawl.”
In a statement issued on Friday, PAMRA said as the situation in Mizoram turned tense following the “barbaric and heinous acts committed by the miscreants in Manipur”, it is no longer safe for the Meiteis from Manipur to live in Mizoram.
Meanwhile, the Mizoram government on Saturday said the PAMRA statement was not a “quit notice” to Meiteis.
“Home Commissioner, H Lalengmawia held a meeting with representatives of PAMRA today (Saturday). PAMRA representatives clarified the press release 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 Mizoram home department said in a statement.
It said the PAMRA representatives expressed regret that their press release was misconstrued and they decided not to pursue their press statement any further in order to maintain peace and tranquillity in the state.
“Following this meeting, the Home Commissioner met with representatives of All Mizoram Manipuri Association and assured them of their safety and security and not be misguided by rumours and also persuaded them to inform fellow Meiteis, both government employees and students, not to leave the state…” the Mizoram home department statement further said.
The Mizoram home department earlier held a number of meetings with Meitei representatives and assured them of their safety and security in the state. To date, no incident of violence or untoward incident has been reported, the Mizoram home department statement added.
Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) belong to the greater Zo community and they share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. According to official figures, 12,584 tribals, displaced by the violence in Manipur, are taking shelter in Mizoram.