NEW DELHI: THE Manipur situation took a serious political turn on Monday with 10 tribal MLAs, including two ministers of the Biren Singh government, meeting Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and demanding a separate machinery for the administration of the state’s tribal areas.
The MLAs gave a signed memorandum to the home minister, in which they said: “The atrocities committed against the ethnic Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar minority community has left everyone aghast. That Manipur is now partitioned is a ground reality.
Huge population transfers between the valley and hills inhabited by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar have taken place. There are no tribals left in Imphal valley. There are no Meiteis left in the hills… There is a clear-cut partition of the state between tribal/Kuki hills and the Meitei valley. Our people have lost faith in the government and can no longer imagine resettling in the valley where their lives are no longer safe… The need is the formalisation of the separation through setting up a separate administration for the hills inhabited by our people.”
Sources said Shah asked them to work towards return of normalcy in the state. He also assured them that he would look into the issues raised by them. The 10 MLAs are: Haokholet Kipgen, Ngursanglur Sanate, Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, Letpao Haokip, L M Khaute, Letzamang Haokip, Chinlunthang, Paolienlal Haokip, Nemcha Kipgen and Vungzagin Valte.