United Women Rally for Manipur’s Peace
Amid the ongoing clashes in Manipur, women from the Hmar, Kuki, Mizo, and Zomi tribes came together at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Monday, raising their voices and demanding fair and decisive action from the central government to address the ethnic tensions gripping Manipur.
Undeterred by the rain, these courageous women continued their protest, bravely waving national flags and displaying posters as symbols of their struggle. One passionate protester condemned the Chief Minister’s recent remarks, which labeled Kukis as militants. She expressed the plight of her community, saying, “We find ourselves homeless in our own land,” as quoted by news agency PTI.
Another determined protester emphasized the Indian identity of the diverse tribes, reminding the crowd of their ancestors’ pivotal role in the freedom struggle. Asserting their rightful status as Indian citizens, they declared, “We are not illegal immigrants.”
At the gathering, the women expressed their trust in the central government, while distancing themselves from the state government, hoping that the central authorities would intervene and bring about a resolution to the ongoing ethnic tensions.
The Manipur state capital, Imphal, experienced fresh incidents of violence on Sunday, with two fatalities and 12 injuries reported. These clashes included firing on civilians as well as confrontations between militants and security forces. The Chief Minister revealed that security forces had neutralized approximately 40 armed militants since the operation began to restore peace in the state. The militants had been using heavy firearms like AK-47s, M-16s, and sniper rifles to target innocent civilians.
The ethnic clashes in Manipur, resulting in over 75 casualties, originated from a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ held on May 3. The march contested the demand of the Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which heightened tensions. Prior to this, the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserved forest land had already sparked smaller demonstrations.
Re-reported from the story originally published in India Today
