133 Manipur villagers displaced by ethnic conflict in Jiribam return home

Meitei villagers return home to Mongbung. | Photo credit: Special Arrangement

In a joint effort by the Jiribam district administration in Manipur along with security forces posted in the area, 133 villagers from Meitei have returned to their homes in Mongbung village, where a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable was killed in a gunfight last month, officials said on Tuesday (August 6) night.

Jiribam district in June became the latest theatre of the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state between the valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo-Hmar Scheduled Tribe group of communities.

Superintendent of Police, Jiribam, Mr. Pradip Singh said The Hindu“After continuous joint efforts of the district administration, Jiribam police, Assam Rifles and CRPF, the Jiribam authorities have now facilitated the return of these villagers from Meitei.”

The villagers were first evacuated from the Mongbung area on June 6 after arson and violence broke out following the disappearance and murder of a Meitei man named Soibam Saratkumar Singh.

Meitei villagers return home to Mongbung. | Photo credit: Special Arrangement

They were staying at the relief camp set up at Chingdong Leikai Primary School and had petitioned the district administration seeking adequate security assurances to return home. The villagers were escorted by the commanders of the Assam Rifles and CRPF, the DC and SP of Jiribam.

Mr Singh said the deployment of security forces in Mongbung Sejang area of ​​Jiribam has been readjusted. “It is now being handled by joint forces of Assam Rifles and CRPF in Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas of Mongbung village,” he said.

A source in the security establishment said, “It has been a challenge for the security forces. On one hand, the villagers of Meitei wanted more CRPF presence to feel secure and the villagers of Kuki-Zo wanted more presence of the Assam Rifles. But the authorities talked to all the communities to make them understand and the current arrangement was put in place.”

The Assam Rifles said the recent peace accord signed between the Meitei and Hmar people of Jiribam on August 1 had “paved the way for peace in Jiribam”.

While the Meitei and Hmar communities living in Jiribam had signed a resolution promising to try to bring peace on August 1, the Hmar Inpui, the apex tribal body of the Hmars in Manipur, issued a statement the very next day disowning its leaders in the district who had participated in the peace processes and dissolving its entire organisation in the district.

A month after the violence broke out in Jiribam, on July 14, a joint team of Manipur police and CRPF had entered parts of Mongbung village for an operation.

Once the team reached Mongbung village, they were fired upon from higher ground and in the ensuing gunfight, a CRPF constable, Ajay Kumar Jha, was killed and at least two other policemen were injured.

A few days earlier, the Assam Rifles had decided to remove a check post they were manning near the village entrance as part of confidence-building measures. The police had been informed not to venture beyond the municipal limits without informing the Assam Rifles.