Manipur unrest forces residents to seek refuge in Assam

Manipur: People affected by fresh incidents of violence in Manipur have started arriving in Assam's Cachar district in search of safety, the local MLA said on Monday. Security along the inter-state border has been tightened, a police officer said.

Two police outposts, a forest beat office and at least 70 houses were torched in Jiribam by suspected militants on Saturday, leading to fresh tension in the neighbouring state which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May last year.

Residents of the bordering areas claimed that about 600 people have taken shelter in various parts of Lakhipur in Cachar district, entering the state by crossing the Jiri river over the last four days.


They are taking shelter in villages at Jirighat and Lakhipur, though no government relief camp has been opened for them, they said.

"The people who have come from Manipur are being allowed to stay here safely. The local administration is taking all steps to ensure no spread of any violence here," Lakhipur MLA Kaushik Rai told PTI.

Cachar Superintendent of Police Nomal Mahatto said that police and other security forces have been deployed in the border areas.

"There are no reports of any untoward incident in Cachar so far. Police patrolling in Jirighat on the border as well as along the national highway and nearby villages is being conducted," he told PTI.

The SP added that the situation on the Assam side is completely under control and the police are keeping a strict vigil following the violence in Jiribam.

Jiribam, which has a diverse ethnic composition of Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis and non-Manipuris, had so far remained unaffected by the ethnic strife that has been raging in the northeastern state since May last year.

The MLA said that most of the people who have entered Cachar are Kukis and Hmars.

The ethnic conflict between Imphal valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kukis began in May last year and led to the deaths of over 200 people, besides rendering thousands of people homeless.