'Were chased out... managed to reach Delhi... not everyone as fortunate': ST panel member from Manipur

"We were chased out of our houses, our vehicles torched, and my family had to come to Delhi. We have taken a house on rent, but not everyone is as fortunate as my family," recalled Dr Tara Manchin Hangzo, a tribal woman who was one of the survivors of the ethnic clashes in Manipur. Although she was working as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) commission member with the Manipur government, Hangzo said she was not spared during the violence.

She, along with 17 family members, had to flee to Delhi on May 6 following the ethnic clashes which erupted on May 3.

During a press conference on Wednesday, the Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi claimed Kuki-Zomi-Mizo-Hmar tribes have been subjected to unrelented ethnic cleansing carried out by Meitei radicalised extremist groups -- Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun. They demanded a Supreme Court monitored special investigation team to investigate the cause of this ethnic cleansing against the Kuki- Zomi-Mizo-Hmar tribals, and particularly the involvement of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and MP Sanajaoba Leishemba.


"More than 115 tribal villages have been burnt, 68 tribal people confirmed dead and 50 or more people are still unaccounted for. In addition, 222 churches, along with 73 church administrative buildings and quarters, have been desecrated and burnt. Despite the presence of home minister Amit Shah in Manipur, the suspects -- Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun -- along with Meitei commandos have burnt down 585 houses in tribal villages in Kangpokpi on May 29-30," MTFD said in a statement.

While giving out details of the looted weapons, the tribal forum stated, "Over 1,500 automatic weapons, large numbers of magazines and ammunition were looted by Meitei groups from three different armouries of the Manipur Police without any resistance."

The members of the forum on Wednesday claimed the Meitei groups collected details of all the Kuki houses in Imphal valley in the name of building a smart city. These houses were marked and attacked in a planned manner to drive out Kukis from the valley. The state government of Manipur allowed the blatant looting of weapons by Meitei extremists from various state military stations in the Imphal valley, they said.

MTFD said "tribal villages have been repelling Meitei attackers with handmade weapons and ammunition and a few licensed guns. However, these weapons have been confiscated by the state armed forces while CM Biren Singh has vilified these villagers as insurgents and terrorists." On May 28, the CM said at least 40 armed terrorists suspected to be from Kuki militant groups have been killed in a crackdown by the state police and security forces.