Mobilenews24x7 Bureau
60 people have died in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur already.
The crux of the issue was wave of violence that started in Churachandpur district, is the Meitei demand for ST status, which the Kukis, Nagas, and other tribes oppose.
Much known and prominent women activist Binalakshmi Nepram has expressed her anger over the myth of democracy as it cannot thrive on when guns trained at people who fight for their basic rights.
It has been long since that violence in Manipur has left the state bleed due to clashes between Kuki and Meitei people.
Over the decades too, Manipur has seen Meiteis pitted against Nagas, largely over the Naga demand for Greater Nagaland, it has seen Nagas fight Kukis over claims to Manipur’s hill regions, each side backed by armed militant groups. And for years, Meitei, Kuki and Naga insurgents have taken on the Army, Central Forces and State Police over issues of self-rule and autonomy.
Manipur has remained a punching bag and also taken the stings of unfriendly treatments of Armed forces, Why so?
It is required to understand how the ethnic unrest has blighted the progress of Manipur and the seven sisters of southern sisters.
Talking to Mobilenews24x7 Guahati based senior journalist Manzar Alam said “it is a pity that the per capita income – the average Manipuri earns 7,300 rupees a month, the average Mizo earns 12,000 a month, same as the national average. While just 9.8% of Mizoram is below the poverty line, in Manipur it is 36.9%, making it the poorest state in the North-East. What worse one can expect”
