Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on May 4 asked his Manipur counterpart, Nongthombam Biren Singh to “exercise the kind of leadership” he is capable of for ending the ethnic violence in Manipur.
Sporadic violence and arson broke out in Manipur on May 3 following a “tribal solidarity march” across the State’s 10 hill districts to oppose the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the non-tribal Meitei community who dominate the Imphal Valley comprising six districts.
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“I write with reference to recent events in Manipur that have made it to the national news headlines and have shattered the peace in the northeastern region,” Mr Zoramthanga wrote.
“As the Chief Minister of Mizoram, a lifelong neighbour that has much in common with Manipur in terms of history and culture, I am deeply pained by the violence that has flared up in parts of your State and the underlying tension between the Meitei community and tribals there,” he said.
“At a time when our two States are already facing issues as a result of the political situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh and the lingering effects of COVID-19, including the prospect of a new wave with more and more cases being detected, such violence only makes things worse,” Mr Zoramthanga added.
“I urge you to exercise the kind of leadership that the people of your own State know you are capable of and reach out to all parties involved to try and bring an end to this senseless violence. Towards this, I assure you of the highest cooperation of my government and the people of Mizoram as we pray for reconciliation and healing in Manipur,” he added.
