Aizawl, May 09: More than 2,000 people from Manipur have fled to neighbouring Mizoram seeking shelter following ethnic violence, according to a senior official. State Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia stated that a total of 2,056 internally displaced people from Manipur have entered Mizoram and taken refuge in different parts of the northeastern state as of Monday evening.
Most of the people who have come from Manipur belong to the ethnic Zo (Mizo) community and have been given shelter by their relatives, while the government is also making efforts to provide temporary shelters for those in need.
The Saitual district, which shares a border with Manipur, has the highest number of people from Manipur seeking shelter at 827, followed by Kolasib district at 757.
Besides, 402 people have reached the Aizawl district, and 59 others have taken shelter in East Mizoram’s Champhai district near the Myanmar border. Serchhip and Khawzawl districts have four and seven people, respectively, from Manipur.
The government is making efforts to evacuate the remaining 68 state residents who are still stranded in the neighbouring state, according to Lalengmawia. 86 more state residents who were stranded in Imphal were evacuated.
Also Read: Woman in Assam Cuts off man’s Genitals in self-defense during an attempted rape
While 34 people arrived in Aizawl by bus after they landed at Guwahati airport on Sunday, the remaining 52 were brought from Imphal via Kolkata.
The recent surge in violence in the region has left several people dead and many others injured. The violence erupted between the Meitei community and the Zomi community over land ownership disputes in the Churachandpur district of Manipur.
The Zomi community claims that the land belongs to them, while the Meitei community has been living on it for generations.
The ongoing violence has also disrupted the supply of essential commodities to the region, and many traders have stopped sending their goods to the state. The Mizoram government has assured the displaced people from Manipur that it will provide them with all necessary assistance and support until they can return to their homes.
The situation in the region remains tense, and the authorities have imposed curfews and deployed additional security forces to maintain law and order. The Mizoram government has urged the Centre to intervene and resolve the conflict peacefully to prevent further escalation of violence. Meanwhile, the displaced people from Manipur are living in fear and uncertainty, hoping for a speedy resolution to the crisis.
