A 53-year-old man was killed and several others were injured in ethnic clashes between the Hmar and Zomi tribes in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, 65 km from the state capital Imphal, the police said today.
Clashes broke out again on Tuesday night, hours after two organisations representing the two tribes reached a peace understanding, a police officer in Imphal said.
Before that, clashes broke out on Monday night over a road rage incident on Sunday involving a Hmar leader, who was thrashed by unknown men.
Tuesday’s hostilities erupted after some people tried to remove the flag of a Zomi armed group in the district dominated by the Kuki and Zo tribes, the police said.
Before the security forces could reach the affected locality, mobs and armed members of both the Zomi and Hmar tribes fired shots and threw stones at each other, the police said.
Security personnel fired tear gas shells and several rounds in the air to disperse the mobs, a police officer said.
The officer said they are yet to find out the cause of death of Lalropui Pakhumate, 53, during the clashes.
The security forces found it challenging to control the mobs that vandalised properties as armed members from both the warring tribes joined the crowds, the police said.
“We are trying to identify who fired the shots,” the officer said.
Churachandpur District Magistrate Dharun Kumar S in two separate statements appealed for peace as attacks and counter-attacks continued in the district. He requested the two sides not to take the law into their hands.
Hundreds of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel have been deployed in Churachandpur town and adjoining areas to prevent people from getting violent.
The CAPF personnel led by senior officers conducted flag marches in violence-hit areas of the district.
The Hmar Inpui, and the Zomi Council on Tuesday withdrew an indefinite shutdown called by them on Monday after elders from the two communities settled the row over the assault on the Hmar tribal leader, Richard Hmar, on Sunday.
MLAs, Others Appeal For Peace
Six MLAs from Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts have appealed for peace to the two warring tribes. In a joint statement, they said the incidents were “most unfortunate as they have the potential to disrupt peace and adversely affect our unity and brotherhood bonding.”
“Let us remember that we have been going through the most critical and difficult times in our history; and we have been fighting for our rights shoulder to shoulder as one. Let us also understand that our forefathers have taught us the spirit of resilience and that of forgiveness and peaceful resolution of any kind of conflicts through our customary laws…” the six MLAs — Ngursanglur Sanate, Vungzagin Valte, Letzamang Haokip, Paolienlal Haokip, IM Khaute, and Chinlunthang – said in the statement.
Church and tribal leaders also issued a five-point joint statement calling for peace, unity and reconciliation among all ethnic and religious groups.
“To prevent the recurrence of such misunderstandings and to foster mutual trust and communal harmony in the district [Churachandpur], a joint peace committee will be established to monitor the situation and address any misunderstandings that may arise between communities in the future,” they said.
