A truck driver from the Meitei community who met with an accident was given assistance by members of the Kuki tribes in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, in an act that put aside differences between the warring communities.
The truck carrying potatoes lost control and overturned on National Highway 2 near Keithelmanbi Military Colony, a Kuki-dominant area, at 3 pm on Friday.
The driver, Hemam Prem Singh, 36, was injured with blood trickling down his right ear, local residents told reporters.
The valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes who are settled in some hill areas of Manipur do not go to each other’s areas due to safety concerns ever since ethnic violence began nearly two years ago.
This time, members of the Kuki tribes rushed to help the injured driver, who was found partly buried by heavy potato sacks, setting aside ethnic divisions, locals said.
Along with the help of the Border Security Force and road-opening patrol personnel, members of the Kuki tribes ensured the driver was taken safely to a local hospital, locals told reporters.
The Kuki tribes oppose the Centre’s order to ensure free movement in Manipur.
