Mangcha Kilong and Konsam Manju never imagined the kind of behaviour they got on May 3 evening from those whom they know for long and have lived together. Mangcha, a Kuki and Manju, a Meitei, live about 150kms apart in trouble-torn Manipur but the ordeal they faced is almost similar.
"Armed miscreants" came in vehicles and set their houses on fire on the evening of May 3, when the violence between sections of the majority Meitei community and Kuki tribes broke out. The violence reportedly started at Kangbai, a village in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district soon after a "solidarity march" organised to oppose a move for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meiteis. More than 120 people have been killed, nearly 3,000 houses burnt down and over 60,000 others, belonging to both the communities, have been displaced in the mayhem that spilled over to many parts of Manipur.
Biren Singh: CM loses face, plot as Manipur burns
The violence has continued for the past 63 days now. The BJP government in the state now claims that the situation has improved but talking to DH, both Mangcha and Konsam, living in separate relief camps in the state capital Imphal and at Tuibung in Churachandpur said they fear the wait is going to be longer due to the "armed miscreants lurking" in and around their villages and the deep sense of fear and distrust created by the violence.
Mangcha Kilong:
Son of a former Army jawan, Mangcha had to cross a river with his parents, ailing aunt and younger brother, a class 12 student, along the hills of Churachandpur and Bishnupur district and fled on May 3 evening as there was report about Meitei 'armed miscreants' approaching their village, Saitonkhunou. "We could not take the highway as there are Meitei villages along the road. By 8.30pm, we managed to evacuate the villagers but hours later hundreds of armed men came and started burning our houses. Everything was lost in just a few hours. It is very painful as we could not even save the medals and mementos my grandfather (also an army man) and father earned for their service to the nation." All the 54 houses of Kukis at Saitokhunou were burnt by the Meitei miscreants, he said.
After staying in a relative's house for a few days, Mangcha and his family were provided shelters in a relief camp at Tuibung, run by Kuki philanthropic organisation. Tuibung is about 12kms from his native village. "This is the time for paddy planting. But we are unable to go to our paddy fields as miscreants might come anytime and kill us." "We never imagined such an attitude and behaviour from those with whom we have lived together for decades. Now I am looking for a rented house as it may take long for the situation to improve." When asked about what should be done to restore normalcy, Mangcha, who works in an NGO said, "We have lost the trust and the faith. Now a separate administration for the Kukis is the only way forward," he said. At least 10 Kuki MLAs in Manipur have also raised the demand.
Konsam Manju:
The 42-year-old Manju was about to shut his shop selling Burmese food items at Moreh, a busy town situated along the Indo-Myanmar border when violence broke out. "There was already an atmosphere of tension due to the solidarity march. But we thought things will be over as we saw similar protests in the past too," said Manju, a father of two children. "Soon firing started and it continued. We know many among those who came with weapons and started attacking us. I never expected that those whom we meet almost daily will come to kill us," he said. Manju rushed to his home about half a kilometer away and fled to the police station with his parents, sister, wife and two children, one just eight month old. A few hours later, the miscreants burnt nearly 700 shops and the houses, where Meiteis live. Moreh has a mixed population but the Kukis are the majority. "All those are Kuki insurgents in suspension of operation agreement with the government," Manju alleged. As managing ration became difficult at Moreh, the army brought them to Imphal, situated about 110km away. "The Kuki militants are still there in our villages and they have captured the Meitei villages. We really want to go back but it is not safe to go there now," he said.
Manju, however, is against the demand for "separate administration" for the Kukis. "We are eager to live together the way we did. Only thing we require is to control the militants, improve security and stop migration from Myanmar." Migration of the Kukis, he said, has become a threat to the Meiteis.