Caught in Kuki-Meitei conflict, Tamils of Moreh fear '1964 Myanmar-like displacement'

Moreh (Manipur): The Indian tricolor flies high on the gate of KBS Maniam's residence here at Moreh, his compound a few meters away from India's border with Myanmar.

It was around 1.30 pm but the lane in one of Moreh's Tamil colonies wore a deserted look. It was Eastern Sunday but Maniam, the principal of a high school and one of the Tamil community leaders, told DH that many Tamils, who settled in Moreh in 1964, have quit the otherwise bustling border town as business has remained paralyzed, educational institutes shut and the fear of further conflict between the Kukis and Meiteis still floats in the air.

A deserted Tamil Colony in Moreh.

"Although Tamils are not the target of the Kukis or Meiteis, some houses belonging to our community were burnt in the arson. Most Tamils are dependent on business here but activities have been severely affected, first due to the closure of the Indo-Myanmar gates and then due to the violence since May 3 last year. About half of Tamils here have temporarily quit Moreh in search of income or for the education of their children," Maniam told DH as he sat in front of his TV set watching a Tamil entertainment channel.

KBS Maniam at his residence at Moreh.

"Many have gone to their ancestral homes or to relatives in Tamil Nadu and are waiting for the situation to improve," he stressed.

Tamils in Moreh

In Moreh, India's gateway to Southeast Asian nations via Myanmar, the population is approximately 25,000. Among them, Tamils comprise around 3,500 individuals. The majority in Moreh are Kukis, numbering between 15,000 to 16,000. However, all Meiteis, estimated at about 5,000 to 6,000, fled Moreh following a Kuki-Meitei riot that erupted on May 3 last year.

Sasang Hmar, a leader of the Moreh unit of the Kuki Students' Organization (KSO), reported that at least eight Kukis were killed in attacks by Meiteis, which initially began on May 3 in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur, located approximately 140 kilometres away.

"Violence broke out here as a repercussion of attacks on the Kukis in Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley," claimed Hmar. Remnants of demolished and burnt houses, charred vehicles, shops and other properties belonging to the Meiteis catch the attention of outsiders visiting Moreh. Central security forces including the army, Assam Rifles, and BSF guard every nook and corner of Moreh while the Rapid Action Force personnel and bulletproof casper vehicles stand deployed at the road junctions. Moreh is about 110 km from Manipur's capital Imphal (Meitei dominant).

Tensions at Moreh

Manipur police commandos were rushed to Moreh after Chingtham Anand Kumar, a sub-divisional police officer was killed in a "sniper attack" allegedly by Kuki armed persons on October 31. Two Manipur police commandos were also similarly killed during combing operations in January. No fresh incidents have been reported at Moreh since January 17 but the simmering race between the Kukis and the Manipur government for control over Moreh has kept tensions brewing.

Moreh shares a border with Tamu in the Kabaw Valley of Myanmar's Sagaing region, where a conflict persists between the military regime and "pro-democracy rebels." Following the military junta coup in 2021, numerous Myanmar nationals affected by the conflict have crossed the border seeking refuge in Moreh.

Myanmar-like displacements

Maniam said the Tamils were settled in erstwhile Burma by the British and were engaged as labourers, for official works and agricultural activities. After Independence, some had returned to Tamil Nadu but most decided to stay back in Myanmar. But after the India-Myanmar border was drawn and the Myanmar government reportedly took over properties of many Tamils in 1962, many sought former PM Jawaharlal Nehru's help during his visit to Burma's capital Rangoon (Yangon) in 1964.

"More than 14 lakh Tamils are still there in Myanmar. Even I have some relatives in Tamu town," Maniam, who heads the Tamil Sangma, a socio-cultural organisation of the Tamils at Moreh, said.

Many Indians, including Tamils, were brought back to Tamil Nadu by sea and airways, but most encountered difficulties adjusting to life there, according to Maniam. As a result, seven families decided to return to Myanmar through jungle routes via Manipur. Unfortunately, they were intercepted by the Myanmar army and handed over to the police in Moreh. Subsequently, several Tamil families were resettled in Moreh, primarily in 1964, with the assistance of a Tamil officer stationed in Manipur.

"The Tamil population in Moreh was around 10,000 then," he said. Tamils of Moreh are Hindus, Muslims and Christians and have been peacefully living since then.

Mohammad Fakhruddin, a Muslim Tamil residing in Ward Number 3 of Moreh, previously operated a utensil shop. He catered to customers from Myanmar, who would travel daily using the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which permitted tribes to travel within 16km on both sides of the border without requiring a visa or passport. The FMR was suspended following the outbreak of the Meitei-Kuki clash.

"We were severely affected during Covid-19 as the border was shut. The situation became worse due to the violence. Shops have remained shut for long and even if the market opens, there are no customers from Tamu as a fight between the military and the pro-democracy rebels is still going on," he told DH.

Fakhrudddin left for his ancestral village in Chennai but plans to return to Moreh after the Eid. "I have to go back because my elder son will appear for his class X exams this year at a Moreh school. My younger son is in class III," he told DH over the phone from Chennai. "But if the situation remains the same, I may be compelled to leave Moreh for livelihood," he said. Moreh is now left with only three barbers and one cobbler as most of North Indian origin, too, have left the conflict-torn town.

Poll pulse

When asked about Lok Sabha elections, Maniam said they were waiting for a decision by the civil society organisations, mainly Kukis, who are in the majority in Moreh. "If the CSOs decide to vote, we will also cast our votes. We have no problem with the local communities and have been living peacefully," he said. Kukis earlier decided not to field their candidate in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency (reserved for STs), where the Kukis and Nagas are deciding factors, given the conflict.