Over 600 Meiteis leave Mizoram

Metei people left Mizoram afraid of being targetted after an ex-militant organisation issued an advisory after the video of two women paraded by a mob in Manipur, said official

Aizawl: More than 600 Meiteis have left Mizoram afraid of being targeted after protests over the viral video of two women being stripped and paraded by a mob in Manipur, a senior police officer said on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police, Crime Investigation Department, Special Branch, Vanlalfaka Ralte told PTI that the Metei people left the State afraid of being targetted after an ex-militant organisation issued an advisory after the video of two women paraded by a mob in Manipur. The SP said that the Meiteis also felt “insecure” due to the solidarity march organised by civil society groups on Tuesday.

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According to Ralte, more than 600 Meiteis left for their home States till Tuesday. There is no report of any Meitei people leaving since Wednesday, he said. However, a leader of the Meitei organisation claimed that the Meitei people continue to leave Mizoram till Thursday.

All Mizoram Manipuri Association (AMMA) vice president Rambir said that the Meitei people continue to leave Mizoram as they felt “insecure” due to the recent protest rally by a conglomerate of major civil society organisations across the State. He claimed that more than 3,000 Meiteis, mostly teachers, students and workers, live in Mizoram.

On Tuesday, NGO Co-ordination Committee, a conglomerate of five major civil society organisations, including the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), organised massive protest rallies in different parts of the State expressing solidarity with the Kuki-Zo ethnic community in Manipur. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, his deputy Tawnluia, ministers and legislators cutting across party lines also took part in the protest rally in Aizawl.

Police said that there is no report of any untoward incident since the solidarity march. Recently, Peace Accord MNF Returnees Association had served as an advisory to the Meiteis to leave Mizoram for their own safety as the Mizos became angry for atrocities meted out to the Zo ethnic people in the neighbouring State.