The Shillong Manipuri Students Union (SMSU) today organised a ‘black day’ on the one year anniversary of the outbreak of devastating violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur.
The clashes, which began on May 3, 2023, have resulted in the deaths of at least 220 individuals.
The anniversary was observed at Manipur House in Laitumkhrah here.
“It is a sad moment to witness such an inhumane type of situation in Manipur, especially for those brothers and sisters from all communities who have been displaced,” SMSU president Chongtham Thangamba Meetei said.
He questioned why the Manipur and central governments have not been able to find a proper solution to bring peace to the state.
Meetei also said that though many Manipur students live in Shillong, they still feel the pain and the sadness and also feel helpless in identifying solutions to the ethnic conflict.
He also asked the government to immediately stop migrants from Myanmar entering Manipur, blaming their illegal entry on the current situation. Many of the migrants have fled the ongoing civil war in Myanmar and are from the wider Kuki-Chin-Zo tribal group.