10 Kuki MLAs, civil society groups meet Mizoram CM

Ten Kuki MLAs of Manipur, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups from the hill areas of Manipur met Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga here on Wednesday, officials said.

Zoramthanga said he was deeply hurt with the sufferings of people due to the violence in Manipur, they said.

Zoramthanga said people of Mizoram were ready to help their fellow brothers and sisters and that the future course of action should be carried out in consultation with various organisations and the public, they added.

Ministers, MLAs, representatives of Mizo People's Convention, Kuki Students' Organisation, Hmar Inpui, Committee on
Tribal Unity, Zomi Council Student Organisation and other organisations were present at the meeting, officials said.

Kuki legislators from the hill districts of Manipur along with the SoO groups and Kuki CSOs have been demanding a separate administration since ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3.

Manipur had plunged into a vortex of violence in May over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This order led to rampant ethnic clashes.

Some media outlets mentioned the inclusion of SoO Groups at the CM meeting, however, East Mojo, an online news portal, reported that the information was false, citing an official source.

More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
(Courtesy: PTI)