Hmarhavlien: Island of Hope Where Meiteis and Kukis Coexist in Assam | Latest Indian News

Lalruothmoy now makes ends meet by running a small shop in Assam, which shares a nearly 200-kilometer border with Manipur. “I am the only earning member of my family; my parents are struggling with health problems. My younger brother is a student. We crossed the (Manipur-Assam) border at night in June and are living here with the hope that one day things will get better,” she said. Lalruotmoi said that the people of Hmarchavlien sympathize with her, appreciate her work and support me. “We feel protected.”

Prolonged ethnic violence in Manipur since May last year has left more than 220 people dead and more than 60,000 displaced, including in neighboring Assam and Mizoram. He effectively divided the state into the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley and the Kuki-dominated hills. Militants from both communities began attacking areas, prompting security forces to create buffer zones and set up camps.

Hmarhavlien is very different from the situation in Manipur as the Meiteis and the Hmars and Kuki tribes co-exist in the area, almost 12 kilometers from Jiribam. Residents of Hmarchavlien said they have been counteracting rumors since May 2023 in order to maintain coexistence. They said that Meiteis, Hmars and Kukis depend on each other for business and agriculture in Assam.

Assam Manipuri Development Council chairperson Rina Singh said the Hmara and Kuki people grow most of the organic fruits and vegetables that Meitei consumers eat. “I have never bought pineapples at the market. We get them directly from the Hmar and Kuki families who live next door. My husband is a doctor and his patients are mostly from these communities. We never felt different; rather, we shared a bond that lasts for generations.”

Reena said the situation has now changed a bit amid the violence in Manipur. “We told our boys to be more careful when they go to the market to buy fruits and vegetables from Hmars and Kukis. We know that a small misunderstanding can cause great harm,” she said.

Singh said rumors were their biggest problem. “Sometimes people from Manipur and other parts of Assam share false information on social media, creating uncomfortable situations for us,” she said.

Meiteis, Khmars and Kukis hold meetings and urge people not to believe unverified information on social networks. Hmarhavlien is home to approximately 15,000 Hmars and Kukis.

A 30-year-old Meitei woman who married a man from Hmar in 2022 said she did not feel threatened. “It was an arranged marriage and my father chose him for me because he felt he was the right man. We are concerned when people are killed in Manipur, but it does not affect our relationship,” she said.

The couple avoids talking about the problems between Meitei and Kukis. “She accepted me, my family, my culture and most importantly, she loves me. Our marriage is an example that love can stand above all our differences,” the husband said.

Ibungoton Sharma, 50, from Digli Manipuri Basti, said Kuki and Meitei live like neighbors. “The village is named after Manipuris, but the population of Kuki is almost the same as Meiteis. Some people say we shouldn’t trust Cookies, but we have no reason to do so,” he said.

Lattomlien Khmar, another resident, said he clicked photos of shops and shared them online, explaining that nothing happened last week amid claims that tribesmen beat up a pharmacist and destroyed his shop.

Most of the residents have relatives on both sides of the Assam-Manipur border. The Assam Police on Monday evening temporarily suspended boat traffic between the two states following fresh clashes in Jiribam.

The latest round of violence occurred when suspected members of radical Meitei organization Arambai Tenggol allegedly raped, shot dead and set fire to a 31-year-old Kuki woman in Jiribam on November 8. Security forces subsequently killed 10 suspected Kuki militants who allegedly attacked. paramilitary post.

Hundreds protested in Churachandpur demanding justice for the 10 people, claiming they were village volunteers and not militants. The bodies of 10 people were sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam for post-mortem.

Chairman of the Barak Valley Tribal Development Council Lattomlien Khmar said removing the bodies from Jiribam was a mistake. “There have been clashes in Manipur for a year and a half now… we have been fighting rumors to maintain peace between the communities. One wrong decision by the government changed the situation. Now we avoid visiting each other. There is a mistrust that none of us wanted,” he said.

Construction worker Uttam Singh, who came to Silchar from Jiribam to identify the bodies of six of his family members, said they were celebrating Ningol Chakkuba at home when militants abducted them and burnt the house.

“I missed my wife’s call… I will regret it because it was her last call to me. I think she called me when they were attacked. The militants kidnapped, killed and threw them into the Barak River.”

He said doctors indicated his eight-year-old daughter had been raped and then strangled. “I lost everything that day and we have not accepted the body until justice is provided.”

Cachar Police Superintendent Numal Mahatta on Tuesday said they have temporarily restricted movement at sensitive entry points between the two states but people can use the interstate bridge at Jirighat. “Given the current situation, we have deployed around 200 police officers along the border areas and have temporarily restricted sensitive entry points,” he said.

Mahatta, who visited the border on Monday, said they have orders to beef up security along the border. “We cannot allow something to disturb here from a neighboring state. Due to the current situation, shops are closed and locals sometimes come to Assam by boats to buy essential items. We are not stopping them, but they can only pass through the bridge connecting Jiribam and Jirighat.”