Khushi Bhuta, Pune
A Meitei house in the Lalpani area has been reported to have been set on fire on Friday evening. This has come to light a day after the ethnically conflicted Meitei and Hmar communities agreed to a peace meeting to try to avert arson and gunfire in the district.
Jiribam’s Superintendent of Police, M. Pradip Singh, said, “A case will be registered for arson in the matter. It appears to be an attempt to derail peace processes being attempted in Jiribam.” He further added that, “We sent a combined team with the CRPF. There was some provocation but we have controlled the situation without further escalation. We are meeting to deliberate on how to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
The police have stated that the family occupying the residence was able to evacuate and that no serious injuries or deaths were reported. The Bengali majority dominates the Lalpani neighborhood, with a small number of Meitei homes.
A day before the attack, on Thursday, leaders from nine civil society organizations in Jiribam representing Meitei and Hmar interests, as well as Thadou, Paitei, and Mizo representatives, met at the CRPF Group Centre in Cachar in a meeting moderated by the District Collector, Superintendent of Police, the DIG CRPF of Jiribam, and the Commandants of the 39 Assam Rifles and 87 Battalion CRPF. Hmar, Thadou, Paitei, and Mizo are all members of the Zo tribe, which is currently at odds with the Meiteis in Manipur.
The peace meeting took place in Assam’s Cachar district and was arranged by both district and security officials. Both parties committed to do their best to prevent arson and firing events and to work with all security agencies in Jiribam according to the meeting resolution signed by civil society groups from the Meitei and Hmar communities
Bengali Muslims and Hindus, followed by Meiteis are the most numerous ethnic groups in the small region of Jiribam with a diverse population. People hailing from Jiribam also include Kuki-Zos, Nagas, Meitei Pangals, and tea tribes. Until June 6 of this year, despite the violence in other parts of the state, Jiribam remained relatively tranquil throughout.
Jiribam was the latest site of the State’s ongoing ethnic strife between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo group of clans, which includes the Hmar tribe.