pproximately 1,500 Meitei families are known to reside and work across Mizoram.
After reports of hundreds of Meitei people from southern Assam and Manipur leaving Mizoram following a public call by former insurgents in the state to do so, the Mizoram government has reassured the safety of Meitei residents in the state.
The government's pledge for the safety of the Meitei community surfaced amidst their exodus triggered by an "advisory" from a former militants' association in Mizoram. The advisory was in response to escalating tension resulting from a viral video showing two tribal women being stripped and paraded naked by a mob in Manipur.
State Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia met with leaders of the Meitei community, assuring them of their safety and security, according to an official statement.
Approximately 1,500 Meitei families are known to reside and work across Mizoram, according to official sources. There have been widespread reports of Meiteis leaving the capital city, Aizawl, by various modes of transportation.
The influential civil society group, the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), has also encouraged the Meiteis to live peacefully. The Mizo Students Union (MZU) has decided to halt its proposed drive to collect data about Meiteis in Mizoram after discussions with the state government.
The outrage in Mizoram over the viral video of two tribal women being sexually assaulted in Manipur led to panic among the small community of Meiteis residing in Mizoram.
The Manipur government has expressed willingness to evacuate them from the state via chartered flight if the situation deteriorates. However, no attack on the Meitei community has been reported so far.
The Mizos of Mizoram, who share a deep ethnic bond with the Kuki-Zomis of Manipur, have been providing shelter and care to over 12,000 Kuki-Zomi people who fled from Manipur since violence erupted on May 3.
The Peace Accord MNF Returnees' Association (PAMRA) issued a statement on Friday, suggesting that Meiteis should leave Mizoram for their "own safety".
PAMRA cited "anger among Mizo youth" over the incident involving the two women in the neighbouring state as the reason. They added that any potential violence against the Meiteis in Mizoram would solely be their responsibility.
According to PAMRA, "The situation in Mizoram has become tense, and it is no longer safe for Meitei people from Manipur to live in Mizoram...". They appealed to all Meitei people in Mizoram to return to their home state as a safety measure.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur have resulted in the deaths of at least 125 people and over 40,000 have fled their homes since violence erupted on May 3. The conflict began between the Kuki tribal group and the Meitei, a non-tribal ethnic majority, over disputes regarding economic benefits and quotas allocated to tribes.
While the violence was initially quelled after the central government deployed thousands of paramilitary and army troops to the state of 3.2 million people, sporadic violence resumed shortly thereafter. The state has remained tense ever since.