Guwahati
Shots were fired and an abandoned house in Lalpani was torched by armed men in Manipur’s Jiribam, triggering fresh tensions in the district. Security forces were rushed to the area following the incident.
“It is an isolated settlement consisting of few Meitei houses, and most of those were abandoned after violence broke out in the district. Miscreants, who are yet to be identified, took advantage of security lapses in the area to commit the arson,” an official said adding the armed men also fired several rounds of shells and gunshots, targetting the village.
It was only on Thursday that representatives of the Meitei and Hmar communities reached an agreement in a meeting held at a CRPF facility in adjoining Assam’s Cachar. This was the second such meeting between the two sides. The next meeting will be held on August 15.
Moderated by the Jiribam district administration, Assam Rifles and CRPF personnel, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Thadou, Paite and Mizo communities of the district.
“The meeting resolved that both sides will make full efforts to bring normalcy and prevent incidents of arson and firing. Both sides shall give full cooperation to all the security forces operating in the Jiribam district. Both sides agreed to facilitate controlled and coordinated movement,” a joint statement issued and signed by representatives of all the participating communities said.
More than 200 people have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 3 last year.
