In Manipur, a fresh displacement as 2,000 pour into neighbouring Assam

According to him, while most of these people are Kukis and Hmars — both part of the large Zo tribe — there are also Meiteis in the group.

“We, along with the DC and the SP, held a meeting with various community outfits who live in Lakhipur on Monday to emphasise that the Manipur flareup should not spread. We have a very diverse population here – Bengalis, Hindi-speakers, Bengali and Manipuri Muslims, Biharis, Dimasas, Hmars, Kukis, Khasi, and Rongmei, among others. There are people who have sought shelter here but whatever happens, Assam should not be affected,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cachar SP Numal Mahatta said security had been beefed up in Lakhipur sub-division and that special commandos had also been deployed there.

A resident of Jiribam’s Hmar Mizo Veng, who does not want to be identified and is now staying at Cachar’s Hmarkhawlien village, was among those who fled the violence with his family. They took a boat across Jiri river on the night of 6 June, he said.

Until he fled his home, his family had remained in Jiribam despite the raging conflict in the state.

“The numbers (of people seeking shelter) are increasing,” he said. “There are around 400 people here now. We don’t know when it will be possible for us to go back,” he said.

According to district administration, as of Monday, 918 people are staying in six relief camps set up within Jiribam district, seeking shelter in sports complexes and schools.

These are largely Meiteis who were moved to the camps by police and Assam Rifles after several of their houses were burned down on June 8.

Among these is Subhita Okram from Madhupur. Okram is currently staying in a relief camp in a sports complex in Jiribam.

“We had left our village on Thursday itself because we had heard that militants were surrounding villages,” she said. “We sought shelter in Borobekra police station. But after that, we got the news that our houses were being set on fire and we were brought to the relief camp. Now, we don’t know whether we can go back,” she said.

— With ENS, Imphal