Authorities have relocated over 2,250 residents from violence-hit Manipur to Assam in the past three days, with around 300 of them moving towards Mizoram, according to the Cachar district administration.
Officials said so far eight shelter camps have been set up in Cachar’s Lakhipur, while some temporary ones have been put in place in Sonai. “The Manipur residents started moving towards Assam on Friday night and by Sunday evening, 2,252 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, shifted here,” an official said. “Kukis and Mizos share a good bond and we believe that we’ll be more protected there,” said a 45-year-old migrant from Manipur moving to Mizoram. Cachar deputy commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha on Sunday told HT that they are providing adequate food and water to the refugees, while the police department is providing adequate security and senior officials are visiting the camps.
Jiribam MLA Md. Achab Uddin on Saturday visited areas in Assam where Manipur residents have shifted and said that they left their homes mostly because of rumours. “I have visited the disturbed areas…there was not much violence. People were afraid that violence from Churachandpur and surrounding areas may spread there,” he said. The Manipur MLA, however, said things are getting back to normal in the state. The Indian Army and other security forces are handling the situation efficiently and the people who migrated will be able to return home in a few days, he said.
