“The grief, the rage and above all the hate on both sides are boundless. The grief in both Meitei and Kuki camps almost mirrored each other”, says the report.
TFM Desk
A team of the Karwan-e-Mohabbat (Caravan of Love) spent four days in violence-torn Manipur from July 25 to July 28. The Caravan of Love is a citizen initiative (since 2017) that has strived to reach out to victims of hate violence in far corners of the country, to offer solace and solidarity to the survivors.
“We spent in Manipur many hours listening to survivors in seven relief camps on both sides of what is now perceived popularly to be a “border” between the Imphal valley, home mostly to the Meitei, and the hills, inhabited mainly by the Kuki and Naga tribal peoples. We met scores of community leaders from both communities”, says a report compiled by Caravan of Love.
“The grief, the rage and above all the hate on both sides are boundless. The grief in both Meitei and Kuki camps almost mirrored each other. Where Kukis were in minority settlements in the Imphal valley, they were surrounded by crowds with
torches that set their homes on fire. The same happened to Meitei people who had lived for generations in the hill villages of the Kuki tribal people. The unbearable grief and rage of both were that neighbours of the “other” community, with who
they had lived for generations with peace and goodwill, turned overnight into murderous and pitiless enemies”, says the report.
The focus of the report includes conditions of internally displaced people, role of state and central governments in relief and rehabilitation, camp management besides recommendations.
FULL TEXT HERE: The Humanitarian Crisis in Manipur. Report by Karwan e Mohabba-4