Guwahati: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a conglomerate of recognised tribes in Lamka, Outer Manipur, on Wednesday advised people of the violence-hit northeast state of Manipur not to celebrate Christmas and New Year with much fanfare in view of the prevailing situation.
In an advisory issued by ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong, the group called upon people of Manipur to keep the Christmas and New Year celebrations restrained owing to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state. Vualzong in the advisory said that due to the prevailing atmosphere in the state, the frontline villagers are under threat. He added that the bodies of those killed in the violence still remain unburied and people should refrain from indulging in overtly conspicuous celebrations and other forms of enjoyment during these hard times.
Vuazong further asked all communities and churches for muted Christmas and New Year celebrations by observing just the normal church service and not to organise feasts and fellowship events like Lengkhawm, a traditional form of singing and dancing. He asked the people to limit outdoor activities by winding up games and other sports events like Futsal by 8 pm and to close the shops and outdoor food stalls around the same time. The ITLF leader also asked all the citizens to stay alert and be prepared for any disturbance during Christmas and New Year.
Notably, Christmas is a major occasion for the Kuki people as majority of the tribe follow Christianity.
Though no major incident has taken place in Manipur after December 4 this year, when at least 13 people were reportedly killed in a fierce gun fight between two militant groups in the state’s Tengnoupal district, sporadic incidents are still being reported from some parts of the restive state.
The over seven-month-long violence in the trouble-torn state has so far claimed the lives of at least 190 people. Moreover, over a thousand others have been left injured. More than 60,000 people have been also internally displaced forcing them to take refuge in relief camps set up by the state’s respective district administrations. The Manipur police and other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been keeping a strict vigil in the fringe and vulnerable areas across the state to prevent any untoward incident.
Clashes between Manipur’s valley-based Meitei and the hill-based Kuki-Zomi communities erupted on May 3, 2023 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.