NEW DELHI, Sept 3: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on
Sunday alleged that “ethnic cleansing is complete” in Manipur’s
Imphal Valley and said there can be nothing more “shameful”
than this development.
The former home minister cited a media report which claimed
that the last five Kuki families in Imphal were “forcibly
removed” from their homes by the authorities.
“This means that ‘ethnic cleansing’ is complete in the Imphal
Valley that is dominated by the Meitei people,” he said in a
post on X
“A state government presides over ‘ethnic cleansing’ and the
central government claims that the government of the state is
being carried on in accordance with the Constitution,”
Chidambaram said.
There can be nothing more shameful than this development, he
said.
“It marks a new low in India’s descent into lawlessness,”
Chidambaram said.
More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds
were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur in
early May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the
hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand
for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population
and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Nagas and Kukis constitute
little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.
