Workers from Bihar, Bengal flee Manipur
Guwahati, June 17: With at least 20 migrant workers killed in a series of violent attacks in and around Imphal during the past three months, migrant labourers from Bihar and West Bengal are living in fear in Manipur and some of them have started fleeing the strife-torn state.
While three migrant workers were gunned down near the Central Agricultural University on the outskirts of Imphal last Thursday, two Bihari labourers were killed on June 2 — one each in Thoubal and Imphal (East) district. Those killed last week were construction workers engaged by a contractor, while those killed earlier this month included a barber and a hawker.
A cobbler, hailing from Bihar, who was attacked at Lamphel in Imphal by an unidentified person on Tuesday evening, has been admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Science in the state capital.
On May 12, nine Hindi-speaking migrant workers were killed inside the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district, about 50 km from Imphal. Twelve migrant vendors were blindfolded and taken by a group of armed militants into the Park, where they were fired upon. Three of the migrants had a miraculous escape and reported at the nearest police station the next day, following which the police recovered nine bodies from the Park.
In recent months, Manipur has witnessed a series of attacks on Bihari and Bengali migrants — mostly labourers, vendors and daily-wage earners. Manipur IGP (Law and Order) Karnajit Singh said the situation was under control with no fresh instance of violence being reported over the past five days.
“The Government has opened a couple of relief camps for migrants living in vulnerable areas to take shelter,” he said. He admitted that some of the migrants have fled following the recent incidents.
“We have arranged security for those who want to go back to their respective states. A few of them have already left,” Singh told The Indian Express over telephone from Imphal on Wednesday.
Source: Indian Express
While three migrant workers were gunned down near the Central Agricultural University on the outskirts of Imphal last Thursday, two Bihari labourers were killed on June 2 — one each in Thoubal and Imphal (East) district. Those killed last week were construction workers engaged by a contractor, while those killed earlier this month included a barber and a hawker.
A cobbler, hailing from Bihar, who was attacked at Lamphel in Imphal by an unidentified person on Tuesday evening, has been admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Science in the state capital.
On May 12, nine Hindi-speaking migrant workers were killed inside the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district, about 50 km from Imphal. Twelve migrant vendors were blindfolded and taken by a group of armed militants into the Park, where they were fired upon. Three of the migrants had a miraculous escape and reported at the nearest police station the next day, following which the police recovered nine bodies from the Park.
In recent months, Manipur has witnessed a series of attacks on Bihari and Bengali migrants — mostly labourers, vendors and daily-wage earners. Manipur IGP (Law and Order) Karnajit Singh said the situation was under control with no fresh instance of violence being reported over the past five days.
“The Government has opened a couple of relief camps for migrants living in vulnerable areas to take shelter,” he said. He admitted that some of the migrants have fled following the recent incidents.
“We have arranged security for those who want to go back to their respective states. A few of them have already left,” Singh told The Indian Express over telephone from Imphal on Wednesday.
Source: Indian Express
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