Manipur has been witnessing violence, clashes and arson for over two months now with no sign of slowing down of tension between the Meitei and Kuki communities which have been going on since May 3.
Tokyo Olympics silver medal-winning weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has taken to social media to request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and restore peace in her home state of Manipur.
Mirabai Chanu who is currently in the USA, training for the upcoming world championship and Asian games, expressed concern over the the impact of conflict on athletes in Manipur. Due to the prevailing situation, athletes have been unable to train, adding further difficulties to their preparation.
She also expressed her concern for Manipur’s deteriorating situation, where lives have been lost, homes burnt, and violence continues unabated.
“The conflict in Manipur is going to complete three months but peace is yet to return. Many players have not been able to train because of this conflict and there has been disturbance in the study of students. Many lives have been lost and many houses have been burnt down.
I want to appeal to the Prime Minister and Home Minister to bring an end to this conflict as soon as possible and save all the people of Manipur and bring back the peace which was prevalent earlier. I have my house in Manipur though I am currently training in the USA to prepare for the upcoming World Championships and Asian Games. Even though I am not in Manipur, I always thought about when this conflict will end,” Olympic medalist Chanu said in a video uploaded on her social media handle.
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The state has been grappling with violence for over three months, adversely affecting athletes’ training, disrupting students’ education, and causing irreparable damage to the lives of its residents.
The crisis in Manipur began on May 3, triggered by demands from the Meitei community to be included in the Scheduled Tribes list, a move that was met with opposition from the Kuki community. Since then, the region has been engulfed in unrest.
