MELBOURNE, 21 August, 2023: The issue of strife torn Manipur (India’s North-East state) today came to the steps of Victoria’s Parliament with a number of the Indian Diaspora members including many Manipuris holding a rally to ‘stop Manipur violence’ and ‘in solidarity with the victims. Organised by the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), Australia and the IOC Australia Kerala Chapter, participants carried the Indian tricolour and placards with slogans like ‘ protect minority rights’, ‘justice for Kuki in Manipur’, and stop ethnic cleansing in Manipur’. The participants included different communities from Manipur.
Assembled at the steps of the historical Parliament building here, the speakers blamed the government for not controlling the violence, urged for peaceful initiatives in the state and the need for healing and dialogue. Other speakers described how some families close to them had suffered from the violence and were longing for peace, while a couple of speakers called for a separate administration for the minorities.
Those who addressed the gathering included Suresh Vallath, former President, Kerala Chapter IOC, Afzal Abdul Kadar, IOC Kerala, Thiruvallam Bhasi, Editor Indian Malayali, Rebecca Lhouvam and Kham Khual, Swan Suante, and Sai Buoy from Manipur, Wasm Rizvi, Jacob Andrewartha, Socialist Alliance, Aftab Mohammed, President IOC, UP-Bihar, Jijesh PV, IOC, and Soban Thomas, IUOC, Kerala among others.
The death toll of 181 includes includes 113 belonging to the minority community and 62 belonging to the majority community, according to the data reviewed by the news agency Reuters that have not been reported earlier. Resources available from the both sides are not the same and there are different and conflicting claims of casualties.
The state is inhabited by the Meiteis, Kuki-Zo, Nagas, Meitei Muslims among others.
