Amid the situation in violence-hit Manipur, Olympic medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an end to the ongoing clashes in her home state at the earliest.
Since May 3, Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, claiming more than 150 lives and thousands have been displaced during the violence.
Chanu, who won a silver medal in the 49 kg weight category in Tokyo Olympics, said that athletes in the northeastern state have been affected by the conflict as they can’t train due to the violence.
Taking it to Twitter, the weightlifter said in a video, “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 which has also hindered the studies of several children. Many lives have been lost and many houses have been burnt.”
Urging the PM to take action to stop the clashes in the strife-torn state, Chanu said, “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 peace which was prevalent earlier.”
Chanu, currently in the US for her training, said that she could not stop herself from thinking about the situation at home despite being far away.
“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 think about when this conflict will end,” she added in her video message+.
These clashes erupted when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status turned violent.
Notably, the Meiteis community account for about 53% of the state’s population and lives in the Imphal Valley, while the tribals, including the Nagas and the Kukis, constitute 40% of the population and reside in the hill districts.
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