In Washington DC Zomi community holds rally over Manipur crisis

Imphal: Participants of a peace rally organized in front of the Indian Embassy here by a leading organization representing the Zo ethnic community in Manipur expressed solidarity with their fellow brothers in the state who have been badly affected by the ongoing ethnic violence.
The rally organized by Zomi Innkuan USA in front of the Embassy of India in Washington, DC last week was an opportunity for participants to join the Zomi-Kuki people who have been affected by the crisis in Manipur for more than 120 days, the organization said in a statement. expressed shaky solidarity.
More than 180 people have been killed and hundreds injured since communal violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, when the majority Meiteis community in the hill districts protested against their demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized.
The statement alleged that the violence had caused untold suffering to the people of Manipur and that the state government’s actions, particularly against the minority Zomi-Kuki tribes, had caused great pain and division in the region.
The rally, attended by members of the Zomi community in the US and other supporters, aimed to highlight the urgent need for a lasting solution to the conflict in Manipur, the statement added.
The protesters carried placards with messages depicting the plight of the ethnic Zoroastrians and their strong demand for a separate administration in Manipur.
Zomi Innkuan Executive Director Dr. Hauzachin Suante said in his address: “Our land, our rights, our freedom – these are not mere slogans but the heartbeat of our struggle.
The ongoing violence in Manipur has caused a lot of pain to our people.

Suante said a separate administrative unit for the Zo tribe was “not only our demand but also our hope for a better future”.
Zomi Innkuan USA, founded in 2005, is the preeminent organization representing the Zomi community with members spread across the United States.