Over 11,000 houses have been set on fire in India’s strife-torn Manipur, sending nearly 60,000 people, mostly Christians, to relief camps, admitted the state chief minister for the first time.
Addressing a session of the state legislative house – the third since sectarian strife began in the northeastern hilly state 15 months ago – Chief Minister N. Biren Singh claimed the government was providing them with all basic amenities.
He told the house’s budget session on July 31 that the state was providing daily essentials such “as rice, edible oil, mattresses, beds, utensils, thermos flasks, water, and electricity” to camp residents.
The riots between Kuki-Zo tribal Christians and majority Hindus over awarding reservation quotas to Hindu Meiteis under India’s affirmation action has uprooted 59,414 people who are now staying in 302 relief camps, the chief minister said.
Singh, who is from the right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, further admitted that 226 persons were killed and 39 others have been declared missing.
This story was originally published in ucanews.com. Read the full story here.