Politics and violence: Behind the raging ethnic strife in Manipur
Ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities have caused widespread deaths, injuries, and displacement in Manipur since May. The Kukis have been expelled from the Imphal Valley, and no Meiteis can be seen in Churachandpur or other Kuki-dominated hill districts. The Meiteis? demand for ST status and the protest against it by the Kukis set off the violence. The divide between the two groups is emblematic of the burgeoning ethnic tensions between the two over many issues, which can trace their origin to history and a sense of identity.