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The Manipur government has declared the Easter holiday as a working day, causing a stir in the region. According to media reports, Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey said March 30-31 will be working weekends for government offices, corporations, and autonomous bodies. Easter, which is a Christian festival, is falling on 31 March this year. Since the ethnic division in Manipur is acute, the decision has triggered outrage.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella body of tribal groups said the government’s decision would hurt the sentiments of the Christian community.

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“There are many Christians in Manipur. Sunday is a day of rest and we have Easter Sunday,” an ITLF spokesperson told Hindustan Times.

The apex body of the Naga student group Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me has also urged the Manipur government to revoke the order.

Last year, Manipur experienced one of the worst ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki communities that killed hundreds of people and more than 50,000 people were displaced.

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The clashes began when the Kuki tribal group clashed with a non-tribal group, the ethnic majority Meitei, over-sharing economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes.

The Meitei have sought special benefits for more than a decade but received a fillip in April after the Manipur High Court recommended the government should consider the demand and set a deadline of mid-May.

Meiteis account for half of Manipur’s population and extending limited affirmative action quotas to them would mean they would get a share in education and government jobs reserved for Kukis and Nagas. As per the 2011 census, the Christina population in Manipur accounts for 40.1% and belongs to tribes such as Kukis, Zo, and Nagas.

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Meiteis have traditionally lived in Manipur’s more prosperous valley region which makes up 10% of the state’s area. However, Nagas and Kukis live in the poorly developed hills.

The development imbalance favouring the valley over the hills is the main cause of rivalry between the two groups.

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Published: 28 Mar 2024, 02:00 PM IST

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