Zomi-Kuki combine against Meitei, drug mafia, behind Manipur violence

BY A STAFF REPORTER: Has Myanmar based Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) sparked off the series of violence in Manipur? The primary objective of the ZRA is to protect the interests of the Paite community and bring all Zomi people settled in Chin state of Myanmar, Manipur and Mizoram in India and Chittagong in Bangladesh under one roof. Intelligence inputs indicated that ZRA and Kuki National Army ( KNA) had combined to trigger the violence. According to local sources, although it seems that the main reason behind the violence was the inclusion of the Meitei community in the state list of scheduled tribes, many feel there is more under the carpet. While chief minister N Biren Singh claimed that his government has been carrying out relentless campaign against illegal poppy cultivation and drug money in Bishenpur and Charuchandrapur areas, but his detractors alleged that some of close relatives and aides are involved in the drug trade.