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Hmar-Zomi Tensions in Manipur: Peace Efforts Underway

Why in the News ?

Recent tensions between the Hmar and Zomi tribes in Manipur’s Churachandpur district led to unrest. However, leaders from both communities have pledged to restore peace, emphasizing the need for inter-community harmony while preserving their cultural identities and traditions.

Cultural and Traditional Aspects:

• Zomi people speak Kuki-Chin languages, practice Christianity, and historically engaged in shifting cultivation and community-based governance.
• Hmars traditionally followed slash-and-burn agriculture, with a clan-based governance system led by a chief (Lal).
• Both tribes share a rich indigenous heritage, including folklore and cultural customs, though Christianity is now predominant.

Recent Developments and Peace Efforts

• Ethnic tensions between Hmar and Zomi communities in Manipur’s Churachandpur district recently led to unrest.
• Leaders from both sides have pledged to restore peace and improve inter-community relations.
• Ensuring stability while preserving tribal identity and traditions remains a key challenge in the region.

About the Hmar and Zomi Tribes:

• The Hmar and Zomi tribes are indigenous communities of Northeast India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman linguistic group.
• The Zomi tribe is a collective term for groups such as Chin, Mizo, and Kuki, spread across Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, and Myanmar.
• The Hmar tribe, meaning “people of the north,” is part of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group and inhabits Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura.