Manipur's Meitei-Kuki couples grapple with separation & an uncertain future

Previously harmonious, Meitei-Kuki marriages now face societal scrutiny and upheaval, signaling a shift in community relations triggered by the events of May 3

Monthly dates in Mizoram or maybe Assam if at all, single parenting and the constant fear of abandonment. For Manipur's Meitei-Kuki couples forced to live apart in 'community' enclaves, this is how life has been since ethnic clashes broke out in the state last May.

As crisis continues in the polarised state, where the Meitis are concentrated in Imphal Valley and the Kukis have moved to the hills around, inter-tribe couples are facing the cruel brunt of a conflict that has claimed more than 200 lives and displaced many thousands since May 3, 2023.