Imphal, Jul 30 (IANS): The 13-day-long Manipur Assembly session will start on Wednesday and it might witness heated debate over the ongoing strife, specially the recent violence in Jiribam District by Opposition Congress.

Officials on Tuesday said that the session would continue till August 12.

Congress sources said that they will raise the recent Jiribam District violence and other vital issues affecting the people for the last several months.

Jiribam witnessed a wave of violence after the killing of 59-year-old farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh on June 6, leading to 900 tribals belonging to the Kuki and Hmar communities taking shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages in Cachar District of southern Assam, while around 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the Meitei community, are now sheltered in seven relief camps in Jiribam.

Manipur has had two Assembly sessions since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023.

Earlier on two occasions, 10 tribal MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zo community boycotted the Assembly sessions demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for tribals in Manipur.

Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh last week said that he would request the 10 MLAs to attend the Assembly session.

One of the 10 MLAs, the BJP’s Paolienlal Haokip, who was elected from Saikot Assembly constituency in tribal-dominated Churachandpur District said that they would not attend the session this time too.

“When my people can’t set foot in Imphal, how can I attend an Assembly held in the state capital,” Haokip remarked.

Of the 10 tribal MLAs, seven are from the ruling BJP, two belong to the Kuki People’s Alliance and one is an Independent.

Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been hit by unprecedented ethnic violence between the Chin-Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis, that has claimed the lives of at least 220 people, left over a 1000 injured and displaced over 60,000 people of both communities.