Moreh

Chandel, Manipur

About

Moreh is a small border town in the Indo-Myanmar border. It is inhabited mainly by the Kukis and some other ethnic communities like the Meiteis, Nagas, Nepalis, Sikhs, Bengalis, Biharis, Rajasthanis, Tamils, Nepalese, etc. There is a thriving trade between India and Myanmar through this town. With the legal trade there also exist thrives illegal trade, mostly opium, going on through this town. To control this town there was a huge tussle between the militant groups, KNA of the Kukis and NSCN(IM) of the Nagas, which resulted in ethnic conflict between the two resulting in the loss of thousands of lives in the early 1990s. Of late, the Kukis want to benefit largely from this thriving border trade and increasing their livelihood.