Kom union urges own tribe to stay neutral

Imphal: Amid the unending conflict in Manipur, the Kom Union Manipur (KUM), while reiterating that it will remain as the Kom tribe forever, has urged its own community members to remain neutral and not to get involved in the violence.The Kom tribe, to which boxing icon and Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom belongs, is one of the 35 indigenous tribes of the state with a population of around 35,000.The Koms lead the population among Komrem, an umbrella body of six small sub-tribes, whose total population is around 45,000, a miniature figure looking from the entire little over 28 lakh population of Manipur. Besides Kom, the other Komrem tribes include Kharam, Chiru, Aimol, Koiren and Purum.