Imphal: Manipur remained tense but calm on Tuesday after incidents of violence were reported a day before in the northeastern state where at least 70 people were killed in ethnic violence since May 3.
Business establishments remained closed on Tuesday morning and people were asked by security personnel to remain indoors through the public address system in New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where a mob torched two houses after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday.
Locals, armed with licensed guns, were found guarding their localities against possible attacks by constructing makeshift “bunkers” in a few places including Pukhao and Leitanpokpi in Imphal East district and five such “bunkers” were destroyed by security forces in Sinam Khaithong village in Imphal West on Monday, police said.
Sit-in demonstrations, mostly by the womenfolk, were reported in the valley districts, with the agitators demanding that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militants be abrogated and action be taken against them. They also demanded that “illegal Myanmarese immigrants” be deported, poppy cultivation be stopped in the hill areas and also protested the hill MLAs’ demand for bifurcation of the state.
People living in areas adjoining the hills have complained of Kuki militants coming down to the valley and opening fire on civilians before fleeing, with at least three people injured in one such recent incident in Moidangpok village in Imphal West district.
Curfew relaxation period has been cut by two hours and the restriction is now from 5 am to 2 pm.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday evening appealed to the people to stop torching houses of innocent people.
He said three people, including an ex-MLA, were arrested in the New Chekon incident. The mob had beaten up one of the armed men, while the other three had managed to flee from the spot.
No casualty was reported in the torching incident as the empty houses were used for providing rented accommodation to people.
“We will initiate legal action against those involved in illegal activities… We have also decided to acquire 20 more companies of security personnel from the central forces,” the CM said.
Around 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles jawans are currently deployed in the state. Security forces are conducting aerial surveillance by unmanned aerial vehicles and Cheetah helicopters.
The CM said action will also be taken against those involved in inciting hate and enmity on social media inside and outside the state.
Internet services remain suspended since violence started in order to stop rumours and hate messages from being spread. However, it is alleged that the warring Meitei and Kuki community people living outside the state are spreading hatred in their social media posts.
“We need to engage in talks by sitting together to bring in normalcy and restore peace,” the chief minister said.
Clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The violence in Manipur was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
Dear Reader,
Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased overage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast India’s largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.
Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.
We are fiercely protective of our ‘independent’ status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.
Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.
Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
The ethnic clashes claimed over 70 lives and some 10,000 army and para-military personnel had to be deployed to restore normalcy in the northeastern state.
Also read | Manipur: Fresh violence reported in Imphal, 3 persons arrested
Trending Stories
- PIL by Gauhati HC prompts 4 NE states to take steps for police reforms
- Present crisis in Manipur is not about religion: Guru Rewben Mashangva
- Two killed,12 injured in firing, clashes in Manipur: Police
- New frog species discovered in Arunachal, named after Patkai hills
- Manipur: CM condemns attacks on civilians, vows to uproot terrorists
- Nagaland: NSCN condemns vandalism of Naga heritage club
