Manipur Violence: Curfew imposed, Mobile Internet suspended
The government has taken this step in view of the deteriorating situation after the protest march in the state.
Manipur Violence: Curfew has been imposed in 8 districts of Manipur till further orders and Mobile internet services have also been stopped. The government has taken this step in view of the deteriorating situation after the protest march in the state.
In Manipur, a massive protest was held by the tribal groups on May 3, opposing the demand to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. Violence broke out during the agitation following which curfew was imposed in eight districts and mobile internet services were suspended across the state.
Indian woman boxer Mary Kom sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tweeting. Mary Kom tweeted late at around 3.45 pm, “My state Manipur is burning. Please help.” In this tweet, he has shared a photo of arson in Manipur tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister’s Office, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
My state Manipur is burning, kindly help @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @rajnathsingh @republic @ndtv @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/VMdmYMoKqP
— MC Mary Kom OLY (@MangteC) May 3, 2023
The violence had erupted during the ‘Adivasi Ekta March’ called by a students’ body to protest the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. During this, the mob ransacked the houses amid tension in Churachandpur. The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) said the demand to include the Meitei community in the ST category is gaining momentum, against which it has called for a march.
Thousands of agitators took part in the rally and there were reports of violence between tribals and non-tribals in Torbang area, a senior police officer said. The officer said that the police fired tear gas shells to control the crowd. He said the situation remained tense, but many agitators have started returning to their homes in different parts of the hills.
In view of the situation, curfew has been imposed in Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, Jiribam and Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts, he said. Mobile internet services have been suspended across the state for five days with immediate effect, but broadband services are operational. Separate orders regarding imposition of curfew have been issued by the administration of eight districts.
Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of people participated in the tribal unity march taken out by the students’ organization to protest. The organization had called upon the people of all ten hill districts of the state to join the march.
The student organization said that the public representatives of the state are openly supporting the demand of Meitei and appropriate measures need to be taken to collectively protect the tribal interests. The Meitei live in the hill districts of Manipur, which constitute about ten percent of the state’s area. The community claims that they are facing hardship due to large-scale illegal immigration of Myanmarese and Bangladeshis.
