After clashes and arson during protests against including the majority Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, the army and paramilitary forces have been sent to Manipur. The group leading the protests said that tribal people were being targeted in places like Imphal while police watched.
Lt. Col. Mahender Rawat, a defense public relations officer based in Guwahati, said that about 4,000 people have been taken in by the army, the Assam Rifles, and the state government. He said, “Flag marches are being done to keep things under control.” “More people are leaving places with a lot of violence.”
He said that the situation was brought under control on Wednesday night by the army, the Assam Rifles, and the state police. “By morning, there was no more fighting.”
The All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM), which was in charge of the protests and shut down, denied that protesters who took part in its support march were violent. “The march for unity came to a peaceful end. But soon after, someone set fire to the Churachandpur Anglo-Kuki War Memorial gate. “That’s when violence broke out,” said Paointhang Lupheng, the head of ATSUM.
He said that homes of tribal people and churches in Imphal and other places were being burned down. Lupheng said that the cops didn’t do anything.
The cops didn’t come right away to help.
Lupheng said that he had heard that several people had been killed and hurt. “The situation is very unstable and needs help from the Union government. ATSUM asks the state government to do something to calm things down and asks the tribe people to keep the peace.
The chief minister, N Biren Singh, said that the violence was caused by “ongoing misunderstandings between two parts of society.” He also promised to talk to the communities and their leaders about their long-term problems.
Opponents of giving Meiteis ST status say that it will keep them from getting government jobs and into schools. Meiteis make up about 53% of Manipur’s people and live mostly in Imphal Valley.
The Nagas and Kukis are two tribes that make up about 40% of the state’s people and are against the status.
Singh said that people in Imphal, Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Kangpokpi, and Moreh have been vandalizing and setting fires. He said this in a video message that he posted on Twitter. He also said that people have died and things have been broken.
Singh didn’t say how much damage was done, but he did say that police and central forces had been sent to keep order and that anyone who got violent would be punished harshly. He also said that the central government has asked for more paramilitary troops.
Singh asked that the peace between different groups not be upset. “I urge you not to believe rumors and messages that can’t be proven.”
Singh also said that he talked to Zoramthanga, his colleague in Mizoram, on the phone about what was going on in Manipur. He also said that he told Zoramthanga that the situation was because the two groups did not understand each other and talk to each other well enough.
A leader from the Kuki tribe told HT from Churachandpur that all the shops and other businesses in the district were closed and that there were not many people walking around. “Now it looks like a war zone. There are films and pictures of Kuki churches and homes being burned in Imphal and other places. There are also rumors that Meitei homes in Churachandpur have been attacked,” he said, asking to remain anonymous.
After the fights, the government of Manipur banned mobile internet services for five days across the whole state on Wednesday.
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