A policeman died and at least 10 people experienced injuries on Monday in Manipur as fresh violence broke out in the West Kangpokpi area of the state. Violence started during the night, and there was a short break between 3 and 6 a.m., after which shots were fired randomly in the towns of Phayeng and Singda.
Officials say that the shots were meant for towns and hills in the Kangchup area of the Kangpokpi district. Officials haven’t ruled out the chance that more people will die on both sides, and they’ve said that the full picture won’t be clear until the shooting stops.
The border zone between two villages is run by the Assam Rifles.
Since May 3, when racial violence broke out in the state, at least 150 people have died and hundreds have been hurt. On May 3, violence broke out during a “Tribal Solidarity March” in Manipur. The march was a protest against the Meiteis’ desire for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. Tension in the state had been already simmering in view of the eviction of Kuki people from the reserve forest lands.
Last week, a group of 150–200 people near the Kangla Fort in Imphal set fire to two cars and tried to steal guns from the police. The police fired at the crowd as a way to get back at them. No one was hurt, though.
Later, Army troops were called in, and by late night, the crowd had broken up.
Last week, there was also an exchange of gunfire near Yaingangpokpi in the Imphal East area.
On Friday, there was a lot of fighting between two groups in the Kangvai area of Bishnupur district. Four people died, including a Manipur Police officer and a teenager.
Along with the Manipur Police, about 40,000 national security agents have been sent to the state to stop the violence.
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