Manipur on edge

Guwahati: Fresh violence and heightened tensions have gripped several valley districts of Manipur, leading to the imposition of curfew and suspension of internet services in many areas. The unrest erupted on Saturday night following reports of the arrest of a leader and a few other members of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol (AT).

The protesters torched tyres and old furniture in the middle of the roads, gheraoed the airport entrance, and clashed with security forces, demanding the release of the leader. Some of them even attempted self-immolation in Imphal. The situation remained tense on Sunday.

While police did not disclose the identity of the arrested individual or the charges against him, reports suggested that the leader is Kanan Singh.

Protesters clashed with security forces at multiple locations across the state capital on Saturday night. In Imphal East district’s Khurai Lamlong area, an enraged mob set a bus on fire. At Kwakeithel, several gunshots were heard, though it remains unclear who fired them.

The AT came to prominence after the ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities broke out in the State on May 3, 2023.

Officials said large groups of people spilt out onto the streets throughout the night, burning tyres and old furniture to block the roads. At many places, mobs clashed with the security personnel, including stretches on the Airport Road where some vehicles of the security forces were torched.

Major incidents of violence were reported from Imphal’s Kwakeithel and Uripok areas. Scores of people, including security personnel, were injured. “The situation eased after midnight. Things have been quiet from morning,” an Imphal West district official said.

Tension reigned across the five districts of Imphal Valley after the alleged disrespect of Manipur by security personnel on May 20 triggered a “civil disobedience campaign” by a pressure group. The campaign was suspended after floods hit the Valley more than a week ago.

The Valley plunged into chaos again from Saturday (June 7) evening after security forces arrested the five AT leaders, including A. Kanan Singh, a former Manipur Police head constable.

Apprehending a backlash, the state government suspended internet and mobile data services in the Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal districts for five days. An indefinite curfew was also imposed in the Bishnupur district, while the assembly of four or more people was prohibited in the other four districts. The protestors, too, retaliated by “imposing” a 10-day shutdown across the five districts. Media and medical services were exempted from this shutdown.

More than 250 people have been killed and at least 60,000 displaced in Manipur’s ethnic violence. The State was placed under the President’s Rule on February 13, days after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister.