Manipur violence: Fresh tension grips the capital, curfew relaxation cut down

Fresh tension grips Manipur, following the firebombing of the abandoned houses in the Imphal East district. The army and the paramilitary forces have been rushed to the area as soon as they got the information. Amid high security, the state government has cut down on the curfew which now ranges from 6 am to 2 pm, which was 4 pm earlier.

Apart from this, authorities have also banned internet services in the affected areas for another five days, which will continue till May 26, citing the continued violence in the state. As per sources, fresh violence erupted over the space issue between the groups.

According to the latest update the incident happened on Monday morning at the New Checkon Bazaar area in Imphal East district. The houses were set ablaze following the clash in the afternoon. Reportedly, the police have arrested 3 individuals over their alleged involvement in the incident.

As per sources, “There is apprehension that anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law-and-order situation in the state of Manipur.”

Notably, the death toll in the Manipur violence stands at 74, with 230 injured as of now. The violence erupted in the state on May 3, 2023, when clashes took place between the non-tribal community Meitei and tribal community Kuki, in the north eastern state.

The move for shutting down the internet services has been taken by the state government to avoid any kind of rumours or misinformation that may lead to a spiral of acts of violence.

When Manipur violence erupted?

The first ban on internet services was made on May 3, when the violence erupted between both groups displacing 26,000 people in the state. The clashes in the state were after a few days when the Manipur High Court directed the state government to grant the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community.

The Meitei people would have access to forest areas and reserves in state employment and educational institutions if they were granted ST status. However, the state’s current native populations worry that this would limit their access to reservations and risk the lands they have inhabited. The violence erupted in a demonstration against such a result.