On May 7, the administration relaxed the curfew in the violence-hit Churachandpur district of Manipur for three hours. Army drones and helicopters deployed in the area continued to conduct surveillance to maintain law and order, especially along the border with Myanmar. Chief Minister Biren Singh held an all-party meeting on Saturday evening to resolve the unrest. He appealed for peace in the state and encouraged all citizens to avoid any action that may lead to violence or instability.
Following the all-party meeting, CM Singh also held a video conference with para-military forces, state police and senior government officials to take stock of the on-ground operations. He said, “The entire team is working round the clock to ensure that peace prevails in the state.” He added, “The situation is much better today. No major incidents of violence were seen in the past 24 hours; only a few small clashes and instances of tension caused by rumours.”
Speaking to TOI, Singh said that the administration’s outreach under the supervision of the Union Home Ministry and HM Amit Shah helped control violence. He said, “They [Manipur administration] have been conveying our peace appeals to the people. Peace committees have been activated in all districts. While the police and security forces are doing the firefighting, a parallel dialogue is being undertaken with the community and Church leaders as an outreach to the people to maintain calm. This has been instrumental in normalising the situation.” Notably, HM Shah recently cancelled his election programs in Karnataka to monitor the situation in Manipur.
Furthermore, meetings were held between the CM and the representatives of the civil society organisations of both Kukis and Meities. He appealed to them to help the state authorities maintain peace and restore normalcy. The organisations agreed to allow safe passage of people stuck in the violent hit areas or trapped in hostage-like situations. Around 20,000 people have been evacuated, including Meiteis settled in the hills and Kukis settled in Imphal Valley.
Minor incidents of violence were reported in some areas, but overall, the situation remained under the control of the security forces. There are 14 companies of central forces deployed across the state. The centre has sent 20 more companies to ensure there is law and order in the state.
CRPF arrested around 30 rioters who allegedly triggered various incidents of violence in the state. As the violence was subsequently curbed across the state, the security agencies shifted their focus to investigate and identify the triggers and miscreants behind the violence. CRPF Director General said the security agencies are looking if the violence was staged.
Officials familiar with the matter said that insurgents are held up in thick forests along the border, which could create a law and order situation in the state.
The Manipur violence
One of the major factors that triggered the violence in the state of Manipur was the demand by the Meities to get included under Scheduled Tribes (ST). These are mostly Hindus settled in Imphal Valley. Kuki tribals, on the other hand, who are Christians, opposed the demand as they claimed it would put pressure on government benefits and schemes. Furthermore, Meities have pointed out that the illegal immigrants coming from Myanmar and settling in the hills posing as Tribals threaten the state’s demographics.
Recently, BJP MLA Dinganglung Gangmei filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the orders passed by the Manipur High Court that directed the state to include the Meitei community in the ST list. Gangmei said in the petition that the order was “entirely illegal” and sought to be set quashed. Manipur Tribal Forum has also approached the Supreme Court claiming that BJP is supporting violence in the state.
OpIndia did a detailed report on the violence in Manipur that can be read here. All the details and updates of the violence can be found here.
