A complete curfew has been imposed in parts of India’s restive state of Manipur after protesters stormed residents of state leaders following the alleged killing of a family of six in the latest incident of escalation of the conflict between ethnic groups.
Security forces fired tear gas to disperse a livid mob that unsuccessfully tried to storm chief minister N Biren Singh’s house due to the government’s alleged inaction over the killing of six people, including infants and women.
The protesters on Saturday evening set fire to at least two churches and three houses in Jiribam and stormed residents of nearly half a dozen state ministers.
The state government has imposed an indefinite curfew and shut down internet services in the districts of Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal to curb the unrest.
The six people went missing on 11 November after they were abducted by alleged militants during an attack on the police station. The bodies of two women and a child were recovered from the Barak River in Jiribam on Saturday, while the corpses of another woman and two other children were found a day before, India Today reported.
The northeast Indian state bordering Myanmar has been bristling with ethnic violence since May last year between the majority Meiteis and the minority Kuki-Zo ethnic groups, which has led to the death of at least 250 people. The majority of Meiteis, who are predominantly Hindus, live in the capital Imphal and the nearby districts, while the Kuki-Zos live in the hilly areas.
Civil society groups on Sunday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government demanding action against armed militant groups following the recent spate of violence.
Earlier this month, the state was brought to a standstill following a protest over the killing of at least 10 people by paramilitary soldiers. The Manipur state police said those killed were “armed militants” and the soldiers fired at them after they attacked their post near Jiribam.
The dead bodies were brought to Assam’s Silchar Medical College Hospital bordering Jiribam for autopsy. The district became the latest epicentre of violence this month, triggering a series of killings after a tribal woman from the Hmar community was fatally burnt by suspected militants.
Sporadic clashes between two ethnic communities in the state have led to a steady trickle of deaths since the conflict began 20 months ago.
The federal government, which this week reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur’s six areas, asked all security forces to take necessary steps to restore order and peace in the state.
“Armed miscreants from both communities in conflict have been indulging in violence, leading to unfortunate loss of lives and disruption in public order,” it said, according to the Indian Express.
“Public are requested to maintain peace, not believe in rumours and cooperate with the security forces to maintain law and order in the state.”
The state government on Saturday urged the federal home ministry to “review and withdraw” the notification declaring the reimposition of Afspa in six jurisdictions of Manipur. Afspa grants special power to armed forces to raid and arrest people without warrants along with the power to use maximum force, even to the extent of causing death, to deal with an emergency situation.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi urged prime minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur and “work towards restoring peace and healing in the region”.
“After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and State governments would have made every effort at reconciliation and found a solution,” he wrote on X.
