Violence broke out again on Sunday in Uripok area of Manipur’s capital Imphal. The miscreants vandalized several vehicles, then set them on fire.
Videos related to this are also coming out. In which burnt vehicles are visible, tires and other parts of some vehicles are still burning.
According to police, two people were killed in separate clashes between militants and security forces in Manipur on Sunday.
There, 12 people were injured. News agency ANI quoted Chief Minister N Biren Singh as saying that 40 terrorists accused of violence have been killed till Sunday in a joint operation by police, army and paramilitary forces. Several armed terrorists have been arrested by the police. These rebels are using M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles and sniper guns against civilians.
According to the report, the terrorists attacked Imphal Valley and its 5 surrounding areas in Sekmai, Sugnu, Kumbi, Phayeng and Serau around 2 am on Sunday.
The CM claimed that they are attacking the common people. After this, 40 terrorists were killed in the action of the security forces so far. There are reports of firing and unclaimed dead bodies lying on the roads in many other areas.
In view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the central government has deployed army and paramilitary forces here.
Apart from this, internet has been banned in the state till May 31. Curfew is still continuing in many districts. Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day tour of the state from May 29.
Caste violence has been going on in Manipur since May 3 between the people of Kuki and Meitei communities over reservation.
So far more than 75 people have been killed in violent incidents.
Apart from this, hundreds of houses are set ablaze by the miscreants. More than 40 thousand people have fled.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai is visiting trouble-torn Manipur from Thursday and Army Chief General Manoj Pandey from Saturday.
Home Minister Amit Shah will also go to Manipur on a 3-day tour from Monday. He will meet organizations of the Kuki and Meitei communities.
Manipur Police on Saturday arrested three Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed in the state.
The jawans are accused of trying to set ablaze a meat shop in New Checon area of Imphal. The Ministry of Home Affairs informed that Somdev Arya, Kuldeep Singh and Pradeep Kumar of RAF have been suspended with immediate effect. The case is being investigated.
According to the police, all three came to the area on Friday night wearing plain clothes and sitting in a car. They tried to set fire to the meat shop of a Naga tribal businessman. When the local people protested, they fled from there.
The CCTV footage of the ruckus regarding the incident is with the police. With the help of which the Porompat police arrested the three jawans.
Notably , recently the Manipur High Court had ordered the Meitei community to be given Scheduled Tribe status. This decision of the High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala is hearing the case.
The bench said that it would not go into the issue of reservation pending in the High Court. Law and order is a state government subject.
The court has sought a status report from the state government in the matter. The court has asked what security was provided after the violence? Was relief given and tell about rehabilitation? On which the hearing will be held after the holidays.
More than half of Manipur’s population of about 38 lakhs are from Meitei community. The Imphal Valley, which covers about 10% of Manipur’s area, is dominated by the Meitei community.
Recently, the Manipur High Court has issued orders to the state government to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
The people of the Meitei community argue that they had the status of tribe in the princely state before their merger with the Indian Union in 1949.
In the last 70 years, the Meitei population has decreased from 62 percent to around 50 percent.
The Meitei community is demanding reservation for its cultural identity.
The Naga and Kuki tribes of Manipur are against giving reservation to the Meitei community. The Nagas occupy 90% of the state’s area and the Kukis form 34% of the state’s population. They say that 40 of the state’s 60 assembly seats are already in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
Politically, the Meitei community is already dominant in Manipur. The Naga and Kuki tribes fear that reservation for Meitei in the ST category will lead to division of their rights.
As per the existing law, the Meitei community is not allowed to settle in the hilly areas of the state.
Meitei reservation can be attributed to the recent violence in Manipur, but in August last year, Chief Minister Biren Singh’s government ordered the removal of the Naga and Kuki tribes living in the forest area of Churachandpur, terming them as intruders. Naga-Kuki are getting angry with this.
The Meiteis are Hindus, while most of the Nagas and Kukis of the ST category follow Christianity.
