PremiumDeadly clashes erupted once again on Sunday in the remote northeastern state of Manipur ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.
According to Manipur's Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, as confirmed by a government official to AFP, in the past two days alone, 40 suspected militants and two police personnel have lost their lives. The situation in Manipur remains volatile as the state continues to confront the challenges posed by ongoing violence.
Manipur has been grappling with heightened tension and unrest following a recent surge of inter-ethnic violence, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 individuals and the displacement of tens of thousands.
The initial trigger for this violence was the Kuki community's frustration regarding the potential allocation of guaranteed quotas for government jobs and other benefits to the Meitei community as a form of affirmative action.
The situation in Manipur, which has been plagued by ethnic conflict, remained tense but relatively calm after a recent increase in clashes and gunfire between militants and security forces, according to officials on Monday.
As reported by PTI, the death toll from clashes a day before rose to five on Monday as three more people, who were undergoing treatment in hospitals, succumbed to their injuries, they said.
At least 40 Kuki militants have been killed in a coordinated security operation in Manipur’s Imphal valley in the past four days, chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday.
There were instances of militants armed with AK-47s, M-16s and sniper rifles firing at civilians, Singh said, stressing that these are not “Kuki militants", but “terrorists".
Violence in the last ten hours has also prompted district authorities to shorten the 11-hour curfew relaxation period in Imphal East and West district to just six and half hours, PTI reported.
"We acknowledge the deployment of central forces in troubled areas as a positive step to safeguard our community from further attacks," Kuki National Organisation said, as reported by ANI.
The house of BJP MLA Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh at Uripok in Imphal West was allegedly vandalised and his two vehicles were set on fire.
Fresh violence erupted in several parts of the state on Sunday after alleged Kuki militants carrying sophisticated weapons set fire to many houses in Serou and Sugunu area, ANI reported.
There was also an unconfirmed report of arms being looted from Kakching police station by a Meitei group, the official said.
As reported by PTI, at Napat, Serou, nearby Sugnu in the Kakching district militants burnt down some 80 houses of the Meitei community prompting villagers to flee in midnight hours.
State police personnel deployed in the area retaliated leading to heavy exchange of fire, police said. One police personnel was killed and another injured at Sugnu in the firing. Six persons were also injured at Sugnu and another four at Serou.
Separate incidents of firing on civilians and clashes between militants and security forces were reported on Sunday, resulting in two fatalities and 12 injuries, as per police officials.
In Phayeng, located in the Imphal West district, one individual lost their life and another sustained bullet wounds as a result of an attack by suspected Kuki militants.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Centre led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday for the unrest in Manipur.
"25 days after Manipur started burning, things have turned from bad to worse on the eve of the long-awaited visit of the Union Home Minister to Imphal. Despite Article 355 being imposed there's a total and complete breakdown of law & order and administration in the state," tweeted Jairam Ramesh.
The CM appealed to the public not to hinder the movement of security personnel and urged them to have "faith in the government and support the security forces."
Singh also said that there had been cases of armed militants firing at civilians with AK-47s, M-16 and sniper rifles. These militants were targeted by security forces in counter-attacks.
Incidents of vandalism and arson were reported in the Uripok area of Imphal West, Manipur, where miscreants targeted and damaged vehicles, as reported by ANI.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will be leading a delegation to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday morning to discuss the Manipur situation, as reported by PTI.
A delegation led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will be calling on President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday morning regarding the situation in the state, according to party general secretary Jairam Ramesh.
In Imphal, Manipur, a new wave of violence broke out on Sunday, resulting in the injury of security personnel.
As reported by ANI, this incident occurred just days before the scheduled visit of Home Minister Amit Shah to the state, which has been severely affected by violence. The injured security personnel has been taken to Raj Medicity Hospital, as confirmed by a police official.
The recent outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur has tragically claimed the lives of more than 75 individuals in the northeastern state.
Following the damage caused by unidentified miscreants on Saturday, the Indian Army successfully completed the repair work of the Wainem bridge in Manipur on Sunday.
"On May 27, 2023, the army got information that a few miscreants have tried to damage the Wainem Bridge and dislocated three panels. Immediately the nearest Army column responded to the call and reached the incident site with a recovery vehicle," the official statement said.
The Army reported that the miscreants had dislodged three panels of the bridge.
To address the ongoing crisis in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to begin his three-day visit to the violence-affected state today, May 29. The announcement was made by Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, during a press conference held on Thursday evening.
The visit aims to find a resolution to the prevailing situation and provide the necessary support to restore peace in Manipur.
"Union Home Minister Amit Shah would stay for three days and would work to end the ethnic crisis and deliver justice to all the people. We will talk with people at different places and listen to their views and opinions," Rai said.
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