Calling it a “solidarity march”, the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur is protesting against the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category following the nod by the Manipur High Court.
The peaceful march turned violent after the demonstrators clashed with a group in an area bordering Bishnupur district. After the clashes, the unidentified group of miscreants set houses, belonging to a particular group of people, on fire. Fortunately, as of now, no casualties have been reported.
The Current Situation
In the wake of violent clashes, the Indian Army was deployed in the region to restore peace in the state. In an official statement, the Indian Army stated that they are putting their best foot forward to bring the situation under control.
It further urged the citizens to only rely on content disseminated through verified sources as the circulation of fake videos is increasing. The Northeast Frontier Railway has suspended all Manipur-bound train services.
The state’s home department issued “shoot at sight” orders in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted.
MC Mary Kom, an Indian boxing superstar, voiced concern about the violence in Manipur and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for assistance in dealing with the deteriorating law and order situation. “My state Manipur is burning, kindly help,” Mary Kom tweeted.
My state Manipur is burning, kindly help @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @rajnathsingh @republic @ndtv @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/VMdmYMoKqP
— M C Mary Kom OLY (@MangteC) May 3, 2023
Also Read: In Manipur, These Women Have Kicked Out All The Men And There Is Nothing Wrong In It
Government Steps In
On Thursday, Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs spoke to Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh and took cognizance of the matter. MHA sources stated that additionally, COs of RAF will be sent.
Meanwhile, CM Biren has urged the people to maintain peace in the state. The state government imposed a curfew in various regions and mobile internet was also suspended with immediate effect.
Reason Behind The Protests
Numerous houses of Meities have been attacked and set on fire, and in order to control the situation, the police had to use tear gas shelling. Notably, Meities, for a very long time, have been demanding inclusion in the ST list mentioning that the group wants to “preserve” the community and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture and language”.
In a petition to HC, they stated that they, for years, fought for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category.
The scuffle is rooted in a deep fault line running between the valley, where Meities reside; and the hills, where Nagas and Kukis reside. The ones living in the hills perceive that Meiteis wield more economic and political power.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Times Of India
Find the blogger: Palak Dogra
This post is tagged under: manipur, manipur violence, tribal groups in manipur, meiteis, nagas-kukis, biren singh, amit shah, manipur is burning
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