Imphal: Boxing nice MC Mary Kom on Thursday urged the Centre to assist management the violence that broke out in Manipur. The Army and Assam Rifles have been deployed to manage the state of affairs within the northeastern state the place violence broke out throughout a tribal agitation on Wednesday.
“My state Manipur is burning, kindly help,” the veteran boxer tweeted, sharing pictures of the violence, and tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Army deployed in violence-hit Manipur, 9,000 folks shifted to safer locations
Several coloumns of the Army and Assam Rifles needed to be hurridely deployed in a single day to include large-scale rioting that broke out throughout Manipur between tribals and the bulk Meitei group, displacing over 9,000 folks.
Clashes broke out on Wednesday which intensified in a single day with counter-attacks being mounted by rival communities in retaliation to earlier assaults, after Naga and Kuki tribals organised a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’.
So far, 9,000 folks have been rescued by the forces from the violence-hit areas, and given shelter, a defence spokesperson mentioned on Thursday, including that extra individuals are being shifted to safer locations.
The spokesperson mentioned that some 5,000 folks have been shifted to protected houses in Churachandpur, one other 2,000 folks have been shifted in Imphal valley, and a pair of,000 folks within the border city of Moreh in Tenugopal district.
The Army and Assam Rifles have been requisitioned final evening, and together with the state police, the forces arrested the violence by the morning, the spokesperson mentioned.
“Flag marches are being conducted to keep the situation under control,” he mentioned.
A ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) within the ten hill districts of the state on Wednesday to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who account for 53 per cent of the state’s inhabitants, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) standing.
The march was organised by tribals who account for about 40 per cent of the state’s inhabitants, after the Manipur High Court requested the state authorities final month to ship a suggestion to the Centre inside 4 weeks on the demand for ST standing by the Metei group.
During the march in Torbung space of Churachandpur district, an armed mob allegedly attacked folks of the Meitei group, resulting in retaliatory assaults within the valley districts, which escalated the violence all through the state, in keeping with police.
Many retailers and homes have been vandalised, and gutted in arson that lasted for greater than three hours in Torbung, they mentioned.
Urging folks to take care of peace, Chief Minister N Biren Singh mentioned, “Precious lives have been lost, besides damage of properties, which is very unfortunate.”
Singh mentioned the violence was the results of “misunderstanding” within the society.
“The state government is taking all steps to maintain the law and order situation and additional para-military forces have been requisitioned to protect the lives and properties of the people,” he mentioned.
“Central and state forces have been directed to take strong action against individuals and groups who are indulging in violence,” he mentioned.
The Chief Minister of neighbouring Mizoram, Zoramthanga, wrote to Singh, expressing concern over the violence.
“As the Chief Minister of Mizoram, a lifelong neighbour that has much in common with Manipur in terms of history and culture, I am deeply pained by the violence that has flared up in parts of your State and the underlying tension between the Meitei community and the tribals there,” he wrote within the letter.
Singh mentioned he spoke to Zoramthanga on the cellphone and apprised him of the current state of affairs.
Curfew has been imposed in non-tribal dominated Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, Jiribam and Bishnupur districts, and tribal-dominated Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts.
Mobile web companies have been suspended throughout the state.
In the Imphal valley, homes of Kuki tribals have been ransacked in a number of areas, forcing them to flee, police mentioned.
Over 500 residents of the Kuki-dominated Langol space in Imphal West fled their houses, and are at the moment staying on the CRPF camp at Lamphelpat, police mentioned.
Some locations of worship have been additionally set on hearth within the Imphal valley final evening, they mentioned.
Meanwhile, round 1,000 Meiteis of the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district fled to varied areas of Bishnupur district, together with Kwakta and Moirang, they mentioned.
Over twenty homes have been additionally burnt in Motbung space of Kangpokpi district, police mentioned.
Violence was additionally reported from Moreh close to the Myanmar border in Tengnoupal district.
Lawmakers of the valley have earlier overtly endorsed the demand by some Meitei organisation for ST standing, alarming communities who determine within the Scheduled Tribe checklist.
The Meiteis inhabit the valley, which accounts for a few tenth of the previous princely state’s land space. They declare they’re dealing with issues in view of “large scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis”.
The hill districts which account for a lot of the state’s land are inhabited principally by tribals — together with the Nagas and Kukis who’re primarily Christians — and are shielded from encroachment by varied legal guidelines.
