Manipur’s Divide
The ethnic tensions in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meitei community have brought the state's governance under intense scrutiny.
The ethenic violence in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities reached near Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s residence after a mob tried to target his ancestral home in Heingang in Imphal East on Thursday night.
Around 500-600 people, some of them armed with sticks, marched towards CM’s house but met with retaliatory action by security personnel who fired shots in the air to disperse the mob.
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The chief minister was not there since he and his family members live in a separate and well guarded home in the middle of Imphal city.
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This appeared a coordinated attack on CM’s house as two groups came from different directions, according to media reports.
There has been a serious breakdown of law and order in Manipur since May this year when the violence between the two warring tribes first erupted. So far, more than 170 people have lost there lives while thousands stranded homeless.
Untill last week, it appeared the state was slowly heading towards normalcy and internet services were resumed. However, the killing of two Meitei students who went missing in July reignited the violence.
Earlier this week, disturbing pictures of bodies of the missing students went viral on social media. This triggered massive protests from student unions and Meitei tribe members.
The protesters clashes with security personnel in Imphal, following which curfew was imposed in two districts – Imphal East and West. Mobile internet services have also been snapped to stop the spread of fake news and misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has demanded immediate removal of Chief Minister Singh. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the violence-hit.
The situation in the state is not showing signs of improvement. In light of this, the BJP-led state government should be dismissed promptly. It is evident that PM Modi’s priorities lie elsewhere, and he seems more focused on his image and election campaigns,” Congress said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
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