A day after spurt in clashes, situation calm in Manipur

The death toll from clashes a day before rose to five on May 29 as three more people, who were undergoing treatment in hospitals, succumbed to their injuries

Army jawans stand guard in violence-hit area of Imphal town, Manipur on May 28, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

An uneasy calm prevailed in ethnic conflict-affected Manipur, a day after a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces, officials said on May 29.

The death toll from clashes a day before rose to five on May 29 as three more people, who were undergoing treatment in hospitals, succumbed to their injuries, they said.

Army and paramilitary personnel continued combing operations in the Imphal valley and surrounding districts, an official said.

The Army operation is aimed at confiscating illegal caches of arms, he said.

The police on May 28 said that at least two persons were killed and 12 injured in different instances of firing upon civilians and clashes between militants and security forces.

Tyres being burnt and construction material piled up in the middle of the road by protesters during a protest, in Imphal, on Monday, May 29, 2023. Armed Kuki militants launched co-ordinated attacks in all directions on Sunday in which two persons were killed and 12 injured in different incidents, police said. | Photo Credit: PTI

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said nearly 40 armed militants involved in torching houses and firing at civilians have been killed by security forces since they began an operation to bring peace to the northeastern state beset by ethnic rioting.

The latest clashes began after the Army and paramilitary forces commenced combing operations to de-arm communities in order to bring peace, officials said.

At Phayeng in Imphal West district, one person died on May 28 and another sustained bullet injuries after being fired at by suspected Kuki militants, the police officials said.

One policeman was killed and another injured at Sugnu in the firing. Six persons were also injured at Sugnu and another four at Serou.

The latest incidents of violence have also prompted district authorities to shorten the 11-hour curfew-relaxation period in Imphal East and West districts to just six-and-a-half hours.

Ethnic clashes, which have claimed over 75 lives, first broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

Meiteis account for about 53% of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40% of the population and reside in the hill districts.

Around 140 columns of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, comprising over 10,000 personnel, besides those from other paramilitary forces, had to be deployed to bring back normalcy in the northeastern State.