High security in Manipur on anniversary of ethnic clashes
May 3, 2024, marked the first anniversary of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur. The conflict, for the most part, stems from the Meitei community's demand to be included in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, which the tribal Kukis strongly opposed. Over 200 people have died as a result of the violence, thousands injured, and many more have been displaced. Yet, one year into the conflict, the state still continues to see clashes, although they have been toned down.
High alert on conflict's first anniversary
Security forces remained on high alert on the first anniversary, with a senior police official informing Reuters that "elaborate preventive measures are in place." The Kuki Inpi Manipur, a leading body representing Kuki interests, declared May 3 "Kuki-Zo Awakening Day," a day dedicated to introspection and self-awareness. Communal prayers and gatherings were also organized in Kuki-majority hill districts to remember those who lost their lives over the past year.
Meitei organization to release booklet on conflict
In the Meitei-controlled Imphal valley, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a civil society organization, will release a booklet outlining critical issues of the conflict. "It has been one year of this long crisis. We will be condemning the kind of injustice that has been meted out to the indigenous people (Meiteis) of Manipur," COCOMI Spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba said.
Both communities don't trust each other: Official
"Both communities don't trust each other because they have not had any formal talks yet about the root cause...the way forward," a senior police officer said. Many residents say they are disappointed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has not been able to stop what critics have called a "mixture of anarchy and civil war." Chief Minister N Biren Singh, for the most part, has been at the receiving end of this criticism, forcing him to nearly quit last June.
2 CRPF personnel killed in suspected militant attack
Meanwhile, the latest string of violence was reported from Bishnupur district on April 27, when suspected Kuki militants fired indiscriminately from hilltops, targeting an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) camp. Two Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and two others injured. Due to the sensitive nature of this area following the outbreak of violence in Manipur last year, central security forces have been stationed in this vicinity.
