People in ethnic violence-hit Manipur are now experiencing a double whammy as not only prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed in the state, but banking facilities remain affected due to the suspension of internet services, making life more miserable for them.
The BJP government in Manipur is facing a big challenge as 10 tribal MLAs from various parties, including five from the BJP, indirectly demanded a separate state for the Kuki tribals, leading to an ethnic division of the state.
Amid the ethnic unrest in Manipur, 10 tribal MLAs of various parties, including that of the BJP in a significant development, on Friday, indirectly demanded a separate state for the Kuki tribals.
A Manipur Police commando was killed and four other policemen were injured when Kuki militants attacked a police patrol party at Tronglaobi in the state's Bishnupur district on Thursday, police said.
The situation in the ethnic violence-hit Manipur improved further on Wednesday with the authorities relaxing curfew in 11 districts, including Imphal West and Churachandpur, for six hours in the morning even as the Army and central paramilitary forces continued their vigil in the sensitive areas.
Strife-torn Manipur is limping back to normalcy even as the Army and central paramilitary forces continued their vigil in the sensitive areas, while the authorities relaxed curfew in four districts, including the most volatile Churachandpur district, for four hours on Tuesday morning.
At least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 people injured while 1,700 houses have been burned down in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday.
Newly-appointed security advisor to Manipur government Kuldiep Singh, a former CRPF chief, said that at least 37 people were killed and over a 100 people injured in the series of ethnic violence in different districts of Manipur since May 3.
Even as tension prevails in several Manipur districts and the Army and central para-military forces continued their vigil in the strife-torn areas, the administration in the most volatile Churachandpur district relaxed the curfew on Sunday for three hours from 10 a.m.
In the wake of the ongoing unrest in Manipur, over 1600 people have crossed the border into Assam's Cachar district and more than 30 people, mostly women and children took shelter in Mizoram's Saitual district.
To restore peace and to quell the current ethnic violence that has devastated Manipur for the past four days, an all-party meeting convened by the state government was held here on Saturday.
The restored version of the 1990 Manipuri film 'Ishanou', directed by renowned filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma, is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival to be held from May 16-27.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Army helicopters have been pressed into service for aerial surveillance in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, while the Army, Assam Rifles, and other Central paramilitary forces are on round-the-clock vigil in the trouble-torn districts.
Manipur government's newly appointed security advisor Kuldiep Singh, a former CRPF Chief, said that at least 18 to 20 people were killed in the series of ethnic violence in different districts of the state.
In a spillover of the ethnic violence in Manipur, members of Kuki and Meitei communities clashed in the Meghalaya capital and police have arrested 16 people in connection with the incident, officials said on Friday.
Besides, a large number of non-tribals belonging to Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities, a reasonable portion of indigenous and Hindi-speaking people live in the region with different life-styles, cultures, traditions and languages.
Article 355 is a part of emergency provisions contained in the Constitution that empowers the Centre to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances and external aggression.
Meanwhile, in view of the prevailing situation, the Manipur government authorised all District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates to issue "Shoot at sight orders" in extreme cases.
No fresh incidents of violence took place on Sunday in southern Manipur's Churachandpur district, which witnessed a series of violence including arsoning and vandalisation of government properties since Thursday night.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday launched a centrally-sponsored scheme to promote value addition and marketing of products made by the tribals from the northeastern region.
The Manipur quake occurred 24 hours after a similar earthquake measuring 3.4 on the Richter Scale was felt in northern Tripura's Dharmanagar, adjoining Assam. The shake struck at a depth of 10 km from the surface.
Suspected militants belonging to Kuki Independent Army (KIA) on Sunday looted 25 sophisticated weapons from the armoury of three militant groups staying in the designated camp under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur, the police said.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, said in a Facebook post, that the 59th Femina Miss India Grand Finale will be another opportunity to showcase the warm hospitality of the people of Manipur to visitors.
The world's tallest pier railway bridge, with a height of 141 metres, is being constructed as part of the Jiribam-Imphal railway project which has already achieved physical progress of 93.30 per cent, officials said on Sunday.
The Manipur government has decided to identify those Myanmarese refugees -- who have sought asylum in the northeastern state, and keep them at the designated detention centres, an official said on Thursday.
