No fresh incident in Manipur district, night curfew to continue

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.

A senior police official said that the indefinite night curfew, which was imposed by the district administration in the Churachandpur district from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Saturday, would continue until the further order.

He said that additional security forces sent from other parts of the state were withdrawn since Saturday night and normal activities were witnessed on Sunday.

Shops, business establishments and markets were reopened on Sunday while passenger and other vehicles plied as usual in Churachandpur town and other parts of the hilly district.

Government authorities supported by the local people cleared the roads which were full of stones, tyres, tree trunks gathered by the agitators and other barricades put up to restrict the movement of traffic during the agitation.

The district authority had also suspended mobile internet services to prevent the rumour and sharing of the video and other messages.

The incidents of violence were triggered after the tribals launched fresh protests against the state government's action against the illegal poppy cultivators and destroying poppy fields in the forest land, especially in the reserve and protected forests in the hilly areas.

Unidentified miscreants also set fire to a forest range office building on Friday damaging government properties and documents.

Director General of Police Manipur, P. Doungel and senior officials on Saturday visited Churachandpur district and reviewed the situation.

Veteran Congress leader and three-time Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and state Congress President K. Meghachandra Singh criticised the BJP government and Chief Minister for the "wrong policy in dealing with the tribals and forest lands."

After Thursday's incidents of violence, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh cancelled his Friday's visit to Churachandpur district.

The CM was scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka Town in Churachandpur on Friday and inaugurate an open gym at PT Sports complex.

The miscreants also burnt down the open gym, chairs and other materials gathered in view of the Chief Minister's visit.

Saying that his government is committed to protecting people from the drug menace, the Chief Minister had said that poppy cultivation in the state would be completely wiped out.

Biren Singh said in Imphal that police would take stern action against the trouble makers.

Police claimed that the Myanmarese, who illegally entered into the state, were also involved in the arson incident.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) had observed an eight-hour shutdown in Churachandpur district on Friday to protest the state government's eviction drive from the protected and reserve forests.

In support of their demands, the tribals had on March 10 organised protest rallies against the state government in three districts -- Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal, in which five people were injured in those incidents.

The state government earlier this month demolished three churches in Manipur, claiming that the churches were "illegal constructions".

The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.

The Centre and the Manipur government signed the tripartite agreement and Suspension of Operation with the three militant outfits on August 22, 2008.