Curfew Imposed In Manipur’s Churachandpur After Clashes Between Hmar, Zomi Communities
The moves followed a day after a Hmar tribal leader was assaulted amidst demands from the community to identify the perpetrators.
Imphal/Churachandpur, Mar 17 (PTI): Curfew was imposed in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Monday as a precautionary measure following clashes between Hmar and Zomi communities, a top official said.
This comes a day after a Hmar tribal leader was assaulted amidst demands from the community to identify the perpetrators.
"Curfew was imposed in Churachandpur as a precautionary measure following the clashes," the official said.
"We have imposed curfew after receiving a report from Churachandpur SP indicating serious apprehension of a breach of law and order," another officer added.
Earlier, prohibitory orders were imposed in the district under Section 163 of the BNSS 2023.
"Whereas reports have been received from the Superintendent of Police, Churachandpur, indicating a serious apprehension of a breach of law and order in the district, which is likely to disturb peace and tranquillity among different communities and may lead to damage to life and public property," an order by the additional district magistrate stated.
To prevent further escalation, unauthorised processions or unlawful assemblies of five or more people have been banned, along with the carrying of weapons, including sticks, rods and stones, it added.
Throughout the day, protesters attempted to enforce a shutdown, urging shops to close immediately.
Groups of men patrolled the streets with sticks, while clashes between the Hmar and Zomi communities led to stone pelting in multiple areas of the district headquarters.
Central security forces intervened, firing gunshots in the air to disperse mobs, officials said.
According to officials, general secretary Richard Hmar of Hmar Inpui, one of the apex bodies of the tribe, was attacked by a group of men inside the VK Montessori complex at Zenhang Lamka around 7.30pm on Sunday.
Condemning the incident, Hmar Inpui issued a statement demanding that the perpetrators be handed over immediately and warned that failure to comply would result in it taking "its own course of action." Sources alleged that Richard Hmar was driving a vehicle which almost hit a two-wheeler rider. This led to a brief altercation that ultimately resulted in the assault.
In response to the assault of Richard Hmar and clashes between the Hmar and Zomi communities, the Hmar Village Volunteers (HVV) have imposed a total shutdown in Pherzawl and Jiribam districts.
Pherzawl is predominantly inhabited by the Hmar tribe, while Jiribam is home to multiple ethnic communities, with Meiteis forming the majority.
In an appeal, deputy commissioner Dharun Kumar S assured that appropriate actions are being taken to de-escalate the situation and urged for calm and peaceful dialogue between community members.
Kumar stated, "Our attention has been drawn to incidents where tensions are rising in some areas, leading to unrest and disturbances that threaten the peaceful coexistence of our citizens." He urged residents to uphold harmony regardless of their background, beliefs, or traditions, reaffirming that the district administration is committed to ensuring safety and enforcing law and order strictly.
Calling on community leaders to come together for a peaceful dialogue, Kumar emphasised Churachandpur’s history of diversity and unity, urging all to find a common ground through discussions.
He also warned against believing unverified information and advised people to contact local authorities or community leaders for any concerns.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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