Manipur: From March That Started Violence To Amit Shah's Visit, What Happened So Far — 10 Points

Manipur is battling a severe violence for the last one month with authorities trying to contain the agitation and unrest in the northeastern state.

Here's what all happpened in Manipur so far.

Source : PTI

Manipur Violence: The small northeastern state of Manipur has been witnessing continuous violence and arson since the last month, escalating the tensions in the region. The ethnic clashes have killed many and displaced thousands as the Centre and State governments try hard to contain the deteriorating situation. From internet shutdown to shoot-at-sight orders, Manipur saw a slew of strict orders and actions but to no avail.

Here's What Happened In Manipur So Far

• Thousands of tribals took out a 'Tribal Solidarity March' on May 3 opposing Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. This ignited tensions that soon turned into clashes between the communities.

 

• The march came after the Manipur High Court on April 19 this year, after hearing a petition by eight people representing the Meitei Tribe Union, directed the state government to submit a 10-year-old recommendation to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST list, within four weeks. The court then referred to the ministry’s letter, dating back to May 2013, to the state government, seeking a specific recommendation, along with the latest socio-economic survey and ethnographic report.

 

• Tensions were already high here after the Manipur Chief Minister, in February this year, ordered an eviction drive against 'illegal' occupants of the protected forest land resulting in Kuki areas. Several JCBs and many police personnel carried out the operation. However, the Kuki people said they were rightly living there. Several small clashes took place as a result of this in May.

 

• The tribals alleged that the Meitei community had a demographic and political advantage, and was more advanced academically and in other aspects, as compared to the tribal people of the state. The tribal people are of the opinion that granting ST status to the Meitei community will result in the loss of job opportunities for them. Moreover, the tribals feel that if the Meiteis were given ST status, they would be allowed to acquire land in the hills, as a result of which, they will be thrown out of their own land. 

 

• The Manipur government earlier extended the suspension of internet services across the state for another five days till May 20, while it launched a helpline number to curb the menace of misinformation in the state. An order issued by Manipur Home Commissioner H Gyan Prakash stated that the suspension on internet services was being extended for another five days in the entire jurisdiction of Manipur as there were still reports of fighting amongst the volunteers and youth of major communities, residing in the state, along with also reports of arson.

 

• Meanwhile, a batch of pleas has been filed in the Supreme Court on the Manipur violence including the one by a ruling BJP MLA Dinganglung Gangmei challenging the High Court order on the issue of Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. The Supreme Court asked the Manipur government to file a fresh status report on the violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities in the state. The Supreme Court has posted the matter for hearing to the first week of July.

 

• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that at least 33 militants, belonging to different underground groups, have been so far gunned down by security forces in the strife-torn state, during the ongoing combing operations to control the large-scale and sporadic incidents of violence in the northeastern state.

 

• Army chief General Manoj Pande visited Manipur on Saturday to review the security situation in view of the recent violence there. He was briefed by the Eastern Command officials on the measures taken to bring the situation under control, news agency ANI reported Indian Army officials as informing. 

 

• Approximately 35,000 civilians were evacuated to safe zones and immediate relief and humanitarian aid were provisioned to the displaced civilians by the troops of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles. So far, 80 people have died in the violent clashes in the state.

 

• Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday visited the strife-torn state of Manipur on a four-day visit and chaired a high-level meeting with Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with ministers of the state, senior leaders and officials in the state capital Imphal to assess the situation and plan further steps to restore normalcy in the region. On the first day of his visit to the northeastern state, Shah held a meeting in the presence of Union Minister for State Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka among other officials concerned in the state as well as the Centre, reported ANI.