Manipur Violence: Curfew Relaxed In 2 Imphal Districts For 7 Hours

The restrictions were relaxed in Manipur’s Imphal East and West districts from 5am to 12pm on Friday.

As curfew was relaxed, security personnel kept a strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident.

Source : Pallav Bora

New Delhi: The Manipur government on Friday relaxed the curfew in two districts of Imphal for seven hours in a bid to facilitate the common people to buy essential items. This comes a day after the government imposed the curbs following fresh spate of violence, withdrawing the relaxations that were announced earlier.

The restrictions were relaxed in Manipur’s Imphal East and West districts from 5am to noon on Friday.

According to orders issued by districts magistrates of Imphal East and West, the curfew was relaxed in a bid to “facilitate the general public to purchase essential commodities, including medicines and food items.”

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With the curfew withdrawn for seven hours, several people could be seen thronging the markets to purchase their essential items. The shops saw a heavy crowd as security personnel kept a strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident.

The police also facilitated the movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities on National Highway 37 and 32.

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It is to be noted that curfew was re-imposed in the Imphal West and Imphal East districts of the state on Thursday, after clashes broke out between security forces and the public in Churachandpur district.

According to a report by PTI, over 25 people were injured as Army and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas in Bishnupur to stop processions from proceeding to a proposed burial site, violating restrictions on gatherings.

The state police in a statement appealed to the public not to believe in rumours and be aware of fake videos circulating on the social media. A helpline has also been set up to enable people to report fake videos and rumour mongering.

The overall situation in the strife-torn state continues to be tense with the security forces, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), keeping a tight vigil in all the affected areas to avoid any untoward incident.

(With PTI inputs)