Over 20 persons, including women and a video journalist, were injured when security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse a large crowd of protestors who defied curfew rules and tried to breach security barricades in Phougakchao Ikhai area of violence-hit Manipur on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said.
The injured have been evacuated to district hospital at Bishnupur district headquarters while some are referred to hospitals in Imphal for treatment. The conditions of the injured are said to be stable.
Hundreds of protestors gathered at Phougakchao Ikhai bazar, 52 km south of Imphal, along Imphal-Churachandpur route following a call of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI).
It may be mentioned that COCOMI, an umbrella organisation of several bodies in Manipur’s valley districts, had been demanding removal of all security barricades from Meitei inhabited areas of Phougakchao Ikhai village upto Torbung, a Meitei village located at the adjoining areas of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, for the resettlement of displaced families.
The government and authorities concerned had been urged to remove the barricade by August 30 but the same hasn’t been fulfilled, COCOMI said.
However, the state authority has informed that around 700 displaced people under Torbung Gram Panchayat, who were taking refuge in various relief camps, have started to resettle in their original houses at some wards of Torbung GP, which had not been damaged, during the past few days.
{{/usCountry}}However, the state authority has informed that around 700 displaced people under Torbung Gram Panchayat, who were taking refuge in various relief camps, have started to resettle in their original houses at some wards of Torbung GP, which had not been damaged, during the past few days.
{{/usCountry}}Informing that most of the barricades at above area have already been removed, the state’s information and public relations minister Dr S Ranjan Singh had even appealed to COCOMI to withdraw their plan.
Despite the appeal, COCOMI and its women wing teams along with the people moved towards Phougakchao Ikhai. They defied the curfew and tried to move towards Torbung around 3pm.
But the teams had a brief scuffle with the security forces when they reached Kwakta, a village prior to security forces’ action at Phougakchao Ikhai, people familiar with the development said.
A large number of armed and unarmed security force personnel deployed at the strategic locations, prevented their movement along the Imphal-Phougakchao Ikhai section of Tiddim road and also the Imphal area in order to avoid any unwanted incidents.
The state authority had earlier imposed total curfew in five districts - Imphal West, Imphal East,Bishnupur, Kakching and Thoubal of ethnic violence-hit Manipur on Wednesday by issuing separate orders late Tuesday night.
These five districts which have witnessed total curfew on Wednesday “due to developing law and order condition,” had curfew relaxation hours for 13 to 15 hours (from 5am to 6pm or 8pm) for the past many days.
The ethnic violence between the Metei and Kuki communities in Manipyr has claimed over 150 lives and displaced close to 50,000 people since May 3.