Fresh violence, loot of arms rock Manipur before assembly session

Fresh violence in Imphal, Manipur, has seen three houses burned down and assault rifles stolen from security personnel, creating tension in the state ahead of an assembly session. The violence comes in the wake of clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities that have resulted in 155 deaths and 50,000 displaced people. The violence first broke out after tribal groups protested against a proposed change to the state's reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community.

Guwahati: Fresh violence rocked Imphal on Sunday as three houses were burned down and assault rifles were stolen from security personnel, two days ahead of an assembly session in strife-torn Manipur, officers aware of the matter said.

A man stands amid the charred remains of houses burned down, in Imphal on Sunday (AFP)

The flare-up heightened tension in the northeastern state and strained the fragile peace that was established against the backdrop of clashes between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community that have left at least 155 people dead and displaced at least another 50,000.

“Unidentified miscreants set three abandoned houses on fire in the New Lambulane area of Imphal West district on Sunday afternoon,” a senior district police officer said on condition of anonymity. The officer added that security personnel fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse a mob that was trying to enter New Lambulane, one of the few Kuki-dominated localities in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley.

Clashes in Manipur first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after tribal groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. The violence quickly engulfed the state, where ethnic fault lines run deep.

The arson and looting of weapons cast a shadow on the one-day monsoon session of the state assembly scheduled for Tuesday. Ten Kuki MLAs, cutting across party lines, earlier in the month said that they were unlikely to attend the assembly session due to concerns over their safety in Meitei-dominated Imphal.

“It will be nearly four months since clashes started, but violence hasn’t stopped. Just two days prior to the assembly session, two incidents were reported in the capital, Imphal itself. It shows how the government machinery has completely failed,” said Manipur Congress chief K Meghachandra.

The Congress chief said that they wanted a longer assembly session in order to hold discussions on the ground situation in Manipur, but the state government ignored their demand.

“We wanted a proper discussion on the present situation in the assembly, which is the best platform to find a solution. But it is unfortunate that the state government is bent on murdering democracy and doesn’t want the opposition to have any say inside the House,” Meghachandra said.

On Sunday, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a conglomerate of Kuki groups in Churachandpur district, and the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki group based in Kangpokpi district, issued a joint statement denouncing the assembly session and cited concerns over the safety of Kuki-Zo MLAs.

“Considering the complete breakdown of law and order and the failure of the state in protecting the lives of common people and top officials alike, convening the assembly session at the moment is devoid of logic and rationality,” the statement said.

HT reached out to Manipur health minister and government spokesperson Sapam Ranjan Singh for a response but did not get one immediately.