Protester killed, another injured in alleged police firing in Manipur’s Jiribam
The discovery of the bodies of a 65-year-old woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old grandson in the Barak river in Assam’s Cachar district, around 30km away, fuelled the violence in Jiribam
One protester was killed and another injured in alleged police firing at Jiribam in ethnic violence-hit Manipur on Sunday night even as the worsening situation prompted the state government to close educational institutions and extend a curfew for two days until Tuesday.
People aware of the matter said Khundrakpam Athouba, 20, was killed, and K Bishan, 26, was injured in the firing. The two were allegedly among protesters who vandalised public property and offices of political parties in Jiribam.
The discovery of the bodies of a 65-year-old woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old grandson in the Barak river in Assam’s Cachar district, around 30km away, fuelled the violence in Jiribam. The bodies were recovered days after they were among the six members of a Meitei family abducted on November 11 during a festival celebration. Three bodies of the members of this family were recovered earlier.
Angry mobs ransacked the offices of Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jiribam after the recovery of the two bodies on Sunday. In Imphal Valley, protesters ransacked Independent legislator Ashab Uddina’s building.
On Saturday, mobs set fire to the residences of three BJP legislators, including a minister, and a Congress lawmaker in the Imphal Valley. Security forces thwarted attempts to storm chief minister N Biren Singh’s ancestral residence.
The authorities have deployed additional Army and Assam Rifles personnel across key areas of Imphal Valley and Thoubal. They imposed an indefinite curfew in Imphal Valley and suspended internet services in Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangkokpi, and Churchandpur.
The fresh round of violence was triggered when suspected members of radical Meitei organisation Arambai Tenggol allegedly raped, shot, and set on fire a 31-year-old Kuki woman in Jiribam on November 8. Security forces subsequently killed 10 suspected Kuki militants who allegedly attacked a paramilitary post.
Hundreds protested in Churachandpur on Friday demanding justice for the 10, claiming they were village volunteers and not militants.
The Union government rushed 20 additional paramilitary companies or about 2,500 personnel to Manipur. It reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in areas under six police stations across five districts, though the state government has urged its withdrawal. The Central Reserve Police Force chief Anish Dayal Singh was also sent to Manipur amid the escalating violence.
The ethnic violence has effectively divided Manipur into the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley and Kuki-majority hills. Militants from both communities have launched attacks across districts, prompting security forces to create buffer zones and set up camps.
In Delhi, Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday was due to chair a meeting on the worsening situation in Manipur a day after he cancelled his Maharashtra poll rallies and returned to Delhi. Chief minister Biren Singh was also scheduled to meet BJP lawmakers at 6pm amid reports of brewing dissent within the ruling party.
The National People’s Party (NPP), which has seven lawmakers in the 60-member Manipur assembly, on Sunday withdrew support from the BJP-led government in Manipur, saying it has “completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy”. The move does not threaten the government since it has a majority of its own.
HT on Monday reported two BJP lawmakers left for Delhi on Sunday to discuss the crisis and 19 were considering resigning.
The BJP had 32 lawmakers before five Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) legislators joined the party. Seven of the BJP lawmakers are Kuki-Zo-Hmar. The Naga People’s Front has five members in the assembly, JD(U) one and Congress five. There are also three independent lawmakers while Kuki People’s Alliance has two. People aware of the matter said 15-19 BJP lawmakers want a change.
A BJP leader, who asked not to be named, said most probably the seven NPP lawmakers will not attend Biren Singh’s meeting. “There are also 10 tribal MLAs [members of assembly] who have been demanding the chief minister’s resignation for the last 18 months. They have not even come to Imphal all these months. But it will be interesting to see how many of the remaining BJP MLAs will attend the meeting.”
A second party leader said reports of the so-called 19 lawmakers have been viral but the matter is unclear. “Many of these MLAs were part of a meeting with the chief minister just yesterday [Sunday].”
On Sunday, former chief minister and Congress leader O Ibobi Singh blamed the state and central governments for the deteriorating situation. He said demands for Biren Singh’s resignation are an internal BJP matter. He added the people do not support the president’s rule. He said the crisis must be addressed through constitutional means, not central rule.
Recommended Topics