Imphal: In the wake of violence that broke out in parts of Manipur,(Manipur) the Indian Army has said that the situation in Moreh and Kangpokpi areas is now under control and stable. Indian Army further said that all efforts are being made to restore normalcy in Imphal and Churachandpur area. Precautionary preparations for additional troops are going on in Manipur. Additional troops from Nagaland have also been redeployed to the violence-hit areas of Manipur. There is curfew in 8 out of 16 districts of Manipur. The government has issued an order to the security forces to shoot at the sight of the rioters. Following the law and order situation in Manipur, Northeast Frontier Railway has stopped all Manipur bound trains for the time being.
NF Railway CPRO Sabyasachi Dey told ANI, ‘No train is entering Manipur till the situation improves. The decision has been taken following the advice of the Manipur government to stop the movement of the train.” The order issued by the Governor of Manipur said, “Inspite of persuasion and warning, the situation was not brought under control and fire at sight was resorted to. Indian Army said, ‘Apart from this, the Indian Air Force will operate flights from Guwahati and Tezpur tonight to transport additional troops to Manipur. Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed in Manipur and a flag march to control the situation after violence broke out on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur to protest against the inclusion of Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category being done.
Army asks people to beware of fake videos
Meanwhile, following disruption of law and order in Manipur after tribal groups took out rallies in several districts, the Indian Army has urged citizens to trust content only through official and verified sources. Army asked people to beware of fake videos. In a tweet, the Spear Corps of the Indian Army said, “Fake videos on the security situation in Manipur, including the video of the attack on the Assam Rifles post, are being circulated by anti-social elements for vested interests. Indian Army requests all to trust content through official and verified sources only.
Earlier on Thursday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma called an urgent meeting to ensure the safety of Meghalaya students following reports of violence in Manipur. In the meeting attended by senior government officials, the CM highlighted that the safety of all students should be ensured. He directed the officials to prepare a plan to evacuate the students if the situation arises. Sangma said that more than 200 residents of Meghalaya are studying in Manipur and the government is setting up a helpline to reach out to students or family members in case of emergency.
Why did violence break out in Manipur?
The All India Tribal Students Union had called a tribal solidarity march on 3 May in Imphal and Churachandpur areas. Meanwhile, there was a clash between tribal and non-tribal communities. The tribal community was protesting against the demand for inclusion of the non-tribal Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST). The Manipur High Court has directed the state government to consider the demand of the Meitei community. The High Court has asked the Center to send suggestions in this regard within 4 months. After this order, violence started between tribals and non-tribals. An army spokesman said that so far 9,000 people have been evacuated by the security forces from the violence-affected areas to safer places.