Manipur, a year after being hit by ethnic violence, has once again become a witness to such a crisis. As student protests over peace restoration in the strife-torn state erupted in Imphal Valley, authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in three districts of the state.
The orders issued by the district magistrate, however, exempt essential services including media, electricity, court and health.
Meanwhile, the Home Department suspended internet in the entire state amid protests by the students.
The restrictions follow last year's ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and adjoining hills-based Kukis, which claimed the lives of over 200 people and led thousands to be homeless.
Manipur Violence | Latest Developments
Drone Attacks Probe: A top police officer said that in the probe into the recent drone attacks. "Tails of sophisticated rockets recovered after drone, hi-tech missile attacks" in Manipur, he noted.
Prohibitory Orders: Day after student protests rocked the Imphal Valley, prohibitory orders were imposed in three districts of Manipur. However, essential services, including media, electricity, court and health, are exempted from the curfew restrictions. Security forces also resorted to tear gas shelling in Imphal to disperse protesters amid a fresh spurt of violence.
Imphal East: While an indefinite curfew -- preventing people from leaving their homes -- was imposed in Imphal East and West districts, restrictions under Section 163 (2) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) were clamped in Thoubal. "Due to the developing law and order situation in the district, earlier orders of curfew relaxation stand cancelled with immediate effect from 11 am of September 10. Hence, there is total curfew in Imphal East district with immediate effect until further orders," the district magistrate's order said.
Imphal West: While the order from the Imphal West DM said, "In supersession of all earlier orders, curfew relaxation period for September 10 is hereby lifted with effect from 11 am of today. Restriction on the movement of people outside their respective residences was lifted from September 1 last year."
Thoubal: The prohibitory orders in Thoubal prevented the gathering of five or more persons as police claimed that at least one personnel was struck on the high by a bullet which was fired from among the protesters in the district on Monday.
Student Protests: The restrictive orders came in the wake of the students' plan to further intensify their protests, demanding the removal of the DGP and the state government's security advisory for their alleged inability to deal with the law and order situation in the state. Hundreds of students from various schools and colleges set up camps at Khwairamband Women Market in Imphal. The women shopkeepers present there helped the uniformed students in completing their set up.
24-Hour Deadline: Ch Victor Singh, student leader, told reporters that they have given a 24-hour deadline for Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya's response to the six demands they have placed. "We will decide our future course of action after the deadline ends," he added. Thousands of students staged protests outside the Manipur Secretariat and Raj Bhavan on Monday, demanding action against those behind the recent drone and missile attacks and called for the protection of the state's "territorial and administrative integrity".
6 Demands Of Students: In the fresh violence which erupted in Manipur, at least 8 persons have been killed and over 12 injured in drone and missile attacks. The students who met with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Governor Acharya placed six demands, including the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the security advisor to the state government for what students termed to be their failure to control the violence. They also asked for the Unified Command -- chaired by former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh -- to be handed over to the state government.
Long Live Manipur: Amid the massive student-organised protests, agitators raised slogans of 'Long Live Manipur', 'Resign All Incompetent MLAs', and 'Give Unified Command to state government' and expressed their frustration with the authorities over their handling of the situation. Police, meanwhile, also claimed that student protesters engaged in stone-pelting, forcing law enforcement officials to use tear gas shells.
