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In the state of Manipur, bloody clashes between tribes have caused the authorities to order the deployment of the Army and the creation of temporary shelters for people affected by the hostilities. In addition, the Government decided to cut off the Internet and decree a curfew for five days.
Some 20,000 people were evacuated to a camp guarded by the Army in the state of Manipur, northeast India, after the outbreak of ethnic violence between tribal and non-tribal groups that has shaken this region of the country.
In this remote state bordering Myanmar, looting and arson incidents have left at least 20 injured, including two local lawmakers.
The Internet service was suspended for five days in order, according to the authorities, to prevent social networks from being used to provoke disturbances. In addition, a curfew was imposed in various areas of the territory, according to a statement from regional leaders, collected by the Indian media ‘Times of India’.
Police chief P. Doungel told reporters in Imphal, the state capital, that “the situation is not completely under control, but it is gradually improving” adding that “more soldiers were being deployed to strengthen security ”. The uniformed officer confirmed that three makeshift camps had been established to house and protect citizens.
On Friday night, the Indian Army said “approximately 13,000” civilians had been rescued from the affected areas. “More than 100 columns are working tirelessly to restore law and order to Manipur as soon as possible.”
Ethnic tension on the rise
Tensions between the Meitei community, who live mainly in the valley, and numerous tribes in the mountainous state of Manipur, have been on the rise.
The Meitei people have campaigned for it to be recognized as a Scheduled Tribe, but Manipur’s ethnic groups oppose extending that status to the Meitei, who are the largest single ethnic group in the state.
Last month, the Manipur High Court urged the government to consider the Meitei community’s petition and make a decision on it.
The other tribal groups in the state criticize the request to grant them special status, as this would nullify the benefits it brings to people from minority communities like theirs.
The Court’s order inflamed the spirits of the protests, which have been growing in number and intensity in the last month. This Wednesday, both factions clashed during a march, further igniting the spiral of violence.
Videos on social networks show burned buildings, including some churches that have been engulfed in flames during the riots.
The head of the Government of Manipur, Biren Singh, called for calm to the members of both groups after assuring that the clashes were the product of a “misunderstanding between the two communities that has already been fixed” and added that the situation “will return very back to normal soon.”
In India, some government jobs, college admissions, and elected seats from village councils to Parliament are reserved for communities under the Scheduled Tribe category, to address the country’s historical structural inequality and discrimination.
With Reuters and EFE
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