Imphal: In response to rising violence and protests, authorities in Manipur have imposed an indefinite curfew across several districts, including Imphal East and Imphal West. The state, governed by the BJP, has also implemented a five-day ban on all forms of internet and mobile data services.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the stringent measures were introduced to quell the intensifying unrest that has gripped the state. The prohibition includes internet services such as lease lines, VSATs, broadband, and VPN services.
The Imphal Free Press, a local English language daily, reported that despite the curfew, thousands of protesters, including many students, have been actively demonstrating in the state capital. These protests were triggered by a series of violent incidents and a general call for immediate governmental action to stabilize the region’s security.
Recent events have particularly inflamed tensions. On Sunday night, a retired army man from the Christian-majority Kuki-Zo community, Limkholoi Mate, was fatally attacked in Imphal West district after mistakenly entering a predominantly Hindu Meitei area. His body was found the following morning in Sekmai.
Adding to the unrest, on Monday, a large group of students gathered in front of the Manipur secretariat and Raj Bhavan. They were protesting recent drone and missile attacks, demanding accountability and enhanced security measures to safeguard the state’s territorial and administrative integrity. Their demonstration escalated, leading to clashes with the police who resorted to force to disperse the crowd.
Further conflicts were reported in Kangpokpi, where protests broke out against the proposed withdrawal of Assam Rifles battalions and the worsening security scenario. Additionally, torch-light protests in Imphal on Sunday night led to police deploying tear gas.
In another violent incident in Jiribam district on Saturday, five members of the Kuki Liberation Army were killed in a gunfight, which occurred shortly after a rocket attack in Moirang, Bishnupur district, that resulted in the death of an elderly Meitei man.