Manipur tense day after 1 killed in fresh violence

A day after fresh incidents of ethnic violence were reported from parts of Manipur, the state returned to a sense of tenuous calm on Thursday, with a strict curfew reimposed in Imphal and Bishnupur; but worried residents continued to stay indoors, and businesses counted their losses.

Senior government officials in Manipur said no further violence was reported from the northeastern state on Thursday, but personnel were deployed in strategic locations to keep the fragile peace, and more would be brought in over the next few days.

Manipur has been witnessing bouts of ethnic clashes since May 3 when tribal Kuki groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community that forms 53% of the state population. Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, leaving over 73 people dead, over 200 injured, and over 30,000 people displaced, fleeing arson and attacks.

While a majority of the violence took place in multiple districts over three days between May 3 and 5 after which the army was called in, sporadic incidents have continued to erupt, delaying any efforts at restoring normalcy, and showing that ethnic divisions continue to run deep, and there has been little reconciliation.