The situation in the Indian state of Manipur is still tense, more than 100 people have been killed in the state so far, while there are reports of many people dying of burning in the incidents of setting fire to houses.
According to Indian media reports, a commando of an Indian battalion was killed by angry protesters. More than 9,000 people were shifted to safe places from the tension areas.
Curfew is in force in the tension areas, train services have also been stopped while internet services will remain suspended across the state till Monday. More than 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel are present in the state to control the situation, more troops are being sent to control the situation.
In the state of Manipur, bordering Myanmar, relations between the non-tribal majority Maitai and the tribals have been tense for a long time, but a decision of the High Court on May 3 added fuel to the fire. The Meitai sect accounts for about 53 percent of the state. For a long time, they have been demanding the status of a tribe in the Scheduled Castes. The court has announced to give them this constitutional status, after which they will be able to buy lands in the hilly areas of the state. So far they were not allowed to live in the hilly areas.
But the tribal organizations opposed it, saying that after the court’s decision, the Meitai sect will take over their lands and resources. The tribal population in the state is around 40%. They fear that once the Maitai get Scheduled Tribe status, they will lose the benefits of reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.
Tribal leaders say the Maitai sect is relatively prosperous financially and giving them more privileges is unfair to other tribes.
The central government has deployed hundreds of military and paramilitary forces to control the situation. Internet and mobile phone services have been suspended and thousands of people are being evacuated to safer places. Mary Kom, India’s famous boxer Olympic medalist from Manipur, has appealed to the central and state governments to take all necessary steps to bring the situation back to normal as soon as possible. Mary Kom has also been a member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
The Maitai are religiously Hindu, while other tribes, including the Kuki, are Christian and Jewish. Most of them live in hilly areas. Muslims constitute about 8 percent of the state’s population of 3.2 million.
#fire #violence #raging #Indian #state #Manipur
2024-08-19 19:30:24
