At least 60 Dead, 231 Injured in Manipur Ethnic Violence in India
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 injured in the ethnic violence in India’s Manipur since May 3, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced on Monday.
Some 1,700 houses also have been burned down in the same incident.
Singh also revealed that a high-level inquiry would be conducted to fix responsibility on persons and groups who instigated the violence and government servants who didn’t meet their responsibilities. So far, 35,655 persons, including 1,593 students, affected by the violence have been moved to safer locations, the Muslim Mirror reported, citing IANS.
Singh added that around 10,000 people remain stranded and that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been monitoring the situation since the first day of the incident.
The Home Minister has sent 50 companies of Central forces to help the 105 columns of Army and Assam Rifles to deal with the violence.
According to Singh, the miscreants and agitators snatched 1,041 arms and 7,460 pieces of ammunition from the security forces, and so far, 214 arms and 4,273 pieces of ammunition have been recovered.
The Chief Minister announced that Rs five lakh as compensation would be given to the next of kin to the deceased, Rs two lakh for grievous injuries, and Rs 25, 000 for non-grievous injuries.
He appealed for peace, saying, “I appeal to all not to spread or believe unfounded and baseless rumours. I appeal to people to bring peace and calm to the state. Transportation of stranded persons to their respective locations has started.”
Singh assured that all those stranded in different locations in Manipur are being provided the best possible care and support in safe locations and shelter camps.
The violence in Manipur started on May 3 during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.
The Manipur High Court’s acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of the Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry in response to a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union.
The Central government has already imposed Article 355 in the state to bring the situation under control. Article 355 is part of emergency provisions contained in the Constitution that empowers the Centre to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances or external aggression.
Violence in Manipur, which borders Myanmar, broke out last week after protests by more than 50,000 Kukis and members of other predominantly Christian tribal communities in Churachandpur and adjoining districts.
These groups were protesting the majority Meitei Hindu community’s demand for a special status that would give them benefits, including the right to farm on forest land, cheap bank loans, and health and educational facilities, as well as a specified quota of government jobs.
Minority hill community leaders argue that the Meitei community is comparatively well-off and that granting them more privileges would be unfair.
The Meiteis say employment quotas and other benefits for the tribespeople would be protected. Two-thirds of the state’s 2.5 million people live in a valley that comprises roughly 10% of the state’s total area.
The Meiteis are Hindus while rival groups, including the Kuki and other tribes, are mostly Christian and mainly live in the surrounding hill districts. Ethnic Muslims constitute about 8% of the state population.