JOIN USManipur: One killed, two injured in firing in Bishnupur, curfew relaxation cancelled in three districts
Stray incidents of violence continued in Manipur with the state's Bishnupur district reporting the death of a youth and injury to two others in two separate incidents of firing since Tuesday night.
Sources said that one youth was hit by a bullet fired by unidentified miscreants near a relief camp at Moirang on Tuesday night. He was rushed to a private hospital where he succumbed to the bullet injury later. Police said the identity of the person who fired at the youth is not yet known. This angered people belonging to a particular community, who reportedly burnt several houses. Some angry protesters reportedly stormed into the residence of senior BJP minister Govindas Konthoujam, who is an MLA from Bishnupur, on Wednesday afternoon and vandalized it. Army and other security forces controlled the situation.
The incident triggered fresh tension in some places of the Meitei-dominated Imphal East and Imphal West districts on Wednesday.
Curfew relaxation cancelled:
The killing and house burning led the administration in Bishnupur, Imphal West and Imphal East to cancel the relaxation of the curfew until further orders. The curfew was earlier relaxed between 5 am to 4 pm.
The security situation in Manipur has remained a concern since May 3 when violence broke out in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district. Clashes between sections of the majority Meitei and Kuki communities spilt over to many other parts of Manipur since then. At least 74 people, belonging to both communities, have died while nearly 2,000 houses have been burnt down. This resulted in the displacement of over 35,000 people.
Army and other central security forces controlled the clashes but the stray incidents of violence and arson have still remained a concern. The ban on mobile and broadband internet is still in force while the NH-2, which connects Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland, has remained blocked by Kuki protesters.
Memo to Amit Shah:
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, a conglomeration of tribal bodies in Churachandpur, submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking a "separate administration" for the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi dominated areas in Manipur. They also urged the Centre for steps to perform the last rites of the Kukis who were killed during the riot, proper compensation, adequate security and supply of essential commodities for the violence-affected persons.