Eight months since the ethnic clashes, Manipur again reported fresh violence on Monday, with section 144 being imposed in Churachandpur and ban on internet.
The violence, a day before the scheduled mass burial of 87 victims of ethnic violence in Churachandpur district, prompted the government to impose precautionary prohibitory orders under the criminal procedure code.
The reason behind Monday’s altercation is not yet known, but tensions have reportedly arisen within the Kuki-Zo community due to disagreements among tribes regarding the nomenclature of the mass burial ground in Churachandpur. A collective interment is slated for Wednesday at the contested site.
A curfew extension until February 18 has been enforced, accompanied by the suspension of internet services in the district.
The chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is on a Manipur visit to review the investigations into the ongoing cases of violence in the region. The CBI has taken over 27 cases of violence which were earlier probed by the state police. As per the official report, this violence has claimed over 175 lives and displaced thousands since May 2023.
The clashes broke out on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
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