Manipur in Chaos: Indefinite Curfew Imposed After Deadly Ethnic Clashes
Authorities have slammed an indefinite curfew on Imphal, Manipur’s capital, and several other districts amid spiralling violence over the alleged abduction and murder of two students. The northeastern state, bordering Myanmar, is caught in a brutal civil conflict rooted in bitter disputes over land, jobs, and political power between its two main ethnic groups.
Curfew Imposed as Violence Escalates
Senior police official L Kailun confirmed the tough move, citing the “deteriorating situation” as the reason. Clashes on July 1 left over 80 students injured, with armed gangs smashing a ruling party office and hurling petrol bombs at police. The atmosphere remains “extremely tense” as security forces struggle to contain the unrest.
Internet Blackout to Stop Misinformation
In a bid to limit rumours and stop the violence from spreading, officials have cut mobile internet services for five days across the state. The lockdown is designed to choke off social media channels that could fan ethnic flames further.
Casualties Mount, Thousands Displaced
- Since May 3, over 180 people have died in the conflict.
- Nearly 50,000 residents have been forced from their homes.
Manipur’s roughly 3.2 million population is split mainly between the Hindu Meitei (over 50%) and the Christian Kuki-Zo community (around 40%), who mostly live in the hilly areas. The killing of two Meitei students, whose bodies surfaced after their mysterious disappearance in July, re-ignited the clashes and worsened existing ethnic tensions.
Political Fallout and Accusations Fly
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, slammed the murders and promised tough justice. However, Meitei leaders and the victims’ families blamed Kuki-Zo militants for the killings and slammed the government’s failure to restore peace.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress party blasted Modi’s administration for its failure to control the violence in the BJP-ruled state, highlighting the challenge of managing Manipur’s volatile ethnic and political faultlines.
