India
L. Kailun, a senior police official stationed in the state capital, confirmed the implementation of an “indefinite curfew” in Imphal and several other districts. The unrest on Wednesday resulted in over 80 students sustaining injuries, as reported by an anonymous police source who described the situation as “extremely tense.” Violent mobs targeted the office of the ruling political party and launched petrol bomb attacks on two police facilities.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in Manipur for five days, according to officials.
Since the outbreak of violence on May 3, over 180 individuals have lost their lives, and more than 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Manipur.
The state’s population of 3.2 million is primarily divided between the Meitei community, constituting over half, and the Kuki community, representing about 43%, mainly residing in the hills.
Protests reignited following reports of the alleged kidnapping and murder of two Meitei community students who had gone missing in July. The discovery of their bodies this week led to widespread public outrage and escalated ethnic tensions.
N. Biren Singh, the state’s chief minister and a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, vehemently condemned the alleged murders and pledged the harshest penalties for the perpetrators.
Members of the students’ families and Meitei leaders have accused Kuki militants of being responsible for the recent killings, criticizing authorities for their inability to quell the violence.
A spokesperson for a Kuki civil society group refrained from immediate comment on the latest incidents.
Leaders of the opposition Congress party have accused the Modi government of failing to control the violence in a state governed by his nationalist party.
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