Houses set afire as fresh clasheserupt in Manipur
A group of armed men set at least two abandoned houses ablaze in Imphal on Monday, marking a return of violence in Manipur roughly two weeks after ethnic clashes first convulsed the northeastern state, killing at least 73 people and displacing 40,000.
Chief minister N Biren Singh said three people were arrested for the arson, including a former BJP lawmaker, and appealed for calm. The fresh violence forced authorities to shorten the hours when curfew is relaxed and rush the army to patrol the streets to ease tensions. The incident came hours after three people were shot at by unidentified men on Sunday night. The trio sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment.
“On Sunday night, three people sustained minor injuries in Imphal West district in an incident. Police have arrested the culprits who were involved in the incident and have seized the double barrel guns which were used,” Singh said, referring to the shoot out at Moidangpok village.
In a statement on Monday, the army said one person was apprehended in connection with the firing. Singh continued: “On Monday, another minor incident was reported in New Lambulane part of Imphal city. It is very unfortunate that an ex-MLA was involved in the conspiracy. Two armed personnel carrying single barrel guns threatened vendors and asked them to vacate the area. Both these persons, along with the ex-MLA, have been picked up.”
Police did not immediately reveal the identity of the ex-MLA or share details of the communities to which the suspects belonged to. Singh said the situation in Manipur had, by and large, remained peaceful in the last 10 days and appealed to the people to help restore peace and normalcy.
The fresh bouts of violence are a setback for the administration, which had gained some measure of control after ethnic clashes rocked the state on May 3. It showed that despite some easing of tensions, anger and distrust continued to simmer and drive wedges between various communities, and that the authorities needed to remain on alert for any attempts to ratchet up sectarianism.
Clashes first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after tribal Kuki groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community.
Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders. The authorities quickly clamped a curfew and suspended internet, pumping in additional security forces to force a break in the spiraling clashes. Internet is still not back in the state.
According to officials, Monday’s arson took place at around 2pm at New Checkon market area of New Lambulane.
The incident took place after a group of armed people, led by the former MLA, reportedly asked traders of a particular community to shut their shops. Police arrived and arrested the former MLA and two others.
“Four armed people threatened shopkeepers in New Chekon area to down their shutters and subsequently moved to New Lambulane area of Imphal East district. Three of them were apprehended with two single-barrel 12-bore guns. They were handed over to the police,” the army said.
Later in the day, clashes erupted in the area and at least two houses which were abandoned by those who fled the violence were set ablaze, police said. Armymen deployed in the area who rushed to the scene used force and fired teargas shells to disperse the mob resulting in minor injuries to a few people.
The incident forced authorities to trim the relaxation in curfew hours in the capital area by two hours.
“Sporadic incidents of violence have been taking place in some areas in the past few days, but there has been no major flare up or loss of lives recently. As and when such incidents take place, the army and para-military forces already deployed in the state reach these spots to bring things under control,” said Lt Col Mahender Rawat, public relations officer (defence), Guwahati.