33 arrested as violence surges in India’s Manipur amid curfew and internet blackout

NEW DELHI: At least 33 people have been arrested by Indian police after fresh ethnic violence rocked the northeastern state of Manipur, where the authorities have imposed a curfew and blacked out the internet. Violence broke out in May this year between the majority Hindu Meiteis and the mainly Christian Kuki tribe. At least 200 people have been killed in the resultant ethnic conflict so far.

Fighting of late has been particularly intense, with at least 11 reportedly killed in the latest round of violence. The conflict has seen increased rocket fire and bombs dropped from drones, described by police reports as a “significant escalation”.

Following the violence, Manipur Police said that 33 people and seven juveniles have been detained in jail. The state authorities have enforced a shutdown of internet services in different areas, similar to the prolonged shutdown last year. A curfew has also been imposed. Hundreds of protesters defied the curfew imposed by the authorities in the state capital, Imphal, demanding action against Kuki insurgent groups, whom they blame for the recent attacks.

Grounds of ethnic tensions lie in the long-running disputes over land and jobs in the public sector between Meitei and Kuki communities. And critics say that local political leaders cynically manipulated these divisions.

The violence so far has displaced some 60,000 people, according to government figures, many of whom remain unable to return home. Manipur-ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-remains in the tight grip of the fierce ethnic clashes.

This article is originally published on https://minutemirror.com.pk/33-arrested-as-violence-surges-in-indias-manipur-amid-curfew-and-internet-blackout-269470/