Two killed as fresh violence erupts in India’s Manipur

Two security personnel have been killed while three schools were set on fire in fresh violence reported from strife-torn Manipur state in northeast India.
The clashes between armed miscreants and security personnel took place in the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district on Jan. 17.

Miscreants also burnt three schools – Bethsaida Academy Moreh, Mount Moreh Public School, and Dr. Colvin Academy – aggravating the already tense situation in the area bordering Myanmar.
“Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity working in the troubled town vacated their convent after bullets hit the building,” said a Church official who did not want to be named.

He said fortunately there were no casualties or injuries as the priests, nuns and other staff working in the area had moved to safer places because of the escalating violence.
The state government has sought assistance from the federal government including security reinforcements to deal with alleged armed Kuki miscreants active along the India- Myanmar border.

Manipur authorities also sought the deployment of a helicopter for at least a week to “meet emergency requirements” given the fresh bout of violence.

“The law-and-order situation at the border town of Moreh has become a matter of serious concern as there has been continuous exchange of fire taking place,” Manipur state’s Commissioner (home) T Ranjit Singh, wrote to the federal Ministry of Home Affairs on Jan. 17.
The situation may deteriorate further in Moreh and a medical emergency may arise at any time, he added.
“The police department has also informed that there is a need for airlifting of security personnel, ammunition, etc. to Moreh,” Singh wrote.

The immediate cause of the fresh violence “is an attempt from the Meitei people to recapture their abandoned places.”
The area is dominated by indigenous Kuki-Zo communities and also has the presence of Meiteis, who are mostly Hindus, in lesser numbers.

Ethnic violence between the two communities began on May 3, 2023, and has so far claimed the lives of nearly 200 people and displaced more than 50,000 in the state.
The Kuki-Zo people, who are mostly Christian, are opposed to the entry of security forces in Moreh as they are suspected to have sided with the Meiteis.

The indigenous people have also accused the state government of supporting the Meiteis who dominate the state, both numerically and politically.
The Meiteis account for 53 percent of Manipur’s 3.2 million people while indigenous tribal Christians make up 41 percent.
Out of 60 lawmakers in the state assembly, 40 are from the Meitei community.

This article is originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/two-killed-as-fresh-violence-erupts-in-indias-manipur/103867