Violence in Manipur: At least three people were killed in renewed violence in conflict-torn Manipur late Friday, Kalinga TV and India Today reported. According to reports, the incident occurred in Bishnupur village. The deceased is believed to be from the Meitei community living in the Kwakta district. Meanwhile, Kalinga TV reported that several houses owned by residents of the Kuki community were also set on fire. A police source told media outlets that the mob crossed the buffer zone and opened fire in the Mingdi district. The report said the buffer zone is more than two kilometers in front of Kwakta district in Bishnupur district and is protected by the Central Army.
According to Bishnupur Police and Kalinga TV, three members of the Meitei community were killed when several houses belonging to the Kuki community were set on fire. Police activity in the area has stepped up following a resurgence of infections, according to a report by India Today. This came two days after a total of 17 people were injured in clashes in Manipur on Thursday when military and rapid response force personnel fired tear gas grenades in Kambai and Pugakchao districts of Bishnupur district. A mass burial plan for the Kukizomi, who died in the ethnic conflict in Manipur, was called off before the clashes, according to the PTI news agency.
According to India Today, the incident happened when the women of Meitei tried to cross a barricade in the district. They were stopped by Assamese rifles and the Rapid Response Force (RAF), followed by stone throwing and clashes between locals and the military. Violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 after a “tribal march” was organized in the northeastern provinces to protest the Meitei community's call for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. More than 160 people have died in ethnic clashes. According to the PTI, the Meitei make up about 53 percent of Manipur's population and live mainly in the Imphal Valley, while tribal peoples, including the Naga and Kuki, make up 40 percent and live mainly in the mountainous areas. is.