Manipur: Army Conducts Flag Marches After Tribal Rally Against ST Quota To Meitei Community Turns Violent

The Indian Army and the Assam Rifles conducted a flag march in areas of Manipur where violent clashes occurred during a tribal group mass rally.

Following clashes in Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, the Indian Army and paramilitary forces were deployed to restore order.

The Army in a statement said that it is attempting to evacuate those affected and restore law and order.

“The columns of Army/AR with State police intervened to controlled situation in the night. The violence was arrested by the morning," the statement said, reports Indian Express.

Around 4,000 villagers were offered shelter in Army/Assam Rifles COBs and state government premises at various locations, according to the statement.

This comes after Manipur government imposed a curfew in most districts of the state following a mass rally organised by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) turned violent.

The state government has also suspended mobile internet services throughout the state for five days starting from Tuesday.

The rally “solidarity march” was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following a 19 April Manipur High Court directive.

The development has reopened an old ethnic faulting in the state between the plain-dwelling Meitei community and the hill tribes.