ASIA/INDIA - Violence returns to Manipur

Imphal (Agenzia Fides) - The outbreak of violence has flared up again in Manipur, the state in northeastern India that has been shaken for a year by inter-ethnic violence between indigenous groups of the Kuki ethnic group and those of the Meitei ethnic group. The situation was in a state of apparent calm due to the division of the two communities into different areas, thanks to the massive presence of police forces that do not allow communication between the groups in conflict. But, as Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, the state capital, stressed to Fides, "this solution is provisional and thus violence is hidden under the ashes." For this reason, he added, "it is necessary to establish dialogue and constructive peace, which is the only decisive step."
Meanwhile, in Jiribam district in western Manipur, an indefinite curfew has been imposed following fresh riots that broke out yesterday, November 12, between a group of armed men and security forces. The district administration has also banned the carrying of weapons. Yesterday, eleven Kuki people were killed in a shootout with security forces, in which two police officers were also injured. According to the authorities, the security forces were reacting to an attack, but the Kuki-zo Indigenous Council is calling for a thorough investigation into what happened and has called for a day of commemoration of the victims, defined as “village volunteers brutally murdered”. Communities in the district have protested by closing shops and suspending commercial and public activities. Tension has been high in the district since last week, when an indigenous woman was raped and murdered, and the accusation fell on members of the Meitei group. The following day, a woman from the Meitei community was shot dead, and the responsibility was attributed to Kuki revenge. Intense shootings have also been reported in recent days around the hills and in the Imphal valley. Due to the clashes between the two ethnic groups, the state government has extended the application of the law on special powers of the armed forces for another six months, starting from October 1. Since May 2023, more than 250 people have been killed due to violence and more than 60,000 people have been forced to move. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 13/11/2024)

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