Officials have informed that internet services have been suspended for five days in Manipur due to tension over the move to protect forests in the face of resistance from illegal immigrants and the recent direction from the High Court to include Meitei in scheduled tribes. The Manipur government issued a statement saying that internet services were suspended due to fighting among youths and volunteers of different communities during a rally organized by All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) Manipur in protest against the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category.
The statement mentioned that some anti-social elements used social media extensively to transmit images, hate speech, and hate video messages inciting the public’s passions. It added that social media had become a handy tool for rumor-mongers and was being used to start the general public, which might have severe repercussions for Manipur’s law and order situation. On Wednesday, the district administration imposed a complete curfew in violence-hit Churachandpur in Manipur. The district administration of Churachandpur issued a statement saying that a report had been received from the Superintendent of Police, Churachandpur, stating that there was a breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquillity, and grave danger to human lives and properties within the revenue jurisdiction of Churachandpur District. It was considered desirable to immediately prevent any breach of peace and disturbance to public tranquillity and danger to human lives and properties.
Sources have stated that two issues in the state have led to the situation. CM Biren Singh’s move to protect the forest faces resistance from illegal immigrants and drug cartels. Also, the Manipur High Court’s recent direction to the State Government to consider the inclusion of Meitei in ST has led to an outburst from the tribal community who are ST. Last week, CM Biren’s open gym, which was supposed to be inaugurated by him in Churachandpur, was torched by some miscreants. Following the incident, additional state forces were deployed to maintain the law and order situation in the district. Steps have been taken to identify illegal immigrants in the state to counter these anti-national elements. A sub-committee has been formed to carry out identification drives of illegal migrants in the various districts. A Manipur Population Commission has been constituted to gather data and ground reports. Meanwhile, the state government is also setting up temporary shelters for the Myanmarese nationals who entered the state to escape the ongoing crisis.
