NEW DELHI: The Manipur government on 3 May suspended mobile internet services for the next five days in the state to tackle the worsening law and order situation after tribal groups took out rallies in several districts of the state. Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew too has been imposed in several districts of the state.
The order came after hundreds of people turned up for the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by a student body in all the ten hill districts of the state to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category.The All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM), which called for the march, said it was organised to protest moves to include the “Meitei community in the ST category”.Lawmakers of the valley areas have earlier openly endorsed the demand by some Meitei organisation for ST status for the majority community in Manipur, alarming communities who figure in the scheduled tribe list.
The Meiteis who make up 53 per cent of the state’s population inhabit the Manipur valley, which accounts for about a tenth of the former princely state’s land area, and claim that they are facing difficulty in view of “large-scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis”.The hill districts which account for much of the state’s land mass are inhabited mostly by tribals – including the Nagas and Kukis – mostly live are protected from encroachment by valley people by various laws.
Tribal villagers from interior hill areas came in buses and open trucks to the nearest hill district headquarters to attend the rallies.
In Naga-dominated Senapati town, the district headquarters with the same name and located about 58 km from the capital town of Imphal, the local bodies forced the total shutdown of markets and suspension of public transport from 10 am to 1 pm to ensure that the maximum number of demonstrators participate in the rally.Thousands of tribals who make up about 40 per cent of the population, joined the processions, waved placards and raised slogans opposing ST status for the Meitei community. Representatives of the Senapati District Students’ Association also met the deputy commissioner and apprised him of their concerns.
At Churachandpur, the second largest town in the state, people defied prohibitory orders and gathered at the public ground and took a rally till Tuibong peace ground to show their support to ATSUM, police said.
Prohibitory orders were clamped for an indefinite period in the town last week following violent protests against a drive to evict villagers from reserved forest areas. Security forces were rushed to the town from other parts of Manipur to control the situation after the vandalisation of a venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to address a programme.
