Curfew was lifted for a few hours on Monday morning, and life was slowly returning to some degree of normalcy in violence-torn Manipur as people left their homes in the state capital Imphal to buy essentials, officials said.
According to PTI, drones and helicopters carried out close surveillance, while the military and the Assam Rifles carried out flag marches in various areas rocked by communal violence in recent days.
In response to the Meiti community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, tribals staged a protest in ten hill districts of the state on Wednesday.
Meitis represent about 53% of Manipur’s population and mostly live in Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population are tribals, Nagas and Kukis, who live in hill districts.
So far, 23,000 people have been rescued from violence-hit areas and shifted to military posts, authorities said.
In Imphal West district, the curfew imposed on Wednesday was relaxed after the violence broke out, allowing people to buy essential items from 5 am to 8 am, with people turning out in large numbers to buy vegetables, food and medicine.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh said he thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his supervision and help in moving the situation forward in the violence-hit state.
