Manipur schools set to reopen today

The Manipur government on Thursday said all schools – government, government-aided or private – will reopen from Friday, October 6.

The state government ordered closure of schools in the state on September 27 and September 29 after fresh protests erupted in the capital city of Imphal.

Schools were closed in Manipur on May 3 after communal clashes broke out in the northeastern state. After months of closure due to violence, schools across Manipur reopened in July..

Meanwhile, fresh violence broke out in Imphal West district on Thursday where at least two houses were set on fire and several rounds of firing.

More than 175 people have been killed and hundreds injured since communal clashes erupted in Manipur, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest the demand of the majority Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meitis make up about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, including the Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and live mostly in the hill districts.

By Priyanka Bhowmick