Manipur Violence: Death Toll Rises to 54; Security Forces Deployed in large Numbers Evacuation operations in manipur. Photo: By arrangement

On Friday night, the Union government took charge of the northeastern state's security situation.

Evacuation operations in manipur. Photo: By arrangement

Jon Suate, T. Valte, The Wire, Churachandpur (Manipur), 6 May 2023: Official sources on Saturday, May 6, placed the death toll in Manipur’s violence at 54, with estimates saying that the actual figure could be much higher as the northeastern state, engulfed by violence, sees an increasing presence of Army, paramilitary and reserve police forces in a bid to control mob violence between tribal communities and the majority Meiteis.

On Friday night, in light of the continuing incidents of communal violence carried out by armed mobs in different parts of Manipur for the third day, the Union government invoked Article 355 of the constitution to take charge of the state’s security. The Article enables the Union government to take necessary precautions and steps to protect the state from “internal disturbance and external aggression”. 

According to reports, four people were shot dead in Churachandpur on Friday evening “when security forces were carrying out evacuation of Meiteis in the area”. An Indian Revenue Service officer identified as Letminthang Haokip had been killed in Imphal, an association said.

In the Torbung village of Churchandpur, one militant was killed in retaliatory firing by Indian Reserve Battalion jawans, according to NDTV. Two jawans were also injured in the incident, the report added.

One CRPF CoBRA commander, who was on leave, has also been shot dead, according to reports. The news agency PTI reported that the circumstances in which Constable Chonkholen Haokip was killed “are not clear, but it is understood that some assailants donning police-like fatigue entered his village and killed him”.

According to reports, among the dead, 16 bodies are in the morgue of the Churachandpur district hospital, 15 in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district and 23 in Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in Imphal West district.

Meanwhile, sources told The Wire that BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte – who was assaulted by a mob in Imphal on Thursday while he was returning from the state secretariat after a meeting with chief minister N. Biren Singh – has been flown to Delhi.

Government sources said Union home minister Amit Shah spoke with CM Biren Singh twice on May 4 to take stock of the situation. The state government has appointed additional DGP (Intelligence) Ashutosh Sinha as the operational commander to quell the violence. News reports said Sinha would report to former CRPF director general Kuldiep Singh, who has been appointed the security advisor to the state police. The chief minister is also in charge of the state home department. 

The past three days have witnessed one of the most targeted instances of communal violence in the northeastern border state, causing the displacement of thousands of people and at least 31 reported dead – although there is no official data. The state administration has shut down not only the Internet but broadband services too.

The Meiteis are based in the valley areas of the city, while the tribes mostly live in hill areas.

Violence erupted in the state when participants of a solidarity march held on May 3 by the various indigenous tribes of Manipur were ambushed by mobs said to be from the majority Meitei community. It led to more clashes between Kuki-Zomi tribes and Meiteis, which soon spread to different districts – including the capital city of Imphal. The solidarity march was organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur in the various hills districts of the state to protest the demand of a section of the Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The tribes fear that such a move would infringe on their land rights and violate constitutional safeguards.

While there was considerable calm on the morning of May 4, towards the afternoon gunshots could be heard in parts of some districts, including Churachandpur.  Towards the late evening, eyewitness reports said raging mobs torched several villages located in the foothills belonging to the Kuki-Zomi tribes. In several villages, the men have chosen to stay behind to protect their homes while the women and children have been sent to the jungles for safety.

Such acts of arson have led thousands of villagers to flee their homes and take shelter in nearby jungles. Local news reports said about 20,000 people belonging to Kuki-Zo groups have taken shelter in various army camps across the Imphal valley. 

Meanwhile, family members of those who have taken shelter in the army camps have told these correspondents that they have been informed about conditions of overcrowding and lack of basic amenities like food and water. Even tribal government officials have been forced to seek shelter in the army camps. Some people have also spoken about instances in which non-tribal armed mobs have gathered around the camps while some others have blocked the roads when attempts were being made to escort them to the hill districts.

Reports quoting church leaders have said at least 40 churches have been burnt in the valley.

Keeping in sight the total breakdown of law and order in the state, the Union government has deployed the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to restore normalcy in the state. Yet, such central forces have not been able to reach several conflict-affected areas. 

Fearing attack, several tribals have also fled to the neighbouring states of Assam and Mizoram. All the neighbouring states have put in place helpline numbers for their residents, mostly students holed up in Manipur. 

Meanwhile, reports of a clash between Kuki-Zomi and Meiteis have come from Meghalaya, leading the state police to take 16 people into custody. As per a Meghalaya police statement, at around 5 pm on the evening of May 4, a group of people from the two communities exchanged blows near Mizo Modern School in Shillong’s Nongrim Hills area. On receiving the information, the Meghalaya police rushed to the spot and subsequently arrested 16 people belonging to both communities.

Jon Suate is a freelance journalist and T. Valte is a doctorate student at the Sociology University of Hyderabad.