Inter-ethnic clashes have shaken the Indian state of Manipur, in the northeast of the country, since Wednesday and have left 54 dead, according to a report relayed Saturday by the Indian news agency PTI. The situation in this state bordering Burma escalated Wednesday during a demonstration of tribal communities protesting against the demand of the Meiteis, the majority ethnic group in Manipur, to benefit from affirmative action measures.
Hundreds of Indian soldiers were sent to the scene on Thursday with orders to shoot on sight "in extreme cases" to try to restore calm. Authorities also cut off internet access and imposed a curfew. The situation remained tense Saturday after further violence Friday night, police authorities said. An initial assessment of the clashes on Thursday reported six deaths, but the Indian agency PTI counted 54 on Saturday based on data collected from local morgues.
No official toll has yet been made public by local authorities or security forces, but Indian Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters on Saturday that "many lives had been lost" on the sidelines of the unrest. On Thursday, security forces used tear gas in Imphal, the state capital, to disperse protesters, some of whom set fire to cars and homes.
Located in northeastern India, the remote state of Manipur has for decades experienced tensions involving ethnic and separatist groups. The region is home to dozens of tribal groups and guerrilla movements whose demands range from greater autonomy to outright secession from the rest of India. At least 50,000 people were killed in the various conflicts that followed the first insurgency movement in the state of Manipur in the early 50s.
- India
- World
- Burma
- Indian
- Army