Peace seems elusive in Manipur as Imphal reports fresh tension, curfew time again increased

Peace seems to be still elusive in Manipur with the state capital Imphal reporting fresh tension since Sunday night, following which curfew time was increased by three hours.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh told reporters in Imphal that three persons were injured after gunmen opened fire at Twikun village in Imphal West district on Sunday night. "The miscreants including a former MLA have been arrested and their double barrel gun seized," he said.

Tension prevailed in the Checkon area in Imphal on Monday after a gunman allegedly forced some shopkeepers to down their shutters.

The shops had opened as the administration relaxed the curfew between 5 am and 4 pm. Buyers and shopkeepers got scared as the Checkon area had witnessed communal clashes on May 4 and 5, and many were earlier shifted to camps guarded by army and central security forces.

Read | Government actions responsible for violence: Manipur CM N Biren Singh

There were reports about the burning of some houses near Checkon as well.

The Army, which has remained deployed since the ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kukis broke out on May 3, rushed to Checkon and cordoned off the area.

Sources said three persons have so far been detained for allegedly fomenting fresh tension.

Alarmed by the situation, Imphal East district magistrate Shamim Ahmad Shah issued an urgent order increasing the curfew timing by three hours (between 5 am to 1 pm). The administration had earlier decided to relax the curfew till 4 pm.

"The situation will be assessed before taking further decisions about curfew timing," said a source in Imphal East district. The curfew relaxation timing in other districts, however, will remain between 5am to 4pm, the source said.

The violence that took place since May 3 led to the death of 73 persons and displacements of over 35,000 others. Nearly 2,000 houses, belonging to both the Kukis and Meiteis, were burnt down.

CM Singh, however, claimed that there was significant improvement in the law and order situation in the past 10 days and the state was returning to normalcy.

Ban on Internet:

The restriction on mobile and broadband internet, which was clamped on May 3, is still in force. The state home department, on Sunday, decided to extend the same by another five days, till May 26.

In his order on Sunday, H Gyan Prakash, commissioner of Manipur's home department, said there was still the possibility of miscreants using social media to spread rumours and hate messages. Banking, media, educational and other business activities have been severely affected due to the restriction on mobile and broadband internet.

NH2 blocked:

The NH-2, one of the lifelines that connects Imphal with rest of the country via Dimapur in Nagaland, has still remained blocked by the Kuki protesters since May 4. This has severely affected movement of trucks carrying essential commodities including fuel and medicines.

Read | Army pushes 'soft ways' to bridge distrust among communities in violence-hit Manipur

The Army and Assam Rifles, however, have been providing security cover to trucks to use the NH-37 between Imphal and Jiribam.

But traders have said that the transportation cost through this route is higher. Territorial army personnel, specially trained to handle oil installations, have been deployed to run three major oil installations: Imphal Aviation Fueling Station, Malom bulk oil depot and Sekmai LPG bottling plant. They have helped dispatch over 400 tankers to refuel petrol pumps across Manipur.

No solution in sight:

Chances of an immediate relief looks bleak as the Kuki groups have declined to hold talks with the government saying that the time is still not appropriate as the communities are still in shock.

At least 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven belonging to the ruling BJP, recently met in Mizoram capital Aizawl and decided not to hold talks with the government. The MLAs and other Kuki groups have intensified their demand for a "separate administration" for the areas dominated by the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi tribes in Manipur.

Some groups representing the Meiteis, too, have stepped up their demand for implementing an Assam-like National Register of Citizens (NRC) in order to detect the "illegal migrants" from Myanmar, who according to them had settled in Kuki-dominated hills districts.

They have also urged the Centre not to extend the Suspension of Operation agreement with the Kuki insurgent groups alleging that such groups were involved in the ongoing violence.

There are at least 25 Kuki insurgent groups, which are in said agreement with the government since 2008. Nearly 500 weapons, snatched from security forces during the riot, have remained traceless.