To avoid additional unrest in the violent state of Manipur, the government has extended the ban on internet services till June 10. It was put into effect on May 3.
The state administration announced on Monday evening that internet services would be shut down for a further five days, or until 3 p.m. on June 10.
Since the fighting began on May 3, more than 70 people have died as a result of the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meiteis, who reside in and around the Imphal valley, and the Kuki tribe, who have taken up residence in the hills. The conflict stems from the Meiteis’ demand to be classified as one of the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
In order to bring calm back to the state, some 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles men have been stationed there.
Home Minister Amit Shah urged both the Meiteis and the Kukis to keep calm and peace while working to restore normalcy during his visit last week.
In order to assure the supply of necessities, he further urged the communities to open blocked roads, particularly on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway-2. The highway is the only method to get supplies to different sections of the state; it passes through the Senapati district in the hills and descends to the capital Imphal in the valley. In Manipur, traffic blockades are not unusual. As a result, everything becomes much more expensive.
