Members of the Kuki-Zo community clashed with security forces on the Imphal-Dimapur highway, resulting in at least one fatality and 27 injuries to security personnel, according to security sources.
The fights happened after residents disobeyed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s order to permit all cars to travel freely throughout Manipur, including in the Kuki and Meitei regions, as of right now. According to sources, the local authorities have implemented a curfew in Kanpokpi district as tensions have escalated, especially in districts along National Highway 2.
In an attempt to disperse irate demonstrators who had attacked a bus and stopped NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur highway) by burning tires to impede the flow of government vehicles earlier in the day, the security personnel had to use tear gas shells. The convoy conveying Meitei people from Imphal to Kangpokpi and Senapati was stopped at the Kuki-dominated area, while the security forces convoy arrived at the hill district of Churachandpur without incident.
But when demonstrators started burning private cars and tried to halt a state transport bus that was a part of the convoy, things got worse. Tear gas was used by the security personnel to try to scatter the demonstrators.
Additionally, Kuki-Zo community members were demonstrating against a nonviolent march that was planned by the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a Meitei organization. Security personnel at Sekmai broke up the march in the middle before it could reach the Kangpokpi neighborhood. After members of the Meitei organisation cited Shah’s directive to allow free movement of vehicles, the security forces said that they didn’t have the necessary permission, reported news agency.
“We are just following orders. We have been told to stop the march. If they want to go, they can go in the state buses arranged by the government,” a cop was quoted as saying by news agency.
