The government of Manipur has suspended mobile internet services for the next five days in the state, along with imposing a night curfew and a ban on large gatherings, to tackle the worsening law and order situation. This comes after tribal groups took out rallies in several districts of the state to oppose the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) called for a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in all ten hill districts of the state to express dissent against the “persistent demands of the Meitei community” for its inclusion in the ST category.
The Meiteis, who make up 53% of the state’s population, inhabit the Manipur valley and claim that they are facing difficulty due to “large-scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis”. Meiteis are not allowed to settle in the hill areas as per the existing law. The rallies saw thousands of people turning up, waving placards, and raising slogans opposing ST status for the Meitei community. Similar rallies were held in Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Noney, and Ukhrul.
In Senapati town, the district headquarters located about 58 km from the capital town of Imphal, local bodies forced a total shutdown of markets and suspended public transport from 10 am to 1 pm to ensure that the maximum number of demonstrators participated in the rally. Meanwhile, counter blockades were put up in the valley districts, including at Sugnu in Kakching district, in support of granting ST status to Meiteis.
The situation in Manipur has been tense for some time now, with prohibitory orders clamped for an indefinite period in Churachandpur town last week following violent protests against the drive to evict villagers from reserve forest areas. Additional security forces were rushed to the town from other parts of Manipur to control the situation after the vandalization of a venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to address a program.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state till the filing of this report. The government’s decision to suspend mobile internet services is expected to help maintain law and order in the state. However, it is also likely to inconvenience people who rely on mobile internet for various purposes, including communication and business activities. It remains to be seen how long the suspension will be in place and what impact it will have on the ongoing protests in Manipur.
