Continuing ethnic confrontations have claimed 80 lives in Manipur, including a policeman, and 12 others injured, just ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit.  

After terrorists in Serou and Sugunu region set fire to numerous homes, there were reports of new acts of violence in various areas of the state. Yesterday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said 40 terrorists, all of them Kukis, had been killed by gunfire in the previous few days.

The CM said the terrorists had been shooting at bystanders with sniper rifles and assault rifles such as the M-16 and AK-47. The army and other security forces had begun to take very aggressive action against them. The Chief Minister said the recent spike in violent attacks against citizens on the fringes of Imphal Valley were well-planned and condemned them.

Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had pleaded with the Kukis and Meiteis to not exacerbate violence and seek to restore normalcy. Shah had also met with representatives of the Meitei and Kuki groups as well as other parties to discuss steps taken to bring peace back to the state.

Army chief General Manoj Pande was in Manipur on Saturday to assess the state of law and order.

The Congress has condemned the failure of the Manipur government in curtailing the violence. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will lead the party delegation to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 30 over the worsening situation in Manipur, said Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communication. Ramesh said Manipur was seeing a complete breakdown of law and order.

In elections held last year in Manipur, the BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member Assembly.

The violence spiral hit Manipur after the Manipur High Court had ordered that the government should look at steps to include the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes list. The Kukis had protested against the Meitei community which would grant them reservation and access to forest areas, following which violence spread throughout the state. Tension over the displacement of Kuki people from reserve forest area had caused a number of smaller agitations which triggered the violence to break out.

A truck driver transporting cattle was shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) troops, allegedly at point-blank range, at a check post in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills, reports said on Sunday.

According to officials, 32-year-old Roning Nongkynrih was shot and killed by BSF personnel guarding a check post at Mawshun village, around 17 km from the India-Bangladesh border, on Saturday after they opened fire on his truck which was carrying cattle.

The slain victim’s cousin Ribalskhem Nongkynrih, who was accompanying him in the truck when the incident took place, has alleged that Roning was shot at point-blank range by the BSF men, however, the accused troopers have refuted the accusations and claimed that the truck did not stop at the check post when signaled and they opened fire in self-defense as they feared the vehicle may run them over.

Following the incident, the BSF authorities have ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.

A senior police officer said that a team from Pynursla Police Station went to the spot and legal formalities were completed by a magistrate.

East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police S Nongtnger said a case of murder under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Pynursla Police Station and further investigation is underway, however, no arrests have been made so far.

Condoling the “unfortunate” death, Meghalaya Frontier BSF Inspector General Pradip Kumar said that immediate action has been initiated and the force has ordered a court of inquiry headed by a DIG rank officer to ascertain the facts about the incident, adding that the three accused BSF personnel involved in the incident have been shifted from the location and sent back the frontier headquarters in Shillong.

The BSF officer, citing preliminary investigation, said the troopers who shot the man have claimed that they opened fire in self-defense as they sensed that the truck won’t stop at the post and they will be run over, adding that the BSF will fully cooperate with the police investigation and all facts will be revealed soon.

The backlash of the Manipur carnage spillled into the national capital as tribal Kuki students reportedly clashed with non-tribal Meiteis at the Delhi University North Campus.

According to reports a group of Kuki students residing in the DU’s North Campus alleged that they were attacked by a group of Meiteis on Thursday night.

On Friday, the Kuki students staged a protest outside the Maurice Nagar Police Station after the police allegedly refused to file their complaint.

A police official said that a case has been registered and the incident is being investigated, adding that the cops have detained some students in connection with the alleged attack.

The incident comes in the backdrop of the rabid violence that ripped through parts of Manipur this week leaving at least 54 people dead and wanton destruction in its wake in the northeastern state.

Earlier today, the Army said that the situation in worst-hit areas— Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh, and Kakching—has been brought under “firm control” even as life crawled back to normalcy in state capital Imphal.

Violent demonstrations erupted in Torbung area of Churachandpur district on Wednesday during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

As per reports, thousands hit the streets and participated in the solidarity march. However, the protests turned violent as clashes erupted between tribals and non-tribals in the area, and soon spread to other districts.

Following the clashes, the Indian Army was called in to quell the raging violence even as the state governor authorized shoot-at-sight orders subject to extreme circumstances.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) cancelled trains to Manipur on Friday in wake of the violence.