Thousands of people across Manipur’s five valley districts took to the streets on Friday evening, October 23, to stage a sound protest against continued killings, the prolonged ethnic conflict and the government’s failure to restore normalcy.

Residents in several localities of Imphal banged utensils, beat drums, struck electric poles with hammers and honked vehicle horns between 7:30 pm and 8 pm. The demonstration was intended to draw the authorities’ attention to public grievances and demands amid continuing unrest.

The protest reflected growing frustration among residents over the unresolved conflict and the lack of progress towards restoring peace in the state.

Protesters march towards Kangla

During the demonstration, protesters marched towards Kangla, the historic political and cultural centre of the erstwhile Manipur kingdom. The site is located close to Lok Bhavan and the chief minister’s secretariat in Imphal.

Security forces stopped several groups at Palace Compound, Moirangkhom and Keisampat junctions. Hundreds of other protesters reached the entrance to Kangla but were prevented from entering the fort premises.

Police later fired tear gas shells to disperse demonstrators gathered near Lok Bhavan. Barricades were also erected in the area after 8 pm.

Federation of Haomee called for the protest

The demonstration was organised in response to a call by the Federation of Haomee, a civil society organisation that urged residents to make noise between 7:30 pm and 8 pm.

The organisation’s call came amid anger over the continuing ethnic conflict and demands for effective action to restore peace in Manipur.

A protester said the demonstration was intended to make leaders hear the public’s suffering, adding that repeated appeals and demands had not received adequate attention.

Fresh killings add to tensions in Manipur

The protest took place amid renewed tensions following recent killings in the state. On October 18, three Meitei civilians who had reportedly gone to collect firewood near the Khongbal Tangkhul foothills in Imphal East district were killed in an attack, triggering protests and demands for stronger security measures.

The killings were followed by a 48-hour statewide shutdown and demonstrations in which grieving villagers brought the bodies of two victims to the chief minister’s residence.

The latest sound protest adds to the public demonstrations over the continuing violence and the demand for a return to normalcy in Manipur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on October 25 to inaugurate the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Rs. 169-crore data centre at Info Valley-II in Jatni, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

According to the tentative itinerary shared by the Odisha Chief Secretary’s office, the Prime Minister is expected to arrive at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at around 4:30 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft. He will then travel by helicopter to the Khurda helipad before proceeding by road to the RBI facility for the inauguration.

The Prime Minister is likely to spend around an hour at the facility before returning to Bhubaneswar and departing from the state at approximately 6:30 pm.

RBI data centre to strengthen financial infrastructure

Spread across 18.55 acres, the new data centre is designed to strengthen the RBI’s data management, disaster recovery, cybersecurity and business continuity capabilities.

The facility will support critical central banking functions, including currency management, payment and settlement systems, and regulatory operations. It is also expected to serve as a backup to the RBI’s existing data centre in Navi Mumbai.

The new facility will be the RBI’s second data centre of this kind, following its existing centre in Navi Mumbai.

Why the data centre is located in Jatni

The site at Info Valley-II was selected for its geographical stability. According to an official, its location away from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas is intended to reduce exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities.

The project is intended to help maintain the continuity of essential RBI operations while strengthening the security and resilience of India’s financial infrastructure.

The foundation stone for the facility was laid by then RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023.

PM Modi’s ninth Odisha visit since 2024

The October 25 programme is expected to be Prime Minister Modi’s ninth visit to Odisha since the BJP government was formed in the state in 2024, according to Odisha BJP vice-president Jatin Mohanty.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Chief Secretary Anu Garg have reviewed preparations for the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit.

The inauguration is part of efforts to strengthen Odisha’s digital infrastructure. The project is also expected to support the state’s ambitions in technology and electronics manufacturing, as stated by the BJP leader.

Public services in Punjab have been affected as government employees and transport workers continue their agitation over long-pending demands. The protests involve a mass casual leave programme by more than three lakh government employees and a separate strike by workers associated with state-run transport services.

The agitation has disrupted government office operations and public bus services, adding to the pressure on the Punjab government to address employees’ grievances.

Why Punjab government employees are protesting

Government employees have been pressing for the release of pending dearness allowance (DA) instalments and arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), regularisation of contractual workers and resolution of pay-related issues.

The demands also cover service conditions and benefits for workers employed across different government departments. Employee organisations have called for concrete decisions on these matters, arguing that several issues remain unresolved despite discussions with the state government.

The mass casual leave programme has affected the functioning of government offices and administrative establishments across the state.

Roadways workers’ strike affects bus services

Separately, workers associated with Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) have continued their agitation over employment-related demands.

The transport workers’ protest has affected the availability of public buses, creating difficulties for commuters who depend on state-run services for their daily travel.

The transport workers’ demands include regularisation under applicable service rules, changes to employment arrangements for outsourced workers and action on cases linked to previous protests.

The government employees’ agitation and the transport workers’ strike are separate actions, although both concern outstanding demands and the state government’s response to employee organisations.

Talks fail to resolve the deadlock

Discussions between employee representatives and the state government have so far failed to produce a comprehensive resolution to the dispute.

Employee organisations have continued to seek assurances and concrete action on their demands. The continuation of the agitation reflects the lack of an agreement that would persuade the protesting groups to withdraw their actions.

The dispute has also placed the state government under pressure to restore normal public services while addressing the concerns raised by government staff and transport workers.