98 killed, 310 injured in ethnic violence: Govt
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 02 2023:
At least 98 people lost their lives and 310 others were injured in the ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out a month ago, the government said in a state-ment on Friday.
A total of 37,450 people are in 272 relief camps at present, said the statement, issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
In all, 4,014 cases of arson have been reported since the violence broke out in the state on May 3, it said.
"The number of deaths is 98 and the number of injured reported is 310," it said.
Over the last one month, the state police has regis-tered 3,734 cases and ar-rested 65 people for their involvement in the violence, the statement said.
"Sporadic incidents of fir-ing or torching of houses by miscreants are becoming rare now as coordinated effort is made by different security agencies," it said, adding that Army, Assam Rifles, CAPFs and local po-lice have been deployed in vulnerable places.
Till now, 84 companies of central armed forces have been deployed, the state-ment said.
Meetings were being held with village heads and civ-il society organisations to resolve conflict and bring peace, it said, claiming that the situation is normal in most of the districts.
Curfew has been relaxed for 12 hours in Imphal West, lmphal East, Bishnupur and Pherzawl, for 11 hours in Kangpokpi, for 10 hours in Churachandpur and Chan-del, for eight hours in Jirib-am and Tengnoupal, and for seven hours in Thoubal and
Kakching districts, it said.
There is no curfew in Tamenglong, Noney, Sen-apati, Ukhrul and Kamjong districts, it added.
"Movement of essential items along the NH-37 has been ensured," the statement said, noting that around 450 trucks were on the move with essential items.
An uneasy calm prevailed in Manipur a day after Home Minister Amit Shah left the state, concluding his four-day visit and announcing a slew of measures to bring back normalcy.
Clashes broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei commu-nity's demand for Sched-uled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.
Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
(With inputs from PTI) .