Two protesters were killed in ethnic violence-hit Manipur on Tuesday after security forces allegedly opened fire on a group of people who took to the streets to protest the killing of a five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister, stormed a CRPF camp, vandalized it and set vehicles on fire.
State Home Minister Govindas Kunthugam said two people died of bullet wounds and at least 31 others were injured as CRPF personnel took control of the mob.
What sparked the protest
The killing of Meitei’s siblings at Trunglubi in Bishnupur in the early hours of Tuesday sparked outrage. The Indigenous Chiefs Forum, a body affiliated with the Kuki-Zu, refuted allegations that the Kuki-Zu were involved in the Trunglupi attack.
The renewed violence prompted authorities to suspend internet and mobile data services in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoupal, Kakching and Bishnupur for three days.
People took to the streets against the fratricide, even as Prime Minister Yomnam Kemchand condemned the Trunglupi attack and assured that the government would pursue the perpetrators and bring justice as soon as possible. “…There is a vested interest in derailing the peace process when the country returns to normal,” he said.
Kemchand said the investigation into the Tronglupi attack would be handed over to the National Investigation Agency. He added: “I cannot confirm the group involved in the crime, but during the security review meeting, I instructed security officials to arrest the perpetrators alive or dead by today, if possible.”
Ethnic violence continues
Ethnic violence in Manipur has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced about 60,000 people since May 2023. It first began among the Meitei and Kuki communities and has since involved almost all groups. The Meitei, who are mostly Hindus, live largely in the plains of the Imphal Valley, while the Kuki people, who are mostly Christians, live in the hills.
The Métis and Kukis withdrew to their strongholds after the ethnic violence began. The security services created buffer zones between their regions, effectively dividing them.
