Curfew Imposed In India's Manipur State Due To New Ethnic Violence

NEW DELHI, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- A curfew was imposed in three districts of India's remote northeastern state of Manipur on Tuesday following renewed ethnic violence.

The districts of Imphal West, Imphal East and Thoubal were placed under curfew a day after students held large protests in the Imphal Valley demanding peace.

The state of 3.2 million is riven by ethnic divisions between the Meiteis, who make up slightly more than half of the population, and hill tribes, including the Kukis, since large-scale violence broke out in May last year.

There have been a number of attacks in recent days, with six people killed in violence between the two communities in the Jiribam district last week.

Manipur police said on Saturday it deployed an anti-drone system following the use of drones and rockets in militant attacks.

The region has been gripped by tensions and violence since the high court last year directed the state government to consider giving the Meitei community the Scheduled Tribe status, which would give the Meiteis quotas in jobs and education but the hill tribes see it as undermining their rights.

At least 225 people have been killed and 60,000 are living in temporary relief camps since the outbreak of violence.

The warring communities are concentrated in separate zones while heavy deployment of security forces has brought the volatile situation under control.

-- BERNAMA