Curfew imposed, internet suspended in Manipur after protests erupt

After protests erupted in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley district, the government of Manipur imposed a curfew and suspended internet services on Saturday, November 16.

The curfew will remain in effect until further notice, according to an official announcement.

Protests erupt after discovery of 6 bodies in Manipur

Protests erupted after the discovery of six bodies believed to be those of individuals who went missing in Jiribam district on November 7. The protesters, primarily women, targeted the homes of several MLAs in Imphal, set tyres on fire, and blocked roads. They demanded action against “Kuki insurgents,” who are allegedly responsible for the abduction and killing of the six individuals.

#WATCH | Imphal, Manipur: Women vendors protest as violence and tension prevails in the state after the kidnapping of 6 individuals and the bodies of 3 were found (not clear yet if they belong to the abductees) pic.twitter.com/91HCcaat8J

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2024

Three bodies were discovered in a river in Jiribam on Friday, with three more found on Saturday.

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The Meitei community has expressed outrage, accusing the state government and security forces of failing to rescue the abducted victims. The six victims, a family of six including three women and three children (one as young as eight months), went missing during a gunfight between the CRPF and Manipur police following an attack on a CRPF camp and a police station sheltering displaced Meiteis.

In contrast, Kuki-Zo organizations claimed that those killed were “village volunteers” from the Hmar community, not militants. They said the volunteers were defending their villages against potential Meitei attacks when they were shot by the CRPF and police.

State cabinet condemns violence

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet condemned the violence in Jiribam, alleging that a “vested interest group” was trying to undermine the peace process initiated by the Centre, which invited all MLAs to New Delhi on October 15.

The bodies were found on the same day the Coordination Committee on Manipur Unity (COCOMI) sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention for the safe release of the six missing individuals, warning that the Centre would be held accountable for any harm that befalls them.

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