Overnight, the Army and Assam Rifles had to be hastily deployed in order to put a stop to widespread violence that had broken out between tribal people and the Meitei population, which made over 9,000 people homeless.
Following a "Tribal Solidarity March" organized by the Naga and Kuki tribes, clashes started on Wednesday and grew worse over the course of the night as rival communities launched counterattacks in retaliation for earlier attacks.
A defense official said on Thursday that 9,000 individuals have so far been rescued by the army from the violent areas and provided refuge and that more people are being relocated to safer locations.
According to the spokesman, some 5,000 people have been relocated to safe dwellings in Churachandpur, 2,000 more have been relocated to the Imphal Valley, and 2,000 more have been relocated to the border town of Moreh in the Tenugopal district.
After being recalled last night, the Army and Assam Rifles, along with the state police, were able to stop the violence by morning, according to the spokesperson.
Flag marches are being held to maintain control over the situation, he said. The All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) held a "Tribal Solidarity March" across the ten hill districts of the state on Wednesday to oppose the non-tribal Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status; they make up 53% of the state's population.
The Manipur High Court ordered the state administration last month to give a proposal to the Centre within four weeks on the claim for ST designation by the Metei community. Tribals, who make up around 40% of the state's population, planned the march in response.
Police claim that an armed crowd attacked members of the Meitei community during the march in the Torbung area of the Churachandpur district. This allegedly sparked reprisal assaults in the valley districts, which worsened the violence across the state.
They claimed that during an arson spree that lasted more than three hours in Torbung, numerous stores and homes were destroyed.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh urged people to uphold peace, saying that "precious lives have been lost, in addition to property damage, which is very unfortunate." The specifics of the deaths, however, were not immediately known. According to Singh, the society's "misunderstanding" was the cause of the violence.
He said that more paramilitary personnel had been requisitioned in order to protect people's lives and property. "The state government is taking all necessary measures to maintain the law and order situation," he stated.
"Central and state forces have been directed to take strong action against individuals and groups who are indulging in violence," he declared. Concerned by the violence, the Chief Minister of adjacent Mizoram, Zoramthanga, wrote to Singh.
He wrote in the letter, "I am deeply pained by the violence that has flared up in parts of your State and the underlying tension between the Meitei community and the tribals there. I am the Chief Minister of Mizoram, a lifelong neighbor that has much in common with Manipur in terms of history and culture.
Singh claimed that he called Zoramthanga and informed him of the current circumstances.
Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, Jiribam, and Bishnupur districts, which are predominately non-tribal, as well as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts, which are predominately tribal, have all implemented curfews.
All state-wide mobile internet services were shut down. According to authorities, Kuki tribal people were forced to evacuate after their homes in the Imphal Valley were ransacked in a number of locations. According to authorities, more than 500 people of Imphal West's Kuki-dominated Langol neighborhood have left their homes and are now living at the CRPF camp near Lamphelpat.
They claimed that last night in the Imphal valley, a number of places of worship were also set on fire. According to them, some 1,000 Meiteis from the Churachandpur district, which is controlled by tribes, fled to places like Kwakta and Moirang in the Bishnupur district.
According to authorities, the Motbung neighborhood of the Kangpokpi district also saw the burning of around twenty homes. In the Tengnoupal region of Moreh, close to the Myanmar border, there were also reports of violence.
Earlier, lawmakers from the valley publicly supported a Meitei organization's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, alarming communities that are on the Scheduled Tribe list.
The valley, which makes up around a tenth of the former princely state's total geographical area, is home to the Meiteis. They assert that "large-scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis" is the cause of their issues.
The Nagas and Kukis, who are primarily Christians, live in the hill districts that make up a large portion of the state's terrain and are protected from intrusion by several laws.
