Manipur: Restrictive orders imposed in 3 districts after student protests

Prohibitory orders were imposed in three districts of Manipur on Tuesday (September 10), a day after student protests demanding the restoration of peace in the strife-torn state rocked Imphal Valley.

An indefinite curfew, preventing people from coming outside their houses, was clamped in Imphal East and West districts, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal.

“Due to the developing law-and-order situation in the district, earlier orders of curfew relaxation stand cancelled with immediate effect from 11 am of September 10. Hence, there is total curfew in Imphal East district with immediate effect until further orders,” an order issued by the district magistrate said.

Curfew relaxation lifted

Another order, issued by the district magistrate of Imphal West, said, “In supersession of all earlier orders, curfew relaxation period for September 10 is hereby lifted with effect from 11 am of today. Restriction on the movement of people outside their respective residences was lifted from September 1 last year.”

Earlier, curfew relaxation for September 10 was lifted from 5 am to 10 pm but was superseded with the latest order.

Essential services, including media, electricity, court and health, are however exempted from the purview of the curfew, it said.

Cop hit by bullet

The orders from the two Imphal districts came in the wake of students planning to intensify their protests demanding the removal of the DGP and security advisor to the state government for their alleged inability to deal with the law-and-order situation in the state.

The prohibitory orders in Thoubal prevented the assembly of five or more persons as police claimed that at least one of their officials was hit on the thigh by a bullet fired from among the protesting students in the district on Monday.

Students protest

Thousands of students protested in front of the Manipur Secretariat and Raj Bhavan on Monday, demanding action against those behind the recent drone and missile attacks, and calling for the protection of the state’s “territorial and administrative integrity”.

At least eight persons have died and over 12 injured in a fresh wave of violence, which included drone and missile attacks.

Another incident of death came to light on Tuesday in which a 46-year-old woman was killed after getting caught in a clash between two armed groups in Kangpokpi district on Sunday night.

The incident happened in the remote Thangbuh village, said police.

Houses torched

A few houses in the village were also torched, forcing the locals to flee to nearby forests, they added.

The deceased woman was identified as Nemjakhol Lhungdim. Her body was handed over to her family after a post-mortem examination at the Churachandpur district hospital, police said.

A significant number of powerful bombs were discharged during the clash between the two sides, they said. Later that night, an exchange of fire was also reported between CRPF personnel stationed at a nearby school and militants, police said.

No casualty was reported in that gunfight, they said.

Students spend night in camp

On Monday, hundreds of students from various schools and colleges spent the night at camps set up at Khwairamband Women Market in Imphal. The students, in their uniforms, were helped by women shopkeepers to set up camps at the market.

“We have given a 24-hour deadline for Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya’s response to the six demands we have placed. We will decide our future course of action after the deadline ends,” student leader Ch Victor Singh told reporters on Tuesday morning.

Later, the students met Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Governor Acharya.

Six demands

Student representatives who met Acharya later told reporters that they have placed six demands, including the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the security advisor to the state government for their alleged failure to control the violence. They also called for the Unified Command, currently chaired by former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh, to be handed over to the state government.

“The Monday rally was an outburst of anger of the student community over the prolonged crisis in the state. We want peace and solution at the earliest without altering the state's territorial and administrative integrity,” another protesting student said.

Stone-pelting by students

During the student protests in Imphal, protesters raised slogans such as “Long live Manipur”, “Resign all incompetent MLAs”, and “Give Unified Command to state government” and expressed their frustration with the authorities over their handling of the situation.

Police claimed protesting students also engaged in stone-pelting, forcing the law enforcers to fire tear gas shells to disperse them.

In Thoubal, a large number of protesters, including students, marched towards the district police headquarters and DC office on Monday.

Mob gets violent

“Police warned people to disperse but the unruly mob got violent and there was live firing from among the crowd at the police personnel in which one personnel was hit on the left thigh by a live round,” Manipur Police said in a statement.

The unruly mob also damaged one vehicle parked outside the court complex. An ambulance carrying some injured personnel was also pelted with stones, it added.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May last year.

(With agency inputs)