Curfew in tense Indian state after six bodies found

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GUWAHATI: An Indian state riven by months of ethnic tensions imposed an internet shutdown and curfew on Saturday after angry protests over the recovery of six bodies of people believed to have been kidnapped by insurgents.

Manipur in India’s northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than 18 months between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, dividing the state into ethnic enclaves.

The bodies were suspected to be of those belonging to the Meitei community who went missing in Jiribam district after a gunfight between Kuki insurgents and Manipur police last week.

Three bodies were pull­­ed from a river in Jiribam on Friday while three more were found on Saturday, local media reports said.

News of the discovery provoked incensed mobs to attack the homes of seven local politicians, an army source told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that only minor damage had been recorded.

Protesters also burned tyres and blocked roads in the capital city of Imphal on Saturday.

The Manipur government announced a curfew was in effect in part of the city due to the “developing law and order situation”.

The state’s home ministry also ordered all internet and mobile data services in Manipur to be shut off for two days in order to bring the latest unrest under control.

“Anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation,” a notice said.

Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur last year during an outbreak of violence which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes, according to government figures.

Thousands of the state’s residents are living in emergency shelters, still unable to return home due to ongoing tensions.

Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs. Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024