Flaring Up

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Indian authorities imposed an indefinite curfew and shut down the Internet in parts of Manipur on Tuesday after student protests erupted in response to a renewed surge of ethnic violence in the northeastern state, the Associated Press reported.

Manipur, with a population of 3.7 million people and bordering Myanmar, has been embroiled in violent ethnic clashes since May 2023 between the predominantly Hindu Meitei community and Christian Kuki tribes.

The Kukis oppose the Meiteis’ demand for special status, which would allow them to buy land in the hills, a region traditionally occupied by tribal groups.

Despite the presence of security forces and attempts by the government to broker peace, the unrest has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Violence has flared up over the past 10 days after armed groups launched drone and rocket attacks that killed at least nine people.

In response, the state government imposed a curfew in three districts while also suspending Internet and mobile data services until Sunday.

Officials said the restrictions are aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation and hate speech that could inflame tensions, adding that “anti-social elements” could exploit social media to incite violence through hate messages and videos, Bloomberg noted.

On Tuesday, police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of students, who attempted to march to the governor’s residence to demand peace.

The demonstrators gave Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya 24 hours to respond to a list of demands, including the removal of the state’s top police official and security adviser for failing to control the violence.