
Shutdown in Manipur to mark two years of ethnic violence
Shutdown called by various groups on Saturday to mark two years of the ethnic strife in Manipur affected normal lives in both the Maitei-controlled Imphal Valley and the Kuki-dominated hill districts.
Meitei group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) called a shutdown in the valley districts, while the Zomi Students Federation (ZSF) and the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) have imposed the shutdown in the hill districts.
It was on this day in 2023 that ethnic clashes broke out between the Meteis and Kukis, which left over 260 people killed, 1,500 injured, and over 70,000 people displaced, according to officials.
Markets were shut, public vehicles remained off the roads, and private offices remained closed across the state. A few private vehicles were seen on the roads in the morning.
Schools, colleges and other institutes were also shut.
Security forces have also been deployed at key locations to prevent any unwanted activities, officials said.
COCOMI will hold 'Manipur Peoples' Convention' at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal. It has urged the people to attend the public meeting in large numbers.
A candlelight march will also be held in the evening in Imphal to pay homage to those who died in the violence.
The Kuki community in the hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts are observing 'Day of Separation', demanding a separate territory.
A programme will be held at the 'Wall of Remembrance', which has been built in Churachandpur town in memory of those killed in the ethnic violence, at 11 am. Another programme is scheduled at the Sehken Burial site, where some of the Kuki people killed in the violence have been buried, from 2 pm.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel strikes Houthi terror targets in Yemen's Hodeidah Port
The Israeli military carried out airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port, the country's army said Tuesday. Israeli Navy missile ships struck terror targets belonging to the Houthi terrorists in the Hudaydah Port in Yemen, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. On Monday, the Israeli forces urged the evacuation of three Houthi-controlled ports – Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif. The strikes, carried out by the Israeli Navy, targeted the docks at the Al Hodeidah port, along the Red Sea, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said. There were no reports of any immediate casualties in the two strikes, Reuters reported. Israel and Yemen have engaged in a volley of airstrikes on each other amid the former's ongoing war in Gaza. The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have launched fire at Israel and at ships travelling via the Red Sea, leading to a disruption of global trade. The IDF said that the Hodeidah port was being used to advance terrorist activities in the region. 'The Hudaydah Port is used to transfer weapons and to exploit civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities,' the IDF said in a post on X. They also said that the strikes had been carried out in response to the 'repeated missile and UAV attacks on Israeli territory'. The IDF added that advance warnings had been issued to the people residing in the area to 'mitigate the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians in the area'. Israel has weakened Iran's allies – Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah, carrying out retaliatory strikes in the region. The country has also managed to intercept most missiles or drones launched on its territory. The Houthis had stepped up its attacks on Israel last month, with the IDF saying that it intercepted missiles launched from Yemen on May 22.


The Print
3 hours ago
- The Print
MHA resumes talks with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups after 2 yrs to discuss ‘way forward', renewal of SoO pact
According to government sources, the discussion revolved around opening of highways to ensure that free movement of people across the state without any obstruction, and the Kuki-Zo groups demanding a 'revision in the ground rules' of the SoO agreement. The talks were held with five members of Kuki Zo SoO groups, MHA's Northeast adviser A.K. Mishra and Intelligence Bureau officials Monday. New Delhi: After a gap of almost 2 years, the Ministry of Home Affairs resumed talks with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur to discuss a 'way ahead' for a 'political solution' for the state and a broad outline for the suspension of operations (SoO) pact that remains in limbo. The surrender of weapons that were looted post 3 May, 2023, was also discussed in detail, the source said. National Highways-2 and 37, that connect the Imphal valley to Nagaland and Assam respectively, are critical for supply of essentials and other commodities. They pass through Kuki-Zo inhabited areas and have seen blockades and protests in the last 3 years, hindering supply of essentials. 'We are glad that the resumption of dialogue happened after so long. We discussed how to find a way forward. It is a good start, we covered many points in the discussion including revision of the ground rules of the SoO pact,' a leader who attended the meeting told ThePrint. 'The new ground rules which require rewording of many phrases has to be done. The second meeting will be held soon, hopefully within a week.' Before the violence erupted in the state, the key demand of the SoO groups was to have autonomous territorial councils within Manipur, which later changed to a separate administration for Kuki-Zo areas, defining it as a Union territory with a legislature. The SoO camps had become the focal point of the ongoing conflict in the state as former CM N. Biren Singh, time and again, accused these cadres of 'contributing to the escalation of violence'. The camps were established as part of a pact signed on 22 August, 2008, between the Kuki militant groups and the central and Manipur governments, in light of the Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s. According to the SoO agreement, members of these groups were required to suspend their operation as insurgents and stay within designated camps with their weapons securely stored in safe zones under a double-locking system. The agreement has been periodically extended each year, except on 29 February last year when the Manipur government pulled out from the tripartite pact. There is now a demand to relocate the SoO camps away from areas near the valley districts—which has a concentration of Meitei population—and to reduce the number of camps from 14 to 7. 'The discussion on the renewal of the camps has not yet happened. It is an ongoing process,' a government source said. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Manipur on edge after arrest of radical Meitei leader—ex-cop wanted for abduction of senior officer


Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
MHA officials meet Kuki-Zo insurgent group members
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) officials on Monday held a meeting with representatives of the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, which are currently under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact with the Centre, over the renewal of the SoO agreement. While the government is yet to comment on the details of the meeting, people aware of the matter, said MHA officials insisted on ensuring there is no hindrance from SoO groups on the free movement of people across the state and relocation of the camps from certain civilian areas, while the SoO groups insisted on new ground rules before the Centre renews the cessation of hostilities pact. Senior security force officers in Manipur maintained that the SoO groups wield influence over almost everything in the hill areas, where the Kuki-Zo people live, including their elected representatives. The meeting on Monday was significant because it was the first meeting held between government and SoO groups since the pact was put in abeyance last year. The MHA and the SoO group representatives have agreed to finalise a date within the next one week for the second meeting. 'There were five representatives from the two umbrella organisations KNO and UPF that are under SoO. The MHA side was represented by Northeast interlocutor AK Mishra and IB officials, including state's IB chief, a joint director rank officer. The ground rules need to be revisited and put on paper because a lot has changed since the SoO pact was signed in 2008. Before SoO is renewed, these rules must be formalised and put on paper. Both parties have to agree for its renewal. The second meeting will be held soon,' a person aware of the meeting said. The SoO agreement was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with the insurgent groups in August 2008 and was being renewed every year until February 28, 2024 when the renewal process was kept in abeyance. The SoO was kept in abeyance by the Centre following allegations of SoO group cadres indulging in Manipur's ethnic clashes or providing training to the village defence volunteers, a charge that groups have denied vehemently. While former chief minister Biren Singh and other MLAs have demanded that the SoO pact be cancelled, Kuki-Zo groups and their legislators have requested Centre to renew the pact. There are around 1,500-2,000 insurgents from the SoO in different camps across the state. Their weapons are kept locked in a room within each camp under a double lock system - one key with them and the other with the government. Under the SoO Pact, the insurgent groups have agreed to stop any form of violence including attacks on security forces. The Centre and the state too signed that no force (army, paramilitary, state police) would launch operations against the signatories as long as they abide by the terms of the agreement. Meitei groups have accused SoO of being involved in the ethnic clashes, a charge that the representatives of the SoO groups deny.