Some 23,000 people have fled ethnic violence in northeastern India that is believed to have left at least 54 people dead, the army said on Sunday (May 7th).
Unrest broke out in Manipur state where a protest march organized by a tribal group on Wednesday escalated into clashes, in which vehicles and homes were set on fire. Authorities did not give an official toll, but hospital morgues in Imphal, the state capital, and Churachandpur said they had received a total of 54 bodies, according to local media.
The army deployed thousands of soldiers in this state bordering Burma and gave the order to ” shoot on sight ” in “ extreme cases to restore calm. Curfews were imposed and the internet was cut.
No major incidents were reported overnight from Saturday to Sunday and the curfew was lifted in Churachandpur district, one of the main areas of tension, the army said in a statement.
Decades of ethnic violence
The army said it had significantly stepped up its aerial surveillance efforts in the past 24 hours. ” A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued so far and transferred to our military bases or garrisons “, she clarified.
Tribal groups are unhappy with the prospect of seeing the Meitei community, the majority in the state, recognized as “scheduled tribes”, a designation that would give them access to a quota of civil service jobs and places in the universities within the framework of a policy of positive discrimination.
India’s northeast has seen decades of turmoil between ethnic groups and separatists seeking greater autonomy and even secession. At least 50,000 people have been killed in Manipur since the 1950s. These conflicts have subsided over the years, with many groups making deals with New Delhi for more power.
(With AFP)