As the curfew has been relaxed in violence-hit Manipur, people were seen thronging markets in large numbers on Wednesday. The curfew that was imposed by the state administration following clashes between tribal groups and Meiteis in Churachandpur on May 3 was relaxed on Tuesday.

People in large numbers flocked to the Ima Market, Manipur’s women-run market to buy essentials. Long queues were seen outside petrol pumps in the city with limited fuel being allowed to buyers. People were seen queuing up since 6 am.

As the situation across violence-hit Manipur is improving, with no fresh reports of any untoward incident, curfew has been relaxed in all the 11 districts where it was clamped, officials said on Tuesday.

Curfew was relaxed for three hours in the Imphal Valley from 7 am to 10 am. Visuals from a market in Imphal Valley showed people turning up in big numbers.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh appealed to the people of the state to bring peace and calm following ethnic violence that claimed around 60 lives, left 231 people injured and saw around 1700 houses burnt down.

On Sunday, Assam Rifles along with the Nagaland State Police successfully evacuated more than 600 Naga students and families from violence-hit Imphal.