The Manipuri community in Assam's Guwahati on Friday sat for a peaceful protest with the demand to restore peace and normalcy in the violence stricken northeastern state of Manipur.
Manipur has been in the news recently after shocking visuals of violence and destruction over the past few days emerged. As per reports, vehicles were set on fire, places of worship were vandalized amid clashes between tribals and non-tribals over the demands by the majority Meitei community to be granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The Manipuri Co-ordination Committee in Guwahati today sat for a peaceful protest to express their resentment over the situation in Manipur.
According to a release, members of the Manipuri community including students sat protested the violent situations and demanded that normalcy be brought back to the state.
The release read, "It is undebatable truth that on the May 3, 2023 a mass rally was organised in the hill districts of Manipur followed by an armed vandalism with automatic weapons and continued the act of ethnic cleansing targeting the endangered Meetei community there."
It further read, "It is feared that more than one thousand houses were burned down and not less than one hundred people lost their lives till date."
Moreover, the release further mentioned, "In this moment of unrest in the state of Manipur, the Manipuri people living in Assam particularly in Guwahati do condemn the barbaric acts of ethnic cleansing and communal clashes. We do demand immediate arrest of the culprits involved and get punished accordingly."
"We appeal all the stakeholders to maintain peace and harmony in this regard," it further added.
It may be mentioned that following the violence, internet services were suspended throughout Manipur, while a prohibitory curfew was imposed in eight districts of the state and the army was called in to control the situation.
In a recent turn of events, the Indian army today asserted that the situation in Moreh and Kangkokpi areas was brought under control.
Indian Army officials were quoted by ANI as staying, "Situation in Moreh and Kangpokpi brought under control and it is stable. All efforts are underway to restore normalcy in Imphal and Churachandpur. The precautionary build-up of additional troops in Manipur continued."
They further mentioned that additional columns were also redeployed from Nagaland.
"In addition, Indian Air Force will be undertaking flying operations to induct additional Indian Army columns commencing tonight from Guwahati and Tezpur," said Indian Army.
