Guwahati, May 5: Natives of Manipur, including a large number of students, held a protest in Guwahati on Friday in the wake of the violence that paralysed the state for the last few days.
“We are very worried about the situation there. As the internet services snapped off in many parts of Manipur, wrong information has been circulating in the social media that is creating a state of panic among us who are living far from home,” a student who took part in the protest said.
The protesters demanded that the government must ensure that peace returns in Manipur at the earliest.
Meanwhile, a section of protesters alleged that the Manipur government’s intention to implement National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state is behind the outbreak of the violence.
A protester said: “The issue is not with granting ST status to the Meitei community. The NRC is the basic cause of the recent conflict.”
Notably, following the High Court’s directive to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to non-tribal Meitei community in Manipur has reopened a decade-old faultline between the hill tribes and Meitei community.
A protest march organised by All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) turned violent in the border area of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts when the demonstrators clashed with a group of local people there.
According to reports, following the clashes, a few unidentified miscreants set ablaze houses belonging to a particular group. After that, unrest spread in many locations including the state capital Imphal.
IANS
