The Churachandpur district administration has clamped night curfew from 5 pm to 5 am of next day in view of the volatile situation in the district, besides the promulgation CrPC 144 and shutdown of internet services for five days.
According to police sources, commando forces were drawn from almost all districts and sent to Churachandpur town to quell the unrest and the reinforcement is still in the town to maintain area domination against possible disruptions.
It may be recalled here that on Thursday night some miscreants set ablaze an open gym supposed to be inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
CM Biren was also invited for the first anniversary of MLA LM Khaute's election at Sadbhavna Mandop in New Lamka.
On the other hand, DGP P Doungel along with DC and senior police officers had a meeting with members of civil society organisations based in Churachandpur.
The organisations are Hmar Inpui, Hmar Students Association, Kuki Khanglai Lompi, KSO, Young Paite Association and Zomi Students Federation.
In the meeting, it was agreed that additional forces including Commandos would be withdrawn as the situation was improving and that CSO leaders will ensure that there would be no road blockades or mob violence.
Meanwhile, the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Saturday termed the protest in Churachandpur as an outburst of dissent against the present N Biren Singh led government of Manipur.
Survey of the forest areas in the hills of Manipur which are supposedly “reserved forests/protected forests/wildlife sanctuaries” have drawn lots of flak from the tribal communities as there were procedural lapses when these forests were declared as such, ATSUM stated.
Many of these forest reserves were declared by the government without the consent and knowledge of the local villagers, ATSUM alleged.
The Hill Areas Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, on March 11, 2021, vide its resolution No. 38/2020-(HAC) had also resolved even to the extent that these reserved forest/protected forest/wildlife sanctuaries shall not be enforced by the departments without the approval of the Hill Areas Committee, it stated. The government has not properly implemented this recommendation, it further alleged.
It stated that the despatching of commandos from neighboring districts in the attempt to suppress the protestors and “to stifle the voice of dissent” aggravated the situation.
While appealing for peace and calm in the state, ATSUM also takes strong exception to the communal rhetoric of some valley-based civil organizations such as WMC and KKL, it stated.
It stated that these organizations should refrain from playing divisive policies among the tribal communities. The majority of the tribal people understood the diabolical agenda of these organizations and as such their efforts to disintegrate the tribal communities will be futile, it mentioned.
ATSUM also stated that in the pursuit of ST status, these organisations are further alienating the tribal hill people from the valley people, and the unity and integrity of the people of the state are at stake.
The government of Manipur should immediately intervene to stop these communal tones from spiraling out of control, it stated. ATSUM further condemned a local TV channel in connection with a news report in which the protestors in Churachandpur were alleged to be speaking in the Myanmarese language.
