Indefinite Curfew imposed, internet suspended in Manipur’s Imphal after fresh violence

An eerie calm prevailed in Manipur's Imphal Valley on Nov 17, where an indefinite curfew was imposed on Nov 16 evening and internet services were suspended following violent protests after the discovery of the bodies of six persons – three women and children, allegedly abducted and killed by militants in Jiribam.

The six persons were missing from a camp for the displaced in Jiribam since Nov 11 following a gunfight between militants and security forces that led to the deaths of 10 suspected militants.

The bodies of the two women and a child were recovered from the Barak River in Jiribam on Nov 16, while three other bodies, including those of a woman and two children, were found on Nov 15 night.

Piles of debris remained on the roads of the state capital Imphal on Nov 16 morning, a day after protestors staged violent demonstrations over the deaths, attacking the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs.

Agitators ransacked the houses of three legislators, including that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law R K Imo, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, and torched their properties. The security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters in different parts of Imphal, police said.

Among the ministers whose residences were stormed by the protesters are Sapam Ranjan, L Susindro Singh and Y Khemchand, an official was quoted as saying.
Curfew was imposed for an indefinite period in Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and "due to developing law and order situation", he said.
The state administration suspended internet services temporarily in seven districts in the wake of protesters storming the residences of state ministers and MLAs, the official said.

The agitators also vandalized the properties of BJP legislator Sapam Kunjakesore and MLA Joykishan Singh.

They gheraoed the houses of Janata Dal United JD(U) MLA of Wangkhei seat, T Arun, and BJP legislator Karam Shyam of Langthabal.

Protesters, who had come to meet Keishamthong's Independent legislator Sapam Nishikanta Singh at his residence on Tiddim Road in Imphal West, targeted the office building of a local newspaper owned by him after they were informed that the legislator was not present in the state.

The mob destroyed some temporary structures in front of the office building, according to officials.

Agitators also burnt tyres in the middle of a road in the Thangmeiband area, just 200 meters away from the assembly building.
At Keisampat bridge, tear gas shells were fired to disperse protesters who were attempting to march towards several buildings, including Raj Bhavan, and the secretariat, police said.

Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi ordered the temporary suspension of internet and mobile data services in the "territorial jurisdiction of currently affected districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur for two days effective Nov 16 evening.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) – an apex body representing civil society organisations of Imphal Valley – in a statement on Nov 16 demanded military action on militants within 24 hours.

At night, miscreants torched at least two churches and three houses in Jiribam town, officials said.

"There have been reports of further arson and the burning of additional structures by miscreants, but these claims have not yet been independently verified," news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

COCOMI spokesperson K Athouba called for the immediate repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which was recently re-imposed in areas under six police stations.

The bodies of the 10 suspected Kuki-Zo youths killed in a gunfight with security personnel in Jiribam were on Nov 16 airlifted to Churachandpur from Assam's Silchar town, where the autopsies were conducted.