No fresh incident in Manipur district, night curfew to continue

IMPHAL: No fresh incidents of violence took place on Sunday in southern Manipur's Churachandpur district, which witnessed a series of violent incidents including arson and vandalization of government properties since Thursday night. A senior police official said that the indefinite night curfew, which was imposed by the district administration in the Churachandpur district from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday, would continue until further order. He said that additional security forces sent from other parts of the state had been withdrawn since Saturday night, and normal activities were observed on Sunday.

Shops, business establishments, and markets were reopened on Sunday, while passenger and other vehicles plied as usual in Churachandpur town and other parts of the hilly district. Government authorities, supported by the local people, cleared the roads, which were full of stones, tyres, tree trunks gathered by the agitators, and other barricades put up to restrict the movement of traffic during the agitation. The district authority had also suspended mobile internet services to prevent the spreading of rumours and the sharing of the video and other messages. The incidents of violence were triggered after the tribals launched fresh protests against the state government's action against the illegal poppy cultivators and their destruction of poppy fields in the forest land, especially in the reserve and protected forests in the hilly areas. Unidentified miscreants also set fire to a forest range office building on Friday, damaging government properties and documents.

Director General of Police Manipur, P. Doungel, and senior officials visited Churachandpur district on Saturday and reviewed the situation. Veteran Congress leader and three-time Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and state Congress President K. Meghachandra Singh criticised the BJP government and Chief Minister for the "wrong policy in dealing with the tribals and forest lands."

After Thursday's incidents of violence, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh cancelled his Friday visit to Churachandpur district.The CM was scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavna Mandap in New Lamka Town in Churachandpur on Friday and inaugurate an open gym at the PT Sports Complex.

The miscreants also burned down the open gym, chairs, and other materials gathered in view of the Chief Minister's visit. Saying that his government is committed to protecting people from the drug menace, the Chief Minister said that poppy cultivation in the state would be completely wiped out. Biren Singh said in Imphal that the police would take stern action against the troublemakers. Police claimed that the Myanmarese, who illegally entered the state, were also involved in the arson incident.The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) observed an eight-hour shutdown in Churachandpur district on Friday to protest the state government's eviction drive from the protected and reserve forests. (IANS)

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