Imphal: Violence continues in Manipur. The police have discovered the body of a woman in the Barak River in Assam’s Cachar district, near the border with Jiribam. The identity of the woman is yet to be confirmed, but there are suspicions that the body may belong to one of the six members of a Meitei community family that went missing. Three bodies from this family were discovered the previous day. After the photo of the body found in the river spread widely on social media, tensions flared again in the Jiribam area. In Kalinagar, Jiribam, reports indicate that vehicles and houses have been set on fire by attackers. Following this, internet services have been suspended in the Jiribam and Ferzol districts. Christian places of worship have also been targeted, with five churches set on fire.
A meeting is scheduled in Delhi today under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to assess the situation in Manipur. In a meeting held yesterday, Amit Shah directed officials to take necessary steps to restore peace in the state.
The National People’s Party (NPP), led by Conrad Sangma, has withdrawn its support for the alliance government led by BJP’s N. Biren Singh. The NPP’s exit from the alliance is seen as a setback for the BJP, citing the ongoing breakdown of law and order for over a year as the reason for their withdrawal.
Violence erupted again in Manipur following reports that six people, including women and children abducted from Jiribam, were killed. Three women, three children, and an infant from a family were reported missing from Borobekar, Jiribam. All six individuals belonged to the Meitei community. They had been staying at a relief camp set up by the police in Borobekar after violent incidents in June. Allegations are rising that they were abducted and killed by the Kukki community.
