Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended

The administration in Manipur has imposed a curfew in most districts of the state as a mass protest organised by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) turned violent. To contain the situation, mobile internet services in Manipur have also been suspended for five days with immediate effect.

What is the protest about?

The mass protest was organised to oppose the demand to include the state's Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. This came to light after a directive issued by Manipur High Court on April 19. The court had issued directions recommending the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India. To this, tribal groups in the state had expressed strong opposition.

All the hill districts including Senapati, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel, and Tengnoupal participated in the protests. The protestors argued that Meiteis already enjoy the status of SC, OBC, and EBC reservations. Furthermore, the protesters claimed that Meiteis are not tribals and should not be given ST quota, they are SC, OBC, and Brahmin, they added.

It is important to note that the state of Manipur has both hilly and plain areas. However, the hill districts occupy about 90 per cent of the total area of the state. The hills are sparsely populated with the majority of the population living in the valleys.

The protest is part of the old ethnic rift between the plain-dwelling Meitei community and the tribes that live in the hills.

In a sigh of relief to the tribal bodies in the state, the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), the autonomous organisation responsible to oversee legislation and administration in hill areas has urged the Government of Manipur and the Central government to take a second look at the matter keeping in mind the “sentiments and interests/rights of the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur.”

So far, Chief Minister of Manipur Biren Singh has not commented on the issue. However, he took to his Facebook page and appealed for dialogue to resolve the matter.