A few people were injured. These individuals, who have been living in relief camps since ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, were stopped by security forces at Yaingangpokpi while marching toward their homes in Gwaltabi.
A senior police officer who did not want to be named told ET, “Security forces fired multiple rounds in the air, tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd.”
Since November 21, such clashes have been occurring frequently. The 10-day-long Sangai festival started on November 21. IDPs are protesting the hosting of the festival. They want resettlement before such events are held.
Manipur Valley-based civil society organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has also opposed the Sangai festival. The festival is being held after a two-year gap.
Over 260 people were killed, 1,500 injured, and more than 70,000 displaced after ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13 this year.The Assam Rifles recovered five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during routine patrolling in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, averting a serious security threat, officials said on Saturday.A defence spokesperson said that during a patrol, Assam Rifles troops recovered five IEDs in the Pengpalep–Lokchao axis of Tengnoupal district, preventing a severe threat.
Troops discovered an unusual underground structure, and a subsequent search revealed five IEDs concealed inside a specially built bunker.
A bomb disposal team was deployed, confirmed the devices were live, and safely neutralised them, ensuring the area was fully sanitised, the spokesperson said. On Friday, a fierce encounter between the Assam Rifles and outlawed militants took place along the India-Myanmar border areas of the state.
Manipur shares a 398 km unfenced border with Myanmar, making the frontier highly vulnerable to the trans-border movement of militants, inimical elements and large-scale smuggling of drugs.