Protests continued to grip the Indian state of Manipur on Tuesday, as demonstrators defied prohibitory orders and clashed with security forces across several districts of Imphal valley.
The protesters demanded the unconditional release of Kanan Singh, leader of the radical Meitei group Arambai Tenggol, and four others.
According to The Hindu, clashes erupted in the Khurai Lamlong area of Imphal East district Monday night, prompting security personnel to deploy tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
In Bishnupur district鈥檚 Nambol, at least two police personnel sustained minor injuries during a confrontation with demonstrators, officials said.
The renewed unrest led the state administration to impose an internet shutdown and curfew on Sunday, following clashes between protesters and security forces over the arrests, AFP reported.
Manipur has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than two years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community that have killed more than 250 people.
The latest violence was triggered Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members.
Incensed mobs demanding their release stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of the state capital Imphal.
Manipur police announced a curfew in five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, due to the 鈥榙eveloping law and order situation鈥�.
鈥楶rohibitory orders have been issued by district magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the orders,鈥� the police said in a statement.
Arambai Tenggol, which is alleged to have orchestrated the violence against the Kuki community, has also announced a 10-day shutdown in the valley districts.
The state鈥檚 home ministry has ordered all internet and mobile data services in volatile districts to be shut off for five days in order to bring the latest unrest under control.
Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures.
Thousands of the state鈥檚 residents are still unable to return home owing to ongoing tensions.
Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs.
Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.
