NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have deployed hundreds of military personnel and cut off internet services in the northeastern state of Manipur after six people were killed in violent ethnic clashes.
The troops were sent to the state, which borders Myanmar after a protest march by tribal groups turned violent on Wednesday.
A curfew has been imposed, and the situation is now under control, according to a Manipur government minister who confirmed the death toll.
The state governor has issued “shoot at sight” orders in extreme cases to local authorities. The Indian defence ministry said that security forces had evacuated around 7,500 people from areas of the state affected by the violence.
The protests were sparked by demands from the Meitei ethnic community to be included in the government’s “Scheduled Tribe” category, which would entitle them to reserved quotas for college admissions and government jobs as a form of affirmative action to address structural inequality and discrimination.
India’s govt failed to address longstanding issues
Tribal groups have been protesting against these demands, resulting in violent clashes. The Indian government has struggled to address longstanding issues of discrimination and inequality faced by tribal communities, particularly in the country’s northeastern regions.
The deployment of troops and the suspension of internet services in Manipur have raised concerns about the Indian government’s handling of the situation and the impact on civil liberties in the region.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association has called for an investigation into the use of force by security forces in the state.
