Indians escorted back home in riot-hit north-east
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People waiting at a temporary shelter in a military camp after fleeing ethnic violence in Manipur on Sunday.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW DELHI - Thousands of people who fled deadly rioting and ethnic clashes in north-east India
Fierce fighting broke out in the state of Manipur bordering Myanmar when members of about 30 tribal groups clashed with a non-tribal group, the ethnic majority Meitei, over the economic benefits and reservation status extended to some tribes.
“We are trying to ensure villagers return to their homes, as leaders from opposing sides have started holding peace talks today,” said Mr Lorho S. Pfoze, a Member of Parliament from the state.
“The situation is extremely tense and victims are scared to return to their villages as they fear clashes could erupt again.”
Civilians were taken home after the completion of combing operations near the border areas, an Indian Army officer said on condition of anonymity. A dawn-to-dusk curfew will continue this week, he added.
Police in Manipur’s capital of Imphal said 62 people were killed in the fighting that had raged in the hills and some parts of the valley, but there was no violence over the weekend.
Three politicians of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said the death toll was around 70.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told a press briefing late on Monday that about 230 people were injured, 35,000 displaced, and 1,700 houses burnt by protesters.
“The situation is slowly limping back to normal… We shall order a high-level probe to inquire into the violent clashes,” he said.
Rights groups in Imphal said tension started building in April after the Manipur High Court asked the government to consider the Meitei community’s request to be given the constitutionally defined status of a scheduled tribe.
The existing recognised tribes opposed the request.
“The tribal and non-tribal groups have had a history of jealousy over the distribution of economic resources and opportunities, but this time their anger just could not be contained,” one of the participants in the peace talks, Mr Khuraijam Athouba, said.
India reserves some government jobs, college places and elected seats – from village councils to Parliament – for those categorised as scheduled tribes, in a form of affirmative action to tackle historical structural inequality and discrimination.
“We are urging both sides to really put an end to the violence, or they will have to live under strict curfew for months,” said Mr Athouba, a member of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity. REUTERS
