Thousands of protesters seeking lasting peace in violence-hit Manipur clashed with police on Saturday after being stopped from marching toward the chief minister’s residence in Imphal. The demonstrations were organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei group, which led four separate rallies from different parts of the city. Security forces blocked the processions at multiple points before they could reach the chief minister’s bungalow in the Babupara area, reports PTI.
Authorities deployed additional personnel and set up barricades at key junctions, including Keisampat, Kangla Gate, Konung Mamang and Moirangkhom, to prevent the marchers from advancing.
Tensions escalated at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East district, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the chief minister’s residence, where protesters attempted to breach barricades. Security forces responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, officials said.
The protesters raised slogans and carried placards demanding justice for two children killed in a recent bomb blast in Bishnupur district. They also called for rehabilitation of people displaced by ongoing ethnic violence in the state.
Later in the day, a delegation of protesters was allowed to meet Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and submit a memorandum outlining their demands.
Following the meeting, COCOMI convenor Y.K. Dhiren said the group would intensify its agitation if their demands were not addressed. He said the state has not seen a concrete resolution to the crisis since violence erupted on May 3, 2023, and alleged a lack of political will to restore peace.
COCOMI spokesperson Nahakpam Shanta Singh said the organisation has sought an action taken report from the government on the April 7 blast in Tronglaobi that killed two children. He warned that further democratic protests would follow if the government failed to respond.
Manipur has been gripped by ethnic clashes between the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki groups in surrounding hill areas. Since May 2023, the violence has left more than 260 people dead and displaced thousands, deepening the humanitarian and security crisis in the northeastern state.
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