Meghalaya Chief Minister appeals for peace in violence-hit Manipur

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, has appealed for peace in Manipur, where clashes between various tribal groups have left nearly 11 civilians injured and two dead. The clashes broke out on May 3 in several parts of Manipur’s hill districts during the ongoing ATSUM’s (All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur) solidarity march protesting against the Meitei’s demand for inclusion in Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.

Sources report that five of the injured civilians were admitted to hospital with bullet injuries, and two of them have succumbed to their injuries. The situation in Manipur remains tense, and additional Paramilitary Forces have been deployed to bring the situation under control. The army, along with the state police of Manipur, intervened to control the tense situation in the state following communal tension erupting on May 3 after clashes in Churachandpur district.

The army is currently conducting a flag march in violence-hit areas amid tribal groups’ protests over the court order on the Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. The protests have caused incidents of vandalism and arson to be reported in Imphal, Bishnupur, and Moreh districts, among others.

In response to the situation, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has appealed to all sections of people in Manipur to maintain peace and communal harmony. He urged the public to not resort to violence and to instead come to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution.