Manipur: Curfew relaxed in Imphal City for essential shopping

The curfew imposed in Imphal City has been relaxed in the morning hours from 5:00 AM to 11:00 AM starting, May 10, 2023, as the law and order situation in the area has improved, according to the police report. The decision was taken by the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner of Imphal West District, following the directions of the Secretariat: Home Department, to ease the restrictions imposed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

While announcing the relaxation, the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner said that people are allowed to step out of their homes for essential shopping during the said hours, subject to the condition that they should not gather for any other purposes. The order applies to all areas falling under the jurisdiction of Imphal City, which is a major hub of markets, shops, godowns, and business entities that provide various essential items not only to the district population but also to the entire state.
It may be noted that the curfew was imposed on May 3, 2023, in the wake of the violent incidents that had occurred in some parts of the state, leading to the loss of lives and property. However, after witnessing improvements in the law and order situation, the Secretariat: Home Department had directed all District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioners of all District to issue necessary orders to relax the curfew in limited parts of the districts as may be decided by the Deputy Commissioners with utmost caution and with due provisioning of adequate security strictly from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM every day.

As of now, the curfew relaxation is limited to the morning hours in Imphal City, and the authorities have assured that any further decision on the matter will be taken after a review of the situation. Meanwhile, the internet services remain suspended in the state, and there is no sign of their restoration unless peace prevails in the state.