Indian police have arrested 33 people after a spike in ethnic violence in the state of Manipur, where a curfew is in place and the internet is down.
According to the report of the foreign news agency ‘AFP’, clashes between the Hindu majority and the Christian Kuki community in Manipur started in May 2023. At least 200 people have been killed since this ethnic conflict.
The two communities have since split into rival groups in different parts of the country, bordering war-torn Myanmar.
After months of relative peace, fresh fighting broke out this month.
Insurgents fired rockets and dropped bombs from drones in recent clashes, killing at least 11 people, in what police described as a significant increase in violence.
A police statement said that 33 people, including 7 minors, have been arrested in Manipur following violent incidents in the past few days.
He urged the people to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies in restoring peace and normalcy.
Police ordered a curfew but hundreds of people defied the order in the state capital Imphal.
Protesters from the Meiti community marched in Imphal and demanded action by security forces against Kuki groups, whom they blame for the fresh tension.
Human rights activists accused local leaders of stoking ethnic divisions for political gain.
Manipur is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to government data, around 60,000 people were displaced by the fighting last year, many of whom have not been able to return to their homes until now.
