Fresh violence has erupted in India’s Manipur after the arrest of a prominent leader of a Hindu Meitei radical group, prompting authorities to tighten security in the strife-torn north-eastern state. Prohibitory orders were imposed at midnight on June 7, banning gatherings of more than five people in any location. Internet and mobile data services were also suspended, officials reported. The security measures will remain in effect for five days in the five restive districts of the northeastern state. The latest outbreak of violence erupted after the federal probe agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, arrested A. Kanan Singh, leader of the Arambai Tenggol, an armed group representing the majority Meitei community.
He was picked up from the Imphal airport on June 7 for his alleged involvement in the ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023, in the hilly state adjacent to civil war-torn Myanmar. The federal agency also reportedly took four of Singh’s associates into custody for interrogation. This upset the Meiteis, who protested at the airport and blocked roads to demand their immediate release. A government notification warned of the “imminent danger of loss of life and/or damage to public/private property, and widespread disturbances to public tranquillity and communal harmony” due to the violent protests. It also expressed apprehension that some antisocial elements might use social media to incite passions among the masses, which could have serious repercussions for the law and order situation. A Christian leader from the state confirmed that “there is unrest in many places in the Hindu majority Meitei areas.” “The latest violence seems to be a ploy on the part of Meiteis to delay the federal government’s efforts to restore peace in the state,” he told on June 9.
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