The Manipur government on Monday extended the suspension of mobile internet and data services for two more days in seven trouble-torn districts, officials said.
Home Department officials said that the violence-hit Jiribam district, however, remained out of the purview of the suspension of mobile internet and data services.
Commissioner, Home, N. Ashok Kumar in his order said that in view of the prevailing law and order situation, the government has decided to extend the suspension of mobile internet and data services for two more days in seven trouble-torn districts with effect from 5.15 p.m. on Monday to 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday. The seven districts, comprising both the valley and hills, are Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur.
After the widespread violence and attacks by angry mobs started in valley districts including Imphal East and Imphal West on November 16 following the recovery of six bodies of missing persons in Jiribam district on November 15 and 16, Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi on Saturday ordered the suspension of mobile internet and data services in these seven districts for two days from Saturday.
Indefinite curfew also clamped in five of these districts — Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching.
Meanwhile, students of Manipur University held massive protests on their campus and burnt the effigies of Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh to protest the killing of a youth identified as K. Athouba, 21 in Jiribam district on Sunday night.
Confirming the death of the youth in police firing, a police official in Imphal said that who fired the bullet is being ascertained. However, protesters claimed that the Manipur Police special commando fired to disperse the mob, and the youth was killed in the firing and two others were injured. The police official said that the mob was attacking and vandalising properties of various leaders’ houses and political party offices on Sunday night.
Protesters in Imphal belonging to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, were seen putting posters of lockdown in the government offices.
By Monday evening, the protestors put up the posters of lockdown in the offices of the Chief Electoral Officer, the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, and the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development.
The COCOMI on Sunday, has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre and the state government to take “decisive action” against armed groups or face public anger.
COCOMI Spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba on Sunday urged all the 50 MLAs (excluding 10 tribal legislators), comprising ruling and opposition parties to sit together and take decisive action against the armed groups and to resolve the ethnic crisis. “If they (MLAs) do not take any decisive actions up to the satisfaction of the people of the state, then the government will bear the brunt of the people’s discontent and anger,” Athouba had told the media.
