In Imphal, a protest turned violent in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Saturday, leading to the death of one protester and injuries to 25 others, including women. The man who died is Lalgouthang Singsit, a 30-year-old who was shot during the clashes at Keithelmanbi. He passed away while being taken to a hospital.
The clashes began when Kuki protesters were upset about a new directive from Union Home Minister Amit Shah that allowed people to move freely across the state. Police tried to control the crowd by using tear gas, which made the situation worse. Protesters started setting fire to cars and blocked roads, like NH-2, by burning tires. They also tried to stop a state bus going from Imphal to Senapati district.
The protests were also against a peace march organized by the Federation of Civil Society, a group from the Meitei community. Security forces stopped the march at Sekmai, saying it did not have permission to proceed. Police explained, “We are just following orders to stop the march. If they want to continue, they can use the state buses arranged by the government.”
Members of the Federation of Civil Society argued that they were just following Shah’s instruction about free movement across the state. Meanwhile, a video from a Kuki-Zo village group warned that there would be strong resistance to any government plans about free movement until a separate administration is established. The video’s authenticity has not been confirmed.
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