Imphal, Sep 11 (V7N) –The northeastern Indian state of Manipur is once again gripped by violence, with insurgent attacks and clashes between police and students leading to the imposition of an indefinite curfew in three districts. As tensions escalate, internet services across the state have been suspended in a bid to prevent further unrest.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of Manipur on Tuesday, all internet and mobile data services will remain closed for the next five days. Authorities cited the spread of "anti-social material, images, hate speech, and videos" through social media as a significant factor in fuelling the ongoing violence. The move is aimed at preventing fresh outbreaks of communal tension.

The districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Thoubal have been placed under an indefinite curfew as violence has worsened since early September. However, emergency services have been exempted from the curfew restrictions, ensuring essential operations can continue.

On Tuesday, the situation escalated further when students in Imphal organised a protest, marching towards the Manipur governor's office. As the procession reached the governor's residence around 1 pm local time, the students clashed with the police stationed there. The confrontation lasted for about an hour before police forces managed to disperse the crowd by 2 pm. Shortly after this, the state government ordered the internet shutdown.

In recent days, Manipur has seen several rounds of gunfights between security forces and insurgents, as well as bomb blasts and even drone and missile attacks in multiple areas. These incidents have claimed the lives of at least nine people and injured several others.

This latest wave of violence comes on the heels of communal clashes that erupted in May 2023 between the predominantly Hindu Meitei community and the Christian Kuki community. At least 200 people were killed in those earlier conflicts, and tensions have only intensified with the recent deaths of nine more people in the last 10 days.

The situation in Manipur remains highly volatile, with the indefinite curfew and internet shutdown measures serving as attempts by the government to regain control and prevent further bloodshed.

END/AJ/SMA