Manipuri community holds candlelight protest demanding Scheduled Tribe (P) status

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The designated protest site at Chachal in Guwahati turned into a sea of candlelight on Friday evening as hundreds from the Manipuri community staged a peaceful sit-in demonstration. The protest, jointly organized by the Voters Party International (VPI) and the United Manipuri Association Assam (UMAA), began around 5 PM and continued late into the night.

Participants, including women, students, and elderly citizens, sat in orderly rows holding candles and placards demanding immediate Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status for Manipuris settled in Assam and self-governance for crisis-hit Manipur.

“Without ST status, our identity, land, and culture are under threat. We want protection and self-rule,” one protester said, echoing the collective sentiment of the gathering.

A heavy police presence guarded the dharna site, with additional forces from nearby police stations and a full company of Assam Police personnel deployed as a precaution. Despite the elaborate security arrangements, the demonstration remained entirely peaceful, with no attempt by protesters to march towards the Assembly or block roads.

Senior police officials said the heightened security was necessary given the ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur and to prevent any spillover effect in Assam.

The gathering grew steadily through the evening, reaching an estimated 600–700 protesters, many of whom joined from Beltola, Hatigaon, and Narengi — localities with significant Manipuri populations.

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