Manipur: 9 Protestors Arrested in Delhi

IMPHAL: In a recent development, nine protestors from Manipur were arrested in Delhi who were demanding early restoration of peace and harmony in the conflict-ridden state.

The hunger strike launched by Malem Thongam, a transgender and the president of the Lamyanba Irawat Memorial Integrated Trust (LIMIT) was foiled by police in Delhi.

The accused were arrested around 5 pm on Thursday on the charges of violating CrPC 144 which was in force in front of the Arts Faculty in Delhi University.

The protest was reportedly organized by LIMIT and the Delhi Metei Coordinating Committee along with the Manipuris residing in the national capital.

It is also revealed that the nine people, who were arrested, are continuing their hunger strike inside the police station.

 The police have also confiscated placards and banners from the protest site which read as “Hunger strike to restore peace and harmony in Manipur”, “Update NRC to Manipur”, “Abrogate SoO” and “Restore peace in Manipur.”

On Thursday, Manipur High Court bench modified its earlier ruling concerning the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list.

This decision could have significant implications for the ongoing ethnic conflict between Meiteis and tribal communities in the state.

The contentious Paragraph 17(iii) of the March 2023 order, which directed the Manipur government to assess the inclusion of Meiteis, has been removed.

This decision was prompted by concerns raised by the Supreme Court and appeals lodged by tribal organizations.

However, the court did not address the remaining part of the order that instructed the government to provide a response to the Centre regarding the inclusion issue.

Tension had been building between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes for some time, but it came to a head in the first week of May, 2023. This followed the Manipur High Court's direction to the state government, on April 14, to recommend granting tribal status to the Meiteis, in response to a writ petition.

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