Manipur: Curfew relaxed in four districts, suspension on broadband internet lifted

Imphal, Nov 19 (IANS) With no major incident reported from any of the districts in Manipur, curfew was relaxed in four Imphal Valley districts on Wednesday and the suspension on broadband internet was lifted, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said that in view of improvement in law and order, curfew was relaxed in Imphal East and West, Thoubal and Kakching districts from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesday to enable the people to purchase essential items and to perform important work.

District magistrates of four districts issued separate notifications relaxing the curfew, which was imposed for an indefinite period on November 16 after the widespread violence started in the valley districts after the recovery of the bodies of three children and three women in Jiribam on November 15 and 16.

These six people, belonging to the Meitei community, were reportedly kidnapped by Kuki militants on November 11 from the relief camp in Jiribam district’s Borobekra sub-division.

Various civil society organisations organised rallies in Imphal West district to protest the reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA in six police stations in five districts of the state.

The Manipur Home Department on Tuesday conditionally lifted the suspension on broadband services three days after imposing it in nine districts, considering the hardships faced by students, employees, common people, healthcare facilities, educational institutions and other offices.

According to an order of Commissioner, Home, N Ashok Kumar,  the mobile internet and data services, however, remained suspended.

Meanwhile, a meeting of 26 MLAs of the ruling BJP-led NDA held on Monday night adopted resolutions urging the Centre to launch a "mass operation" within seven days against the Kuki militants responsible for killing six women and children in Jiribam.

The NDA MLAs also requested the union government to ban the Kuki militants responsible for the killings of six people.

The Monday night meeting also requested the Centre to hand over three cases of killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The cases include the killing of six innocent Meitei women and children in Jiribam, the death of a Hmar tribal woman who was burnt to death on November 7 in Jiribam and the killing of a Meitei community woman farmer in Saiton in Bishnupur district on November 9.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, expressed displeasure with the NDA MLAs' resolutions and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to review those, failing which they threatened to intensify their agitation.

--IANS

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