Breaking point: 23 arrested as ethnic tensions hit new peak in northeast India
Police detained suspects after mob attacks on lawmakers homes in Manipur state. Inter-community violence continues to shake the region‚ with recent deaths prompting fresh protests despite strict curfew
Law-enforcement in north-eastern India nabbed 23 people after a mob destroyed and burnt officials houses in Manipur state (a region thats been dealing with ethnic issues since last summer)
The situation in Imphal remains shaky — even with strict rules in place people dont follow the stay-at-home orders; protesting recent killings that shocked local communities. “The situation is relatively calm today but unpredictable“ [[senior state police official]]
The long-running conflict between Meitei and Kuki groups has created a split region: valley vs hills with a no-mans land in-between watched by government forces. About 250 people lost their lives and 60000 had to leave their homes since the trouble started
Recent events made things worse:
* A Kuki woman was killed by fire last week
* Bodies of two women and kids (likely Meitei) found in water
* Another Kuki person found dead in same area
The National Peopleʼs Party (which has 7 seats in local parliament) pulled its support from N Biren Singhʼs government; saying he cant fix the problem. Police had to use tear-gas to stop crowds from attacking leaders homes — this led to eight people getting hurt; and internet services being cut-off