Manipur Violence: The curfew in the violence hit Manipur will be relaxed on 7th August from 5 am to 12 pm aiming to facilitate the general public to purchase basic amenities including medicine and food items, said Th. Kirankumar Singh, District Magistrate Imphal West.

According to order dated August 6, DM stated, “The restriction of movement of general public outside their residences is hereby lifted from 05:00 AM to 12:00 noon of August 7, 2023 (Monday) for all areas of Imphal West District to facilitate general public to purchase the essential items including medicines and food items.”

Manipur | Curfew will be relaxed on 7th August from 5 am to 12 pm in all areas of Imphal West district to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicine and food items: DM Imphal West pic.twitter.com/aEGZgMGkdB

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2023

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“However, movement of persons belonging to essential services such as Health, Electricity, PHED, Petrol Pumps. Schools/Colleges, Municipality, Press and Electronic media, functioning of Courts and to and fro movement of flight passengers to airport shall be exempted from the imposition of curfew,” the order further stated.

Manipur Violence

Violence in Manipur, which erupted on May 3, has resulted in at least 125 deaths and forced over 40,000 people to flee their homes. The clashes began when the Kuki tribal group clashed with the Meitei, the ethnic majority, over sharing economic benefits and quotas.

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The Meitei sought special benefits, and tensions escalated after the Manipur High Court recommended considering their demands. The disparity in development and opportunities between the Meitei in the valley region and the Kukis and Nagas in the hills has been a longstanding point of contention.

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Recent events, including the influx of Myanmar refugees and the state government’s drive to evict tribal communities from forests, exposed old faultlines and reignited violence. The presence of arms in both groups and the failure of peace talks with Myanmar leaders have hindered efforts to restore peace in the region.