The Manipur Government on Thursday issued “shoot at sight” order in “extreme cases” to contain spiralling violence in the State between tribals and the majority Meitei community which has displaced over 9,000 people from their villages.

Fifty-five columns of the Army and the Assam Rifles had to be deployed to contain widespread rioting across Manipur. The Army has also kept some 14 columns on standby for deployment in case the situation flares up once again, a defence spokesperson said.

The Centre, which is monitoring the situation in Manipur, also dispatched teams of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised force to handle riots, for deployment in violence-hit areas of the Northeastern State.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and took stock of the situation. Shah also spoke to the Chief Ministers of the States neighbouring Manipur,  officials said.

The Chief Ministers with whom Shah had telephonic conversations were Neiphiu Rio (Nagaland), Zoramthanga (Mizoram) and Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam). Sources said the force landed at Imphal airport this evening.

Internet services have been suspended for five days with immediate effect to prevent disturbance of peace and public order, a Home department order said on Thursday. Mobile internet services were suspended across the State.

Clashes broke out on Wednesday which intensified overnight with counter-attacks being mounted by rival communities in retaliation to earlier attacks, the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) organised a “Tribal Solidarity March” in 10 hill districts of the stateto protest moves to give Scheduled Tribe status to the majority Metei community.

The “shoot at sight” order issued by the Governor of the Northeastern State said all magistrates could issue the order when all options of persuasion, warning and reasonable force “have been exhausted and the situation could not be controlled”.

The Army and the Assam Rifles staged flag marches in Khuga, Tampa, Khomaujanbba areas of Churachandpur, Mantripukhri, Lamphel, Koeirangi area of Imphal Valley, and Sugnu in Kakching.

So far, 9,000 people were rescued by the forces from the violence-hit areas, and given shelter, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said some 5,000 people have been shifted to safe homes in Churachandpur, while 2,000 people each were similarly evacuated in Imphal Valley and the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district.

The “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who account for 53 per cent of the State’s population, for the ST status.

The march was organised by tribals who account for about 40 per cent of the state’s population after the Manipur High Court asked the State Government last month to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status by the Metei community.

During the march in Torbung area of Churachandpur district, an armed mob attacked people of the Meitei community, leading to retaliatory attacks in the valley districts, which escalated the violence throughout the State, police said.

Many shops and houses were vandalised, and gutted in arson that lasted for more than three hours in Torbung, they said.

Urging people to maintain peace, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “Precious lives have been lost, besides damage of properties, which is very unfortunate.” However, the details of the deaths were not immediately available.

Singh said the violence was the result of “misunderstanding” in the society.

“The State Government is taking all steps to maintain the law and order situation and additional para-military forces have been requisitioned to protect the lives and properties of the people,” he said.

“Central and State forces have been directed to take strong action against individuals and groups who are indulging in violence,” he said.

The Chief Minister of neighbouring Mizoram, Zoramthanga, wrote to Singh, expressing concern over the violence.

“As the Chief Minister of Mizoram, a lifelong neighbour that has much in common with Manipur in terms of history and culture, I am deeply pained by the violence that has flared up in parts of your State and the underlying tension between the Meitei community and the tribals there,” he wrote in the letter.

Singh said he spoke to Zoramthanga on the phone and apprised him of the present situation.

Curfew has been imposed in Meitei-majority Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, Jiribam, and Bishnupur districts, and tribal-dominated Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts.

In the Imphal valley, houses of Kuki tribals were ransacked in several areas, forcing them to flee, police said.

Over 500 residents of the Kuki-dominated Langol area in Imphal West fled their homes, and are currently staying at the CRPF camp at Lamphelpat, police said. Some places of worship were also set on fire in the Imphal valley Wednesday night, they said.

Meanwhile, around 1,000 Meiteis of the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district fled to various areas of Bishnupur district, including Kwakta and Moirang, they said. Over twenty houses were also burnt in Motbung area of Kangpokpi district. Violence was also reported from Moreh near the Myanmar border in Tengnoupal district.

Lawmakers of the valley have earlier openly endorsed the demand by some Meitei organisations for ST status, alarming communities who figure in the Scheduled Tribe list. The Meiteis inhabit the valley, which accounts for about a tenth of the former princely State’s land area. They claim they are facing problems because of “large-scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis”.

The hill districts which account for much of the state’s land are inhabited mostly by tribals -- including the Nagas and Kukis who are mainly Christians -- and are protected from encroachment by various laws.