Indefinite curfew continued in Manipur’s Chirachandpur district following sporadic incidents of violence by agitators on Wednesday even as the tension refused to die down across the State with United Naga Council (UNC) calling a bandh of National Highway 39, the lifeline of Manipur, for 48 hours from Thursday midnight in protest against the passage of the three Bills by the Manipur Assembly.
The Churachandpur district administration relaxed the curfew for few hours from 5 am on Wednesday but rei-mposed it after reports of sporadic incidents of violence from different parts of the district. Some of the agitators tried to set a mobile tower and two Government offices on fire. The security forces, however, contained the situation before the fire could spread.
At least 25 tribal apex bodies in the hills of Manipur refused an invitation by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to settle the matter through talks. The kin of the victims of the recent violence in Chirachandpur have also refused to accept `5 lakh ex-gratia to each of the kin announced by the Manipur Government.
The UNC -- the apex body of all Naga tribes in Manipur -- in a statement announced a 48-hour National Highway bandh from Thursday midnight in protest against the passing of the three Bills—the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015, the Manipur land Revenue & land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shop & Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.
“The curfew was relaxed for a few hours so that people could buy essential commodities. However, it was imposed again so that the situation would not deteriorate and the anti-social elements would not take advantage to create further violence,” said Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner, l Haokip.
With the curfew on, life came to a standstill in the State. The State Government also restricted the SMS and internet services in Churachandpur and adjacent areas to check the spread of rumours regarding the violence since Tuesday evening.
On Monday a mob went on rampage in Churachandpur district in protest against the passage of the three bills and torched the houses of a Congress MP, State health Minister and five other Congress legislators that led to killing of five persons including two in police firing.
On Tuesday to violent protest continued in Churachandpur district and two more people were killed, when police resorted to firing to contain the violence taking deathtoll to 7 so far.
like the Kuki tribal organisations who had opposed passage of the three bills, the UNC also termed the three bills as ‘anti-tribals and that such move of the State Government of Manipur is a direct challenge to the tribal people of Manipur’.
It may be mentioned here that the NH 39, which is the lifeline of Manipur starts in Assam and winds through Nagaland to enter Manipur’s trouble-torn hills, before slicing through the Imphal Valley and then making its way up through the hills again to end at Moreh along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The Nagas that dominate the four hill districts of Manipur—Senapati, Tamenglong, Ukhrul and Chandel—have often blocked this highway to make their voice heard, leading to a divide and occasional violence between the people of the Hills and the Valley.
It may be mentioned here that violence erupted in Churachandpur district in Manipur on Monday after the State legislative Assembly unanimously passed Protection of Manipur People Bill 2015, Manipur land Revenue and land Reforms (seventh amendment) Bill 2015, and Manipur Shops and Establishment (second amendment) Bill 2015.
The tribals of Manipur including the Kuki, Zomis and the Nagas have, however, been opposing the passage of the three bills—mainly the land Revenue & land Reform Act (7th Amendment Bill 2015)— as according to them, it would overlap Article 371 C of the Indian Constitution and Manipur Hill People Administration Regulation Act, 1947, which will infringe upon their rights.
The land Revenue & land Reform Act (7th Amendment Bill 2015) Bill proposed to bring the land in hill areas of Manipur, which are hitherto been governed by customary laws and are held by Chieftains on behalf of the villagers, under the custody of deputy commissioners and the Manipur Government. This amendment led to a feeling among the hill people that the Manipur Government is trying to grab their lands.