Congress MP from Inner Manipur writes to Amit Shah appealing for 'corrective measures' as the northeastern state crisis boils

In his letter to Shah, Akoijam wrote the violence reminds him of the memories of the Partition of India in 1947.

Akoijam wrote as quoted by NDTV, "It is distressing that such a severe crisis has unfolded under the present administration's watch."

He added, "It pains me to bring this reminder to you that this violence has led to the loss of precious human lives in hundreds and about 60,000 people have been rendered homeless.

"Just as I write this letter, not only thousands of those internally displaced persons (IDPs) are still languishing in relief camps under deplorable conditions but this unprecedented violence has also remained unabated to date."

Akoijam said he deeply "regrets" that the situation in Manipur does not matter to the central government, of which Shah is an important leader.

"I am sure that you would have been deeply hurt if the same case were to happen to Gujarat, your own home state, like any other Gujarati would have understandably felt," he wrote as quoted by NDTV.

He sent the letter in the wake of the escalation of violence following last week's drone attack that killed a 78-year-old man and injured six others. The deceased has been identified as RK Rabei.

Amid fresh violence in Manipur, the state government has banned mobile internet services in five districts to prevent the spread of fake news and concocted posts. The internet ban would remain in force for five days.

Amid the Manipur government imposed a curfew in Imphal, thousands of students staged protests in the state capital for the second day on Tuesday against the drone and missile attacks.

The protesters continued their agitation even as security forces fired tear gas shells in the air.

Congress MP A Bimol Akoijam | Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab

The students met Governor Lakshman Acharya and placed their six-point demand. The Governor has assured them of taking up their demands with the Centre and the state.

The Centre, meanwhile, sent two fresh battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to the state.

This is an addition to 2,000 troops already stationed in Manipur, which has been witnessing violence since May last year.

All institutions under the Higher and Technical Education Department have been closed along with other government as well as private colleges till Sept 12.

The Manipur University has already postponed exams for various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The students have been holding protests objecting to the move.

The army, Assam Rifles, and other security forces have conducted joint operations across various districts and recovered substantial quantities of arms and ammunition.

More than 200 people died and about 50,000 others displaced after the ethnic clash between the Meiteis and Kukis broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

The outbreak of violence in Manipur can be traced back to the 'Tribal Solidarity March' initiated by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM).

The march was organized as a form of protest against the demand to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, which was prompted by a directive from the Manipur High Court on April 19.

The march served as a catalyst for the subsequent escalation of violence in the region.

Approximately 53 percent of the population in Manipur comprises Meiteis, residing predominantly in the Imphal Valley, while the remaining 40 percent consists of tribal communities such as Kukis, residing primarily in the hill districts surrounding the Valley.

Earlier in September, a fresh suspected attack by the Kuki insurgents after months of calm had left normal lives in jeopardy with the death of two people and injury to 10 others.