Manipur Remains Tense: Internet Ban Reimposed, Schools Shut Till Friday And Protests Continue

After photos emerged of the dead bodies of two teenagers who had been missing since June 6, the tension in Manipur has increased.

The situation in the state was limping back to normalcy - as normal as possible in times of war. Schools had resumed in Manipur in July, and the mobile internet ban had been lifted over the past weekend.

But as protests erupted over the alleged murder of the two Meitei teenagers, the government has re-imposed the mobile internet ban.

AFP

Further, the Directorate of Education - Schools, Manipur, has declared that schools in Manipur will be temporarily closed on September 27 and 29.

So technically, schools are off till Friday - since Thursday is a public holiday in the state on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.

Although the reason for the closure is not stated in the official notice, speculations suggest that it is because of the continuing violence in Manipur.

Why was mobile internet ban re-imposed

As per orders of the Home Department of Manipur, "mobile internet data services, internet/data services through VPN" have been suspended for five days till 7:45 pm on 1st October 2023.

This was done because of the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur to stop the "spread of disinformation, false rumours and other types of violent activities through various social media platforms.."

Earlier on 23 August, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that mobile internet services, suspended in the state on May 3, will be restored since the situation had improved.

Where have protests erupted in Manipur

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of students marched towards Chief Minister N Biren Singh's residence, protesting against their brutal murder and demanding justice for the victims.

Following this, security forces used tear gas shells and smoke bombs to disperse the crowd. Around 25-30 students were injured in the chaos and rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

AFP

Later, the protests resumed in the evening, with women and residents coming out to the streets in Singjamei and Kakwa. Protestors clashed with police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel.

In the areas of Tera Bazar and Sagolband, protests continued till midnight. Security forces had to resort to firing tear gas shells and baton-charge to disperse the mob.

CBI to take over

CBI special director Ajay Bhatnagar is set to reach Manipur on Wednesday in a special flight along with other officials to investigate the murder of two students by suspected armed men, official sources said.

In a statement issued late Monday night, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, "The state police, in collaboration with the central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators who murdered the two students. The security forces have also started the search operation to nab the perpetrators."

What is the reason behind the uproar

The protests were regarding justice for the brutal death of the two Meitei teenagers who had been missing since July 6.

Pictures of their dead bodies emerged on Tuesday. One photo shows the two teenagers sitting next to each other in an outdoor forested area; the girl is wearing a mask and staring into the camera while the boy is looking away from the camera. In the background, a couple of men carrying arms can be seen.

In another picture, the two dead bodies can be seen slumped one after the other in a similar outdoor space. The man, Phijam Hemanjit Singh, seems to be decapitated.

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