Drones, helicopters deployed as curfew eases in violence-hit Manipur; 23,000 people moved to camps

The unrest in Manipur continued to be closely monitored by the Indian Army, which deployed drones and helicopters to keep surveillance on the region on Sunday, as curfew restrictions were eased in some parts of the state. The Northeastern state has been rocked by ethnic violence over the past few days, resulting in the deaths of at least 54 people. However, officials reported that the situation had improved somewhat, with over 23,000 people rescued from violence-affected areas and moved to military garrisons.

Around 10,000 security personnel, including Army and Assam Rifles personnel, have been deployed in the state to maintain peace and order. Flag marches were held by the security forces, but tension continued to prevail. The governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey, chaired a meeting with Security Advisor Kuldip Singh and Operational Commander Ashutosh Sinha to discuss ways to resolve the crisis. At the meeting, the officers shared their suggestions with the governor, who advised that arrangements be made for the safe return of people currently in relief camps.

The unrest erupted following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' held in ten hill districts of Manipur, as a form of protest against the Meitei community's request for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Meitei community constitutes approximately 53 per cent of the population of Manipur, residing mostly in the Imphal valley. On the other hand, the Nagas and Kukis, who are classified as tribals, make up roughly 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts.

In Hyderabad, Union Minister for the Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy said that the Centre was ready to hold talks with the warring groups in Manipur and resolve their issues. He emphasised that the government's main agenda was the welfare of the people, and urged the different groups to come forward for talks to resolve their issues peacefully.

As the security situation in Manipur began to stabilise, the state's Home Department instructed district magistrates and deputy commissioners to ease the curfew restrictions in some areas of their districts. In Churachandpur, the centre of the violence, the curfew was relaxed from 7 am to 10 am on Sunday to enable people to buy essential items, including food and medicine. In Imphal West district, the curfew will be relaxed from 5 am to 8 pm on Monday.

According to a statement by the Indian defence, the Army has considerably bolstered its surveillance operations through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters in the Imphal Valley within the last 24 hours. At the same time, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken multiple measures to aid passengers at Imphal airport, and airlines have waived rescheduling and cancellation fees for flights serving the airport.

Different states also continued to rescue their people from Manipur. Andhra Pradesh rescued over 100 students, while Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said 22 students from the state were stuck in Manipur, and arrangements were being made to bring them back home. Tripura rescued 208 of its students, and Nagaland evacuated 676 people from the violence-hit state. Sikkim also rescued 128 students.