Manipur death toll crosses 50 as CM holds all-party meet, Army steps in

At a press conference at the CM Secretariat Saturday night, Security Advisor to the Manipur Government, Kuldiep Singh, said that Article 355 has not been promulgated in the state and that “confusion had been created by certain elements”.

“Action will be taken up against all those who have taken the law in their hands, including those who are under Suspension of Operation agreement with the state and Centre,” he said. He added that the government will facilitate evacuation of all those who are stranded “in a time-bound manner” to ensure their safety.

The death toll of 52 is according to estimates of bodies received and the number of injured who were brought to three key hospitals, their officials have told The Indian Express.

The state government or police have not released the official toll so far. On Friday, P Doungel, Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur, had cited security reasons for the decision.

In Churachandpur, seven of the deaths took place on Friday, including three in an alleged incident of security personnel opening fire on people who had allegedly tried to stop the evacuation of Meiteis from the area.

According to the Chief Medical Officer of Churachandpur District Hospital, 12 bodies have been brought to the mortuary since violence broke out on May 3, of which three were brought in following Friday evening’s shooting.

According to another senior doctor at the hospital, two others were critically injured in the incident, while four bodies were brought in earlier in the day.

At the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal West, 26 bodies, including of two women, have been brought to the mortuary by security personnel during the course of the violence, senior hospital officials said. So far, only one body has been claimed by a family from Nambol in Bishnupur district.

At the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East, two persons succumbed to their injuries in hospital while 12 bodies were brought to the mortuary by security personnel from different districts. Not a single one has been claimed by their families, said senior hospital authorities.

Among those who died in the alleged firing in Churachandpur was 34-year-old Nianghoihching. According to her brother Lam Jacob, she had been working as a nurse on a contractual basis at Churachandpur District Hospital since 2021, after working at a hospital in Delhi for eight years.

“We were at home in the evening when we heard that the Army was trying to evacuate Meiteis from the area, and that we must block the road. Everyone started moving out to the road and so did she. I remained at home. Around 10-15 minutes after she left, we heard that she had been injured. When she was taken to the hospital, we were told that she had died,” Jacob said.

According to Muan Hangsing (24), a researcher and resident of Churachandpur, the developments of the evening came at the end of a day of “uneasy calm” in the town.

“Because of the Army deployment, no one dares to move around during the day. But around 7 pm, we got information that security vehicles were moving to evacuate Meitei people stranded in the town. We gathered at Tidim Road and barricaded it, with women at the forefront because we thought that the security personnel would not shoot at them,” he said.

Another 30-year-old resident who had gathered to barricade the road said that “the Meiteis are stuck here, while Kuki people are stuck in Imphal”, and that until the safety of Kukis is ensured, locals did not want Meiteis to be evacuated from the area.

While state capital Imphal has seen Kukis at the receiving end of the violence, the Meiteis have been targeted in areas dominated by Kukis.

An Assam Rifles official in Imphal said he had received inputs that “80-200” people had gathered, and confirmed that people had died in the firing. “Evacuation of people from different parts of the state is constantly going on,” he said, adding that the blockading of roads continues to be common in different parts of the state.

A senior official from the Central security forces also confirmed the deaths.
At JNIMS in Imphal, a hospital official said that while 62 injured had come to the hospital since the violence broke out, the last such case was reported on Friday morning.

“Of the 62, except four-five cases, all have pellet injuries. Of these, 26 have been admitted. Some of these include grievous injuries such as a skull injury with a pellet in the brain and a serious abdominal injury,” said the official, adding that most of the injured were brought in by civic volunteers.

In a tweet, the IRS (Indian Revenue Service) Association said a tax assistant identified as Letminthang Haokip had been killed in Imphal. “No cause or ideology can justify the killing of an innocent public servant on duty,” it said.

Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, Chief Minister Singh said he held an all-party meeting, as well as a video conference with “senior officials of the state government, police and paramilitary forces to review the ground operations to restore peace and stability”.

At the all-party meeting “it was resolved to appeal for peace in the state, and encourage all citizens to avoid any actions that could lead to further violence or instability”, he said. “The state police and the paramilitary have been given strict instruction to take action against those who create disturbances in the law & order of the state,” he tweeted.

“It was further resolved to form a peace committee in every assembly constituency to ensure that peace initiatives are implemented at the grassroots level,” he said.

Also, on Saturday, the DIG (ops) of CRPF wrote in an internal communication to his force: “Regarding ensuring safety of CRPF personnel on leave during the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur, competent authority has desired all the units offices/ establishments to promptly contact their personnel hailing from Manipur, who are presently on leave. In case they feel unsafe/ insecure, they be directed to report immediately at the nearest CRPF, BSF, SF location, along with their family members. Please ensure to extend all possible assistance to such personnel on priority basis.”

This comes a day after a CRPF constable identified as Chonkholen Haokip, who was on leave, was shot dead when he tried to stop men setting a village on fire.

Clashes between the Meitei and Kuki groups were first reported in an area bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts on Wednesday, following a ‘tribal solidarity march’ organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur. The march participants were protesting the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category, following an April 19 directive of the Manipur High Court.