- By Kathryn Armstrong
- BBC News
May 6, 2023
Updated 9 hours ago
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Thousands of soldiers were dispatched to Manipur to stop the violence
At least 30 people have been killed in ethnic clashes in the remote Indian state of Manipur, officials said.
The violence began earlier this week after a rally by indigenous communities against efforts to grant tribal status to the main ethnic group in the state.
Mobs attacked houses, vehicles, churches and temples. Some reports put the death toll at as many as 54.
Around 10,000 people were reportedly displaced. Thousands of soldiers were dispatched to maintain order.
A curfew is in place in several districts and internet access has been suspended.
Neighboring states have started evacuating their students from Manipur, which is in north-eastern India and near the border with Myanmar.
The army says it is bringing the situation under control, but the state government, led by the Hindu nationalist BJP, has been accused of not doing enough to stem the violence.
Members of the Meitei community, who make up at least 50% of the state’s population, have been calling for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category for years.
India reserves government posts, college admissions and elected seats at all levels of government for communities in this category to right historical wrongs that have denied them equal opportunities.
This status would give the Meiteis access to forest lands and guarantee them a share of government jobs and places in educational institutions.
Other tribes are concerned that they may lose control of their ancestral forest dwellings.
On Tuesday, thousands of tribal people from the state’s mountainous districts took part in a march called by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur to oppose the demand.
A day later, a similar rally turned violent, sparking riots in other counties that have since spread. Each side blames the other for the unrest.