Fresh Violence Prompts Curfew and Internet Shutdown in Restive Indian State

IMPHAL, India, 8 June 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Authorities in the Indian state of Manipur have imposed a curfew and suspended internet services following renewed clashes between protesters and security forces, police confirmed on Sunday.

The unrest erupted on Saturday after reports emerged of the arrest of five members of Arambai Tenggol, including one of its commanders. The group, widely regarded as a radical Meitei organisation, has been linked to previous violence in the region.

In response, angry mobs demanding their release attacked a police outpost, torched a bus, and erected road blockades across parts of the state capital, Imphal.

Manipur, located in India’s north-east, has been gripped by ethnic violence for over two years, with tensions flaring between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the largely Christian Kuki minority. More than 250 people have lost their lives in the conflict since it began.

In light of the recent violence, Manipur Police have announced a curfew across five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, citing a “developing law and order situation”.

“Prohibitory orders have been issued by District Magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate,” the police said in an official statement.

In addition, the state’s Home Department has ordered the suspension of mobile and internet data services in the affected districts for five days in a bid to quell further unrest. Arambai Tenggol has also called for a 10-day shutdown across the valley districts.

Manipur previously endured an extended internet blackout during the initial outbreak of ethnic violence in 2023, which displaced approximately 60,000 people, according to government figures. Many remain unable to return to their homes due to ongoing tensions.

The root of the conflict lies in long-standing disputes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, centred on competition for land rights and access to government jobs.

Human rights activists have accused political leaders of deepening ethnic divisions for electoral advantage, warning that the cycle of violence is unlikely to end without meaningful reconciliation and structural reforms.