Manipur orders shutdown of schools, colleges till November 19 amid violence
As violence in Manipur continues to escalate with curfew imposed in Imphal West and Imphal East districts, the Manipur Government on Monday ordered the closure of all government schools, colleges and state universities until November 19.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi attacked Home Minister Amit Shah and the Centre for failing to control the situation in Manipur. The decision to shut schools, taken in consultation with the Home Department, was announced citing the safety of students and teachers.
The violence got escalated in the state after the bodies of five members of the same family, including that of two young children, were discovered during the weekend, leading to the imposition of the curfew in two districts and the suspension of Internet services in seven districts.
The security has been significantly bolstered in the state capital, particularly around Chief Minister N Biren Singh's residence and the Raj Bhavan, with vehicle movement heavily restricted in the affected areas.
Meanwhile the post-mortem examination of the five bodies had been completed at a state-run hospital in Assam's Silchar town, sources said on Monday.
Five of the six persons whose bodies were discovered are said to be from the Meitei community, and they were allegedly abducted by armed militants from relief camps in Jiribam's Borobekra area on November 11. Their bodies were found in the Jiri river in Jiribam and the Barak river in Assam's Cachar over the weekend.
They were brought to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in a “highly decomposed state”.
The six persons, including three women and children each from the Meitei community, went missing from a relief camp in Jiribam's Borobekra area and were allegedly abducted by Kuki-Zo militants.
The Assam Police said the local unit of Cachar district was carrying out search operations in the Barak river to locate the sixth person.
The ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes in Imphal Valley and the adjoining hills, witnessed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year.
Meanwhile, in a scathing video message, Congress MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi has criticised the BJP-led Central Government for its perceived 'inaction' in resolving the prolonged conflict in Manipur.
He expressed his deep disappointment over what he termed a “step-motherly attitude” towards the northeastern state of Manipur, accusing the government of failing to grasp the gravity of the situation.
“It has been more than a year since the conflict in Manipur broke out, and still, Prime Minister Modi refuses to act decisively,” Gogoi stated. His remarks came as tensions continue to simmer in Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed lives, displaced thousands and plunged the state into a prolonged crisis.
Specifically targeting Amit Shah, the Congress MP said despite numerous review meetings on the law-and-order situation, no tangible solutions had emerged.
“Today's meeting is unlikely to provide any conclusion,” he said, referring to the latest discussions convened by the Home Ministry. “If Amit Shah, with all his reviews, has failed to achieve progress, what hope can we have for this government to bring Manipur back to peace?” Gogoi sought to know.
