A violent gunfight in India’s north-eastern state of Manipur has resulted in the tragic deaths of at least nine individuals and ten injuries, according to a top police official.
Police Superintendent K Shivakanta Singh reported that the gun battle began at approximately 10 p.m. (IST) and lasted for a significant period of time.
The violence in Manipur initially erupted on May 3rd, when thousands of individuals from tribal groups protested against plans to grant the majority Meitei community protected status as a Scheduled Tribe. These groups asserted that the Meitei community already enjoys advantages in the state.
The classification, a form of affirmative action to correct historical and structural inequity and discrimination, provides quotas in government jobs and college admissions.
The Manipur High Court had directed the state government in April to consider including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.
Meitei representatives say that they are not able to buy land in areas occupied by tribal groups, and told the court that the Scheduled Tribe status would help preserve their community and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture and language.”
The protest, which included Kukis, one of the larger tribal communities in Manipur, who live primarily in hill areas, turned violent with clashes between various ethnic and religious groups. Some looted weapons and ammunition from police stations, which made the clashes even more deadly.
