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Manipur’s Kuki Women Protest Outside Amit Shah’s Home Amid Violence



The protest was held outside Amit Shah’s home in Delhi.

New Delhi:

With placards and appeals to stop the ethnic violence in Manipur, women from the state’s Kuki tribe protested outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“Despite his assurance that peace will be restored, attacks on our community have continued in Manipur. Lives are at stake here. Only the Home Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi can help us,” one protester told NDTV.

A gun battle between security forces and insurgents in Manipur killed one security personnel and wounded two others early on Tuesday, the army said, days after many insurgents were killed there in an operation.

The northeastern state bordering Myanmar has been tense in the past few weeks, with rioting and ethnic clashes killing at least 80 people and displacing 35,000 since early May. More than 30 insurgents were killed last month after security forces launched a massive crackdown.

“Intermittent firing between security forces & a group of insurgents took place throughout the night of 05/06 June,” the Indian Army said on Twitter. “Security forces effectively retaliated to the fire.”

It said a soldier from the Border Security Force died and two personnel from Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force with a focus on India’s northeast, were wounded.

“Search operations (are) in progress,” the army said.

The ethnic violence began when tribal groups clashed with the majority Meitei community over economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes. Tribal communities are worried about a possible extension of their benefits to the Meiteis.

Amit Shah visited the state for four days last week as part of the confidence-building measures and met representatives of all communities and leaders.

The Home Minister has said peace and prosperity of Manipur are the government’s top-priority and instructed security forces to strictly deal with any activities that disturb the peace.



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