International Desk: The death toll has risen to 54 in the four-day violence in Manipur, the northeastern state of India. However, private parties claimed that the death toll was much higher, as Indian media reported.
NDTV reported in a report that life has started to return to normal in Imphal, the capital of Manipur. On Saturday, the city’s shops and markets reopened, and vehicular traffic resumed. After many members of the Army, Rapid Action Force, and Central Police Force were airlifted to the state, their presence is visible in all important areas and roads of the city.
People thronged most of the shops and markets that opened in Imphal city and other parts of the state this morning to buy vegetables and other daily necessities. A large number of security forces were deployed in these areas.
Officials said that out of the 54 dead, 16 bodies have been kept at Churachandpur District Hospital Mortuary, and 15 bodies have been kept at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Mortuary in East Imphal district. Another 23 bodies are kept at the mortuary of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in West Imphal district.
Several parties told the Indian media that the death toll was much higher and that around 100 people were injured in the communal violence and mayhem. But the authorities have not confirmed it.
Naga and Kuki ethnic groups have clashed with Manipur’s majority Meitei community since Wednesday. The Meiteiras live mainly in the Imphal Valley, and the Nagas and Kukis live in the hills. At one point, the clashes spread across the state, from Churachandpur to Imphal Valley, Moreh, Kakching, and Kangpokpi districts. About 10,000 troops of the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles were deployed in the state to control the violence.
