India: Thousands flee ethnic violence after 55 killed in nation’s northeast

Ethnic violence has sent Manipur state into crisis, with attacks this week reportedly killing 55 people and wounding hundreds of others.

The unrest erupted after a protest march by a tribal group last week sparked clashes.

Vehicles and houses have been set on fire and authorities have fired tear gas in a bid to stop the violence.

The military has deployed thousands of troops to the state bordering Myanmar, issued “shoot-at-sight” orders, imposed curfews and cut the internet.

A local youth leader who had his house trashed said he believed the attacks to be highly organised.

“What we are witnessing here unfortunately is there seems to be a very systematic, well-planned series of attacks,” he said.

“The execution is almost clinical and they know exactly the houses where people from tribal communities reside,” said the leader, who asked to not be identified due to fears for his safety.

“A lot of houses are burnt, all our churches have been vandalised, some have been burnt. I barely escaped – the mob was already in the house. I climbed the fence over to the neighbours’ house. I just came with my laptop bag to this camp. I don’t have anything.”

Local hospitals say several hundred patients are “coming in with severe bullet injuries” or having been hit in the head with blunt objects.

The army said on Sunday no major flare-ups were reported overnight and that a curfew was lifted between 7-10am in Churachandpur district, one of the main flashpoint areas.

“(The) past 24 hours also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs & redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley,” it said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.

“A total of 23,000 civilians have been rescued till now & were moved to own operating bases/ military Garrisons,” the statement said.

Authorities have not given an official death toll but hospital morgues in the state capital Imphal and Churachandpur had reported a combined total of 55 dead, according to local media.

Tribal groups including the Kukis are unhappy about the prospect of the state’s majority Meitei community being recognised under a “Scheduled Tribe” category.

This designation would give them a certain quota of government jobs and college admissions in a form of affirmative action aimed at addressing structural inequality and discrimination.

L. Sanglun Simte, 29, a Kuki who has been camping outside the airport in state capital Imphal with 11 of his family members since Saturday, recounted the horror as violence broke out.

“We fled for safety. Things are not okay. They are just attacking us Kukis,” he told AFP.

Simte said his 49-year-old cousin, Siemcha Gangte, was killed by a mob on Thursday and his house was set on fire.

“The attackers say we are outsiders and need to leave Imphal. When they attacked us, the local police didn’t help.” Simte, who has booked a flight for Agartala, the capital of neighbouring Tripura state, said he would return only if security improved.

“We don’t feel safe right now,” he said.

Lalpu Suantak, 45, who works with a state-owned bank in Imphal and is also from the Kuki community, said he fled his house with 12 family members after some homes and a neighbourhood church were set on fire.

“My house hasn’t been touched yet but there was fear when a mob burnt one house in our area,” he told AFP.

India’s northeast has seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups seeking more autonomy or even secession from India, with at least 50,000 people killed in Manipur since the 1950s.

These conflicts had waned over the years, with many groups striking deals with New Delhi for more powers.

India overtook China as the world’s most populous nation last month and now has an estimated population of about 1.4286 billion.