Imphal: The total curfew that prohibited the movement of any person outside their homes will be relaxed for three hours in violence-hit Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Sunday morning to allow the people to buy essential items such as medicines and food, according to a notification.
The curfew imposed under section 144 of the CrPC will be relaxed from 7 am to 10 am, it said.
It was also relaxed on Saturday for two hours from 3 pm to 5 pm.
“With the law and order situation improving in Churachandpur district and after talks were held between the state government and various stakeholders, I’m pleased to share that the curfew will be partially relaxed as per the details shared below (sic),” Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Saturday night, sharing a copy of the notification.
The curfew was imposed on May 3 after violent clashes broke out between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54.
The notification issued by Churachandpur district magistrate Sharath Chandra Arroju said, “Subsequent relaxations shall be reviewed and notified based on assessment of the prevailing law and order situation.”
The clashes broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts.
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