Five people were killed in Manipur in the early hours of Saturday, August 5 bringing the death toll in the violence to 187. The victims of the latest outbreak of ethnic clashes include three Meiteis and two Kukis. The incident occurred at 4 pm around the Kwakta area of the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district and Pholjang village of Churachandpur, where Kuki-Zos live.
According to Scroll, the Meitei victims were attacked inside their homes by a mob of Kuki-Zo individuals in the Kwakta area of the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district. The Churachandpur police superintendent confirmed the deaths of the two Kukis.
The exact trigger for the violent outbreak remains unclear, as both sides have conflicting accounts of the incident.
The three Meitei individuals have been identified as Yumnam Jiten Meitei, Yumnam Pishak Meitei, and his son Yumnam Premkumar Meitei. The identities of the Kuki victims have not been disclosed yet. Amidst the chaos, three more individuals, including a policeman, sustained injuries. All three injured are reportedly out of danger and have been taken to Raj Medicity in Imphal for medical treatment, Scroll reported.
Following the deaths, the district administration has imposed stricter curfew regulations. Curfew relaxation hours in Imphal West and East districts have been curtailed, and are now allowed only from 5 am to 10.30 am, down from the previous 5 am to 6 pm relaxation window.
This incident comes in the wake of longstanding tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities, which have been ongoing since May 3. The state has been in turmoil after the Manipur High Court suggested the BJP ruling state government consider Scheduled Tribal (ST) status to Meitis. The violence has recorded a staggering death toll of 187, which includes 115 Kukis and 65 Meiteis, leaving approximately 60,000 people displaced from their homes.