Manipur protesters try to breach army barricade; over 40 injured

There was high tension in Manipur after hundreds of people defied curfew and started marching towards the barricades placed by the security forces in Manipur's Bishnupur district in a protest march called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi). Police had to fire tear gas shells and rubber bullets to quell the protesters. More than 40 people were injured.

Security forces stopped the protestors from reaching an Army barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district, a few kilometres away from tribal-dominated Churachandpur district.

The state government had appealed to valley-based Cocomi not to take out the march. Security along the Churachandpur borders has been intensified. The protesters alleged that locals, due to the Army barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai, were not able to visit their homes in Torbung, which they had to vacate after the ethnic violence.


Cocomi said it had earlier urged the government to remove the barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai by August 30, but that deadline was not kept.

Officials said curfew has been clamped in all the five valley districts - Bishnupur, Kakching, Thoubal, Imphal West and Imphal East - and a huge contingent of security forces were deployed in different districts as a preventive measure from Tuesday evening.

IPR minister Sapam Ranjan said Cocomi has been planning to stage a protest at Phougakchao Ikhai and Torbung area by breaking through the Army barricades. He said the state government has appealed to Cocomi to withdraw this plan.