Indian state imposes curfew, shuts internet after fresh wave of ethnic clashes

Indian authorities on Tuesday imposed an indefinite curfew and shut down the internet in some parts of the northeastern state of Manipur following protests from students against a fresh wave of ethnic violence, which has roiled the state for more than a year.

At least nine people have been killed and several injured in the last 10 days as armed groups launched drone attacks and rockets from home-made devices.
Manipur, a state of 3.7 million people tucked in the mountains on India's border with Myanmar, has been embroiled in ethnic clashes since May of last year. Around 250 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced after mobs rampaged through villages and torched houses, Star Tribune reports.

The unrest broke out when Christian Kukis protested a demand by the mostly Hindu Meiteis for a special status that would let them buy land in hills that populated by Kukis and other tribal groups. Despite a heavy army presence and a visit by the home minister last year, when he met with both communities, the deadly clashes have persisted.

SR