More than a week after being closed due to deadly ethnic violence and altercations between protestors and police, schools in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur reopened on Tuesday, according to the local administration.
At least 200 individuals have died as a result of ethnic conflict that started in May 2023 in Manipur between the primarily Christian Kuki community and the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority.
Since then, populations in large parts of the northeastern state—which borders war-torn Myanmar—have split off into opposing groupings.
Following several months of relative quiet, there was another spike in violence this month, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 individuals. It is said that rebels used drones to drop bombs and fire rockets.
A curfew and an internet blackout were implemented in some areas of the state by the authorities in response to Meitei students’ violent protests against the violence in the state capital, Imphal.
Since then, the violence has subsided, and on Tuesday—the day internet services were restored—a government edict stated that “normal classes will resume for all schools in the state.”
Chief Minister Biren Singh of the state remarked, “I implore everyone to use the internet responsibly and refrain from sharing or posting any unnecessary or inflammatory content that may disturb the peace and harmony.”
Long-standing disputes between the Kuki and Meitei groups center on the struggle for public employment and land.
Human rights advocates have charged that local authorities are using ethnic differences as a political tool.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, under by Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is in charge of Manipur.
