Boxer MC Mary Kom on Thursday urged the Centre to help control the violence that broke out in Manipur. 

 

The Army and Assam Rifles were deployed to control the situation in the northeastern state where violence broke out during a tribal agitation on Wednesday.

 

“My state Manipur is burning, kindly help,” the veteran boxer tweeted in the early hours, sharing photos of the violence and tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

 

So far, 7,500 people were rescued by the forces from the violence-hit areas and given shelter, he said, adding that more people are being shifted to safer places.

 

The Army and Assam Rifles were requisitioned last night, and along with the state police, the forces arrested the violence by the morning, the spokesperson said.

 

According to media reports, “Flag marches are being conducted to keep the situation under control, curfew has been imposed, and internet services are suspended across the State.

 

The violence broke out on Wednesday during the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Torbung area of Churachandpur district to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

 

Thousands of agitators had taken part in the rally, during which clashes broke out between tribals and non-tribals, and its further spread to other districts, a senior police officer said.

 

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Governor of Manipur authorized all District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, and all Executive Magistrates/Special Executive Magistrates to issue Shoot at-sight orders “in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. have been exhausted.”