On Friday, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson said that trains to Manipur had been suspended immediately due to the state’s ongoing law and order issues.

 

“The only two trains that connect Manipur have been canceled for two days from Friday,” NFR CPRO Sabyasachi De told to PTI

 

He said the decision to resume the service would be taken after evaluating the situation.

 

The Agartala–Khongsang Jan Shatabdi Express, which runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the daily Silchar–Vangaichungpao passenger train have been short-terminated/originated, he said. “These trains will be short-terminated at Arunachal railway station on the Assam border,” De said. Violence erupted in the Torbung area in Manipur’s Churachandpur district during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ on Wednesday to protest the demand of Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe(ST) status and escalated throughout the state.

 

Meiteis account for about 53 percent of the population in Manipur and live predominantly in Imphal Valley. Tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, account for another 40 percent of the population and live mainly in the hill districts, surrounding the valley.

 

Imphal Valley remained peaceful but tense on Friday. There were, however, intermittent gunfights between militant groups and security forces reported from the hill districts surrounding the valley.