Shutdown affects life as Manipur mourns those killed in ethnic violence on two years of conflict
Imphal (PTI): Shutdown called by various groups on Saturday to mark two years of the ethnic strife in Manipur affected normal lives in both the Maitei-controlled Imphal Valley and the Kuki-dominated hill districts.
Meitei group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) called a shutdown in the valley districts, while the Zomi Students Federation (ZSF) and the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) have imposed the shutdown in the hill districts.
It was on this day in 2023 that ethnic clashes broke out between the Meteis and Kukis, which left over 260 people killed, 1,500 injured, and over 70,000 people displaced, according to officials.
Markets were shut, public vehicles remained off the roads, and private offices remained closed across the state. A few private vehicles were seen on the roads in the morning.
Schools, colleges and other institutes were also shut.
Security forces have also been deployed at key locations to prevent any unwanted activities, officials said.
COCOMI will hold 'Manipur Peoples' Convention' at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal. It has urged the people to attend the public meeting in large numbers.
A candlelight march will also be held in the evening in Imphal to pay homage to those who died in the violence.
The Kuki community in the hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts are observing 'Day of Separation', demanding a separate territory.
A programme will be held at the 'Wall of Remembrance', which has been built in Churachandpur town in memory of those killed in the ethnic violence, at 11:00 am. Another programme is scheduled at the Sehken Burial site, where some of the Kuki people killed in the violence have been buried, from 2:00 pm.
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11 more bodies retrieved from Arunachal accident site
Itanagar (PTI): Eleven more bodies were retrieved on Saturday from the deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district, where a mini-truck on which 22 labourers from Assam were travelling fell, an official said.
With this, 17 bodies have been recovered from the accident site, Anjaw's deputy commissioner Milo Kojin said.
He said three more bodies will be brought out on Sunday.
The operation, being conducted by a joint team of the NDRF and Army, resumed at 6 am.
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"The retrieval process was extremely difficult because of the treacherous terrain, and the gorge is very deep," Kojin said.
The operation was suspended around 4 pm due to low visibility and will be resumed on Sunday morning, he said.
"One person is still missing, and a search operation will be carried out tomorrow," he added.
The accident happened on the evening of December 8, around 40 km from Hayuliang towards Chaglagam in the district. On the evening of December 10, one survivor managed to climb out of the gorge and reach a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp, following which the authorities were alerted.
Six bodies were recovered from the gorge on Friday and handed over to their families on Saturday.
