‘How can I ever feel safe?’: India’s Amit Shah faces tall order to restore calm in Manipur after ethnic violence

Clashes erupted on May 3 over push for majority Meiteis – who are mostly Hindu – to gain access to jobs and university places set aside for Kukis, who are largely Christian

Home Minister Amit Shah, representing Hindu-nationalist central government, is holding talks in the state, where the chief minister accuses Kukis of terrorism

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A girl evacuated by the Indian army during ethnic riots in Manipur state embraces her mother after reuniting at a temporary shelter. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:00pm, 31 May 2023

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, hoping to restore order and ease tension in the state of Manipur following weeks of ethnic violence that has left dozens dead and seen tens of thousands of people flee their homes, has gone there to hold talks with regional leaders.

Clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups erupted on May 3 over a court demand that the majority Meitei community, who are mostly Hindu – the religion promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government – be granted access to jobs and university places set aside for tribal Kuki communities, who are largely Christian.

Around 100 people are thought to have died, prompting the intervention of the Indian army. Families from both groups fled after mobs set homes, shops and churches ablaze.

Some sought safety in refugee camps set up by the military while others left Manipur altogether, to stay with relatives in neighbouring states.

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Why has India’s Manipur state exploded into ethnic violence?

The Manipur government, led by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, has struggled to restore normalcy, with police killing at least 40 people they claimed were militants.

The authorities will not allow the disintegration of Manipur by “armed terrorists”, Singh said in a statement on Sunday.