IMPHAL: As the curfew was partially lifted in certain areas of Manipur on Sunday, the state saw a heightened presence of army drones and helicopters for surveillance.
In the wake of ethnic violence that had plagued the region in recent days, approximately 23,000 people have been rescued from the affected areas and relocated to military garrisons, according to officials.
To restore a semblance of normalcy, army personnel and Assam Rifles conducted flag marches, although an undercurrent of tension remained. Reports indicate that around 10,000 security personnel have been deployed across the state since Wednesday when the unrest began.
Governor Anusuiya Uikey presided over a meeting with security advisor Kuldip Singh and Operational Commander Ashutosh Sinha. During the meeting, the two officers presented their suggestions to resolve the crisis, as stated in a Raj Bhavan press release.
One of the recommendations made by the officers, as advised by Uikey, was to ensure the safe return of individuals presently residing in relief camps.
The clashes erupted following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' held in 10 hill districts of Manipur, protesting against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The confrontations resulted in the tragic loss of at least 54 lives.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts.
In Hyderabad, Union Minister for the Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy told PTI the Centre was ready for talks with the warring groups in Manipur and resolve their issues.
"Please come forward to solve the issues in a peaceful manner. The government is ready. You have seen the farmers' issue. When it was peaceful, we tried to convince them. As the issue was not resolved, we agreed to their demand, and those bills (three farm laws) were withdrawn. So, the government is not adamant," he said.
He stressed that people's welfare was the government's main agenda, urging the different protesting groups to come forward for talks.
Reddy said the government will take care of those who suffered losses due to violence, and order a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.
"If they have any problem, it is the responsibility of the state and central governments to resolve it. We should all maintain restraint. We should resolve the issues through discussions, and not through violence. Nothing can be achieved through violence," he added.
As the situation was improving, the state Home Department directed the district magistrates and deputy commissioners to relax the curfew in parts of their districts from 1 pm to 3 pm every day, according to a notification.
The restrictions were relaxed in Churachandpur, which was the epicentre of the violence, from 7 am to 10 am on Sunday to allow people buy essential items such as food and medicines.
On Monday, the curfew will be relaxed in Imphal West district from 5 am to 8 pm.
"Imphal City is area where major markets, shops, godown, business entities, etc. are located which provides various essential items which will not only cater to the needs of the District population but also to the needs of the entire State (sic)," said the notification, reasoning the relaxation.
Over the last 24 hours, the Army significantly enhanced surveillance efforts through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters within the Imphal Valley, a defence statement said in the morning.
Meanwhile, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) took various measures to help passengers at the Imphal airport, while the airlines have waived rescheduling and cancellation charges for flights operating here.
A total of 10,531 passengers have travelled via the Imphal airport, which handled 108 flights in the last few days.
Different states also continued rescuing their people from the state.
Andhra Pradesh rescued more than 100 students, while Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said 22 students from the state were stuck there and arrangements were being made to bring them back home.
Tripura rescued 208 of its students from Manipur and Nagaland evacuated 676 of its people from the violence-hit state. Sikkim also rescued 128 students.
(With inputs from PTI)
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