According to authorities, ethnic hostilities in the Indian state of Manipur to the northeast have claimed more than 50 lives.
Following a protest by indigenous groups opposing proposals to confer tribal status to the state's largest ethnic group, the violence started earlier this week.
Homes, cars, churches, and temples were all attacked by mobs.
The death toll has been reported to be as high as 54. There seems to have been 10,000 displaced people.
Following the dispute, a curfew is in place in several districts and internet access has been suspended, and to keep the peace, thousands of troops have been sent to Manipur.
Tribal groups were protesting against demands by the state’s majority Meitei community to be recognized under the government’s “Scheduled Tribe” category. Indian law gives tribes falling under that designation reserved quotas for government jobs and college admissions as a form of affirmative action to address structural inequality and discrimination.
Manipur is part of India’s remote northeast, a region linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor that has seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups. The northeast is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies whose demands range from greater autonomy to secession from India.
Following a protest by indigenous groups opposing proposals to confer tribal status to the state's largest ethnic group, the violence started earlier this week.
Homes, cars, churches, and temples were all attacked by mobs.
The death toll has been reported to be as high as 54. There seems to have been 10,000 displaced people.
Following the dispute, a curfew is in place in several districts and internet access has been suspended, and to keep the peace, thousands of troops have been sent to Manipur.
Tribal groups were protesting against demands by the state’s majority Meitei community to be recognized under the government’s “Scheduled Tribe” category. Indian law gives tribes falling under that designation reserved quotas for government jobs and college admissions as a form of affirmative action to address structural inequality and discrimination.
Manipur is part of India’s remote northeast, a region linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor that has seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups. The northeast is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies whose demands range from greater autonomy to secession from India.
