Lagatar24 Desk
Imphal, May 5: Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has cancelled all Manipur-bound trains in response to recent conflicts in the Northeastern state, taking into account the law and order situation there.
“No trains are entering Manipur till the situation is improved. The decision has been taken after the Manipur government advised to stop train movement,” said Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway.
In the meantime, due to unrest in the state, the Indian Railways have also cancelled the operations of four trains on May 5 and May 6.
“Manipur state authorities have advised to stop train operations in Manipur due to the prevailing Law and Order situation there. 4 trains have been cancelled. The decision was taken initially only for May 5 and 6,” the railways said.
A rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) Manipur to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe category resulted in violence on May 3. As a result, army and paramilitary forces were deployed there, and flag marches were held to try to control the situation.
Following reports of violence in Manipur, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday convened an urgent meeting to ensure the security of students from Meghalaya.
“Fake Videos on the security situation in Manipur including a video of an attack on Assam Rifles post being circulated by inimical elements for vested interests. #IndianArmy requests all to rely on content through official and verified sources only,” the Spear Corps, Indian Army said in a tweet.
The All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) organised a “Tribal Solidarity March” on May 3 in the Churachandpur district’s Torbung area to protest the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) classification, which dominates the Imphal Valley.
The state administration of Manipur suspended mobile internet service for five days in order to address the deteriorating law and order situation that has arisen as a result of tribal groups holding rallies in many districts. A night curfew has also been implemented in a number of the state’s districts in addition to the prohibition on large gatherings.
