Amid ongoing turmoil in Manipur, where violence has lasted over 16 months, the state administration extended the closure of schools and colleges for two additional days on September 11 and 12. This decision was made in reaction to massive student demonstrations and calls for action against external invaders. The Higher and Technical Education Department announced the extension, stating that educational institutions had already been shut down since September 8. If the circumstances don’t improve, the closures of educational institutions could continue.
The decision to close schools and higher educational institutions underscores how serious the current unrest is. On September 9, hundreds of students protested outside the Manipur Secretariat and Raj Bhavan. Their demands focused on the state’s safety, notably demanding for action against those responsible for recent drone and missile strikes, as well as protecting Manipur’s “territorial and administrative integrity.”
To cope with the worsening crisis, the Home Ministry has ordered the deployment of 2,000 CRPF soldiers to the state. This comes after dramatic clashes between protesting students and police officers in Imphal on Tuesday, which highlight the region’s rising tensions.
Violence has erupted in Manipur since May 2023, owing mostly to longstanding reservations conflicts between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The conflict has killed 226 people and left others homeless, with no apparent end in sight. The prolonged closure of schools and colleges emphasises the gravity of the situation and the government’s efforts to contain the disturbance.
Meanwhile, on September 6, an elderly man was killed and five others were injured when suspected militants attempted a bomb attack on Moirang, a residential neighbourhood in Bishnupur district. The rocket that dropped on the grounds of former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng’s mansion appeared to be improvised.
Following the incident, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomeration of valley-based civic entities, issued a “public emergency” throughout Imphal Valley’s five districts, starting immediately.
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