MANIPUR: After a "Tribal Solidarity March" was held throughout the hill district, Manipur on May 3 to oppose the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, fighting broke out in Manipur.
Tension over the displacement of Kuki people from reserve forest area had caused a number of smaller agitations before to the violence.
The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur's population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill districts.
Over 70 people were killed during the ethnic conflicts, and 10,000 army and paramilitary men had to be sent in to restore order in the northeastern state.
Manipur Violence Last Update: More than 70 people have reportedly died since May third, in violenve between the Meiteis, who live in and around the state capital Imphal valley, and the Kuki tribe, who are settled in the hills, over the valley residents' demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category.
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