Manipur Unrest Escalates: Homes, Buses Burned Amid Tribal Status Dispute

According to officials, several homes in the Moreh district of Manipur near the Myanmar border were set ablaze by unidentified individuals on Wednesday. This act of arson occurred just hours after a crowd in Kangpokpi district torched two buses employed to transport security forces.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

The bus burning incident occurred in Sapormeina as the vehicles, bearing Manipur registration numbers, were en route from Dimapur on Tuesday evening. Officials reported that residents halted the buses at Sapormeina, insisting on inspecting them for passengers from a particular community. Some individuals then set the vehicles ablaze.

Ethnic tension in the northeastern state escalated into violence roughly three months ago, leading to over 160 fatalities and hundreds of injuries thus far. The unrest was sparked on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' held in the hill districts, opposing the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.