Rahul Gandhi, who used to be a member of the Lok Sabha and is now the head of the Congress, said on Thursday that he is worried about the situation in Manipur. There have been violent demonstrations against the state’s majority Meitei community being included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Gandhi wants the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to restore peace and normalcy in the state. Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the president of the Congress, also criticised the BJP for what is happening in Manipur.
The trouble started when the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) organised a march in the Torbung neighbourhood of Churachandpur district on Tuesday. Thousands of protesters came, and there were fights. The chief minister’s administration banned mobile internet services across the state for five days because of the fighting. The police fired tear gas shells to try to control what was happening.
The Indian Army and paramilitary forces have evacuated more than 7,500 people to keep them safe. Some other communities in Manipur say that they are worried that Meiteis being included in the ST category will make it harder for them to get jobs with the government or get into college.
