The Manipur government on Sunday extended the suspension of mobile internet and data services, including VPN access, in five districts of the ethnic violence-hit state for two more days.
The services were suspended, and curfew was imposed in parts of the state after two people were killed and 29 others injured on Tuesday as security forces allegedly fired at a mob that stormed a paramilitary camp in Bishnupur. The mob was protesting the deaths of a five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister in an explosion.
Protests have been held across five districts after the outbreak of fresh violence. Three more civilians have been killed since. The curfew was relaxed for 10 hours from 5am to 3pm in Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal on Sunday.
The state home department said the restrictions will continue in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts.
It added that the decision was taken after reviewing the situation and assessing the need for continued preventive measures to maintain public order.
Officials expressed concern that the potential spread of disinformation and rumours through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X could lead to the mobilisation of mobs and result in violence, arson, or damage to property.
They added that monitoring mobile data services effectively remains a challenge, necessitating the continuation of restrictions.
The state government announced a three-day suspension of internet services on Tuesday, citing “a volatile law and order situation.” On Wednesday, broadband services, specifically Internet Leased Line and Fiber to the Home connections, were conditionally restored. Restrictions on mobile internet continued.
The suspension of mobile internet and data services was extended for two days on Friday.
The ethnic violence in Manipur has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced around 60,000 people since May 2023. It first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities and has since involved almost every group. The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, live largely in the Imphal valley plains, while the Kukis, predominantly Christian, reside in the hills.
Meiteis and Kukis withdrew to their respective strongholds after the ethnic violence began. Chief minister Y Khemchand Singh has maintained that there are no buffer zones in the state, but the government identifies certain sensitive areas.
