Manipur Violence: Schools, colleges reopen in Imphal Valley and Jiribam districts

Pic/PTI

Schools and colleges in Imphal Valley and Jiribam district in Manipur have reopened classes on Friday after a hiatus of 13 days, officials said, PTI reported.

As per PTI, students in their school uniforms along with their parents were seen waiting for buses in the state's capital, Imphal as the law and order situation improved in the valley districts.

The Directorate of Education Schools and the Higher and Technical Education Department had on Thursday ordered the resumption of classes in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, Thoubal and Jiribam districts.

K Biken Singh, a central government official whose two children study in a private school in Imphal, said, "It is a great relief that schools have reopened. Final exams of my children, who are in Class 6 and Class 7, were scheduled to start from the second week of December and parts of the syllabus are yet to be completed. Reopening of schools will allow the teachers to interact with their students."

Educational institutes in the valley districts and Jiribam have remained closed since November 16 following the discovery of the dead bodies of three women and three children in Jiribam from the Jiri and Barak rivers in Manipur and Assam respectively, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government ordered the relaxation of the curfew from 5 am to 4 pm on Friday in all five valley districts and Jiribam to enable people to purchase essential items and medicines, as per official order.

"Due to the developing law and orders situation in the districts, there is a need to relax restrictions on the movement of people to facilitate the public to purchase essential items including medicines and food items. Restriction of movement of people outside their residences is hereby lifted for Friday from 5 am to 4 pm" according to a government order, PTI cited.

Separate orders were issued by the District Magistrates of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching and Thoubal.

"The relaxation, however, shall not include any gathering/ sit-in/ rally without obtaining approval through the competent authority," the order read.

Violence has escalated in Manipur after three women and three children belonging to the Meitei community had gone missing from a relief camp in Jiribam following a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants which resulted in the deaths of 10 insurgents on November 11, PTI cited.

Bodies of the six were later found.

Since May of last year, ethnic conflict between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and surrounding hills-based Kuki-Zo communities has killed over 250 people and displaced thousands more.

(With PTI inputs)