No fresh violence, curfew eased in 11 Manipur districts

Imphal, May 9

The situation across violence-hit Manipur has been improving with no fresh reports of any untoward incident and the curfew being relaxed in all the 11 districts where it was clamped, officials said today.

Chaos at airport

• Overcrowded with distressed flyers, heart-wrenching scenes witnessed at Imphal airport
• Patients with catheters just out of ICU, some with bullet injuries and premature babies with their mothers, all throng airport
• Close to 2,000 flyers at airport with a capacity for only 750

“The situation is improving… The curfew was relaxed for four hours in Imphal West and Imphal East. Similar relaxation was provided in the other nine affected districts,” an official said.

Violent clashes broke out in the state after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for ST status. Sixty persons were killed and 1,700 houses burnt in the ethnic violence.