10 injured as mob attacks police in Manipur

Imphal: At least 10 people including four police personnel were injured when a mob attacked the cops in Manipur’s Jiribam district.

Six protesters were also injured in the clash at Lalpani area of the district yesterday, police said. They said a large number of protesters tried to stage a sit-in demonstration protesting against the Manipur People’s Protection Bill 2018 which was passed by the state Assembly recently.

The bill seeks to protect the identity of indigenous people of the state taking 1951 as the base year for treating people as natives of the state. The protesters have been demanding a change in the base year to 1972. “Since Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in the district since morning, the police had asked the protesters to get permission for their sit-in from the district administration,” said a senior police officer.

The protesters hurled stones at the police forcing the cops to retaliate with tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators. During the clash, four personnel including the SP and a woman personnel received minor injuries. Six of the protesters were also injured, they said.

Later, reinforcements comprising of state police commandos and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel were rushed to the site to bring normalcy and establish law and order. The issue began on Wednesday after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) took out a rally to denounce the Manipur People’s Protection Bill 2018 which was passed unanimously by the Assembly on Monday.

JAC spokesperson Md Ali had earlier denounced the Bill as “unconstitutional” and claimed it deprived them of their constitutional rights. The Bill had sought to regulate the entry and exit of the outsiders in the state.

It maintains that those who are not ethnic Meiteis, the Pangals Muslim and STs recognised by the state will be considered as non-Manipuris. Jiribam, which shares border with Assam, has witnessed large influx of Bangladeshis and ethnic Rohingyas over the years.