Manipur Violence: Centre Invokes Article 355 to Protect State Security

• Image Credit: Hindustan Times

• May 4, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Manipur Violence: After the state was plagued by unrest and violence over the past few days, the central government has taken charge of security...

Digital Desk: After the state was plagued by unrest and violence over the past few days, the central government has taken charge of security in Manipur by promulgating Article 355. The provision, which declares that it is the Union's duty to protect every state from external attack and internal chaos, has been applied in order to reestablish peace and order in the state. 

In order to stop any additional violence or unrest, security troops and police officers have secured the Imphal-Churachandpur road as part of the measures.

Article 355 is part of the emergency provisions found in Part XVIII of the Indian Constitution, which runs from Article 352 to 360. It gives the central government the authority to take any necessary action to safeguard a state against internal unrest and external violence. 

The action was taken in response to conflicts that broke out in various states of Manipur during a protest march organized by the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur, against the Meitei community's demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list. The conflicts resulted in a number of injuries and fatalities, which prompted the deployment of central paramilitary troops and the implementation of a curfew.

Several people were injured and two were killed by bullets during clashes in Manipur's hill districts on May 3. The violence erupted during a solidarity march by the All Tribal Students' Union (ATSUM) in response to the Meitei community's demand for inclusion on the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. 

Five of the injured were taken to the hospital with bullet wounds, two of whom died subsequently. Despite the implementation of a curfew and the stationing of additional paramilitary forces, the situation is still tense. After clashes in the Churachandpur district, the army and the state police intervened to calm the racial tension. 

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