Imphal: In a fresh incident of violence in Manipur, a mob torched Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh’s residence at Kongba in Imphal, late Thursday night. Singh was in Kerela for official work and nobody was injured last night at Imphal home. The miscreants came with petrol bombs and damaged the ground floor and first floor of the house.
Earlier on Thursday, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh had submitted a memorandum to the government suggesting ways for restoring peace in the state. “Let’s hope the Government of India for consideration of memorandum submitted by the Mnaipuri Academic Fraternity, Delhi containing some measures for restoration of peace in violence-ridden Manipur”, tweeted the union minister, hours before the attack.
Two days after the sharpest escalation of violence in the state resulted in nine people being shot dead and another 10 being injured, mob burned down two houses as skirmishes broke out between demonstrators and security officials.
Since the violence broke out, over 3 million people have been largely cut off from the rest of the country after the government blocked internet services and restricted travel. The violence has been so extreme that many bodies still lay unidentified, doctors and senior management officials at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences still can’t find a way to dispose of them.
The Meitei community, a largely Hindu community ethnic group has campaigned for years to be recognized as a scheduled tribe. If they are given this status other ethnic groups fear that they will not have a fair chance for jobs and other benefits.