Junior Indian minister’s home set on fire in violence-hit Manipur

Minister RK Ranjan Singh says violence in his state is ‘absolutely inhuman’

Indian army soldiers patrol during a security operation in hill and valley areas in the northeastern state of Manipur (via REUTERS)

The house of a federal Indian minister was set on fire by a mob in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur that has been under the grip of widespread ethnic violence for over a month.

India’s minister of state for external affairs and education RK Ranjan Singh, who was in southern Kerala state at the time of the incident, called the violence “absolutely inhuman”. “I am shocked. The law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed,” Mr Singh told news agency ANI on Friday.

Violence in Manipur erupted between two communities on 3 May over demands to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category for economic benefits and quotas in government jobs and education reserved for hill people.

Under Indian law, some government jobs, college admissions and electoral seats – from village councils to parliament – are reserved for communities under the ST category as a form of affirmative action to tackle historical structural inequality and discrimination.

The protests by the members of the mainly Hindu Meitei community that want to be designated as a Scheduled Tribe have culminated in widespread violence after clashes with people from the Kuki community who oppose their demand.

The Meiteis constitute about half of Manipur’s population of 3.5 million, according to India’s last census conducted in 2011. They live in low lands around state capital Imphal.

The Kukis make up around 40 per cent of the population of the state and live in hilly areas. The community is recognised under the ST category and worry that it will lose control over ancestral forest lands if the Meitei demand is accepted.

Charred remains of official residence of Manipur’s minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal, which was set ablaze by mob last evening during ongoing ethnic violence in India’s north-eastern Manipur state (AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday night, at least three houses were gutted after they were set alight by a huge mob of around 1,200 people in Imphal’s Kongba area.

The mob, which came armed with petrol bombs, hurled them at the house of the federal minister, who is Meitei and “overwhelmed” security forces, officials said.

Visuals of the aftermath of the attack showed a part of Mr Singh’s house completely destroyed by fire and cars burned down.

“We couldn’t prevent the incident as the mob was overwhelming and we couldn’t control the situation. They threw petrol bombs coming in from all directions... from the bye lane behind the building and from the front entrance. So we simply couldn’t control the mob,” said escort commander L Dineshwor Singh.

A member of the Kuki tribe reacts as she takes part in a tribal solidarity protest against the alleged ethnic cleansing in Manipur state (EPA)

The attack by the violent protesters on Mr Singh’s house forced the security personnel to fire in the air to disperse the mob.

“I am currently in Kerala for official work. Thankfully, nobody got injured last night at my Imphal home. The miscreants came with petrol bombs and damage has been done to the ground floor and first floor of my home,” Mr Singh said.

Chief minister N Biren Singh promised action against those involved in the violence and said the state’s governor had constituted a peace committee.

“Nine people were killed, and incidents of arson were reported. This is very sad. The combing operation has started to find out the culprits. I assure the people of the state, we will definitely book the culprits as per the law of the land,” he said.

The incident comes after nine people were killed and 10 others were injured when unidentified gunmen stormed into the village of Kamenlok, near Imphal, on Tuesday and opened indiscriminate fire.

No casualties were reported after arson in Kongba as abandoned houses were targeted.

Over 100 people have died and 310 have been left injured in the violence since last month, according to authorities.

More than 60,000 residents have been displaced since May as people fled their homes to escape the violence.

Civil society organisations from the Meitei and Kuki communities have said figures of casualties could be much higher, given the extent of the violence.