On Wednesday, various tribes from the state of Manipur, India, staged a demonstration seeking the government's intervention in the northeastern to mitigate escalated violence and resolve the ongoing tensions.
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"The tribal solidarity march today is the symbolic event for the tribals to let the world witness that we are not the perpetrators, nor are we militants or drug warlord; but law-abiding citizens who are compelled to protect our tribal land against the treacherous tactics adopted by the state to deprive us of our landholdings," reads a statement issued by the protesters.
The protest demonstration coincides with the visit of Amit Shah, the federal home minister of India, to Manipur with the aim of reestablishing stability in the northeastern region.
According to recent reports, there have been a minimum of 80 fatalities in the ongoing ethnic altercations; and violence in the state has resulted in the injury of approximately 300 individuals and the destruction of almost 1,700 households.
Last month, a tribal protest demonstration in the state resulted in a significant outbreak of violence over the non-tribal Meiteis community's inclusion for a Scheduled tribe status. The All Tribal Student Union Manipur called for such protest.
During the rally, protesting mobs in the state incinerated various edifices, including educational institutions, residential buildings, places of worship, automobiles, as well as public properties. The authorities responded by implementing a curfew and deploying over 100 contingents of the army and paramilitary forces within the state with the aim of restoring order.
According to official data, in India, the Scheduled Tribes are designated as socio-economically underprivileged groups. Nevertheless, the establishment of quotas in both education and employment sectors has been undertaken with the objective of enhancing the lives of the targeted individuals.