The Manipur government on Saturday, November 23, extended its ban on mobile internet and data services, including VSAT and VPN, in nine districts for an additional two days as unrest continues to grip the state. The ban, initially imposed on November 16 following the Jiribam killings, remains in effect in Bishnupur, Thoubal, Imphal West, Imphal East, Kakching, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Jiribam, and Pherzawl districts, citing “public interest.”
Broadband internet services, however, were restored on November 19 to mitigate the negative effects on education, healthcare, and online businesses. Meanwhile, curfew relaxation continues in several districts, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching, from 5 a.m. to 12 noon to allow residents to purchase essential goods.
Protests have persisted across the state, particularly against the abduction and killings of six relief camp inmates from Borobekra in Jiribam district. The victims’ bodies were recovered from the Barak River in Assam between November 17 and 19, sparking fresh outrage. Representative organizations of professionals and academics held a sit-in protest in Imphal on Saturday, urging authorities to take decisive action to end the unrest.
The killings, which occurred on November 11, have reignited anger against both the state and central governments for failing to resolve the ongoing conflict, which has claimed 258 lives and displaced over 60,000 people so far. On November 16, widespread protests targeted the homes of at least 13 MLAs, with the police reporting 32 arrests related to vandalism.
In response to the escalating situation, the central government has deployed an additional 90 companies of central paramilitary forces, raising the total number of such units in the state to 288.