The Manipur government on Tuesday suspended mobile internet for three days across five districts after a bomb explosion in Bishnupur killed two children and injured their mother, triggering fresh protests and violence in the restive state.
As per reports, the internet shutdown affects Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts, according to a Home Department order issued on April 7. A curfew was also imposed in Bishnupur, where the attack occurred just after midnight.
The authorities said the move was necessary to curb the spread of “disinformation and false rumours” and prevent activities that could disturb public order.
“Temporary suspension/curbing of internet services… is necessitated in public interest,” the order said, adding the restrictions would take effect from 2 pm on April 7.
Attack in Moirang
In Tronglaobi Awang Leikai village, Moirang, a 5-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl were killed in their sleep, and their mother was injured when suspected militants lobbed an explosive at their home. Moirang is a hotspot of unrest between the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The attack sparked violent protests, with locals torching two oil tankers and a truck near a petrol pump, burning tyres outside a police station, and damaging a makeshift police outpost. Security forces were deployed to restore order.
A large mob later stormed a Central Reserve Police Force camp near the foothills of P Gelmol, close to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border. Security personnel fired rounds and used smoke bombs to disperse the crowd.
At least 19 people were injured and rushed to nearby hospitals, while one person was reported dead at the scene. Journalists covering the violence were forced to take shelter in a nearby canal amid the chaos.
Manipur CM Condemns Attack
Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh condemned the incident as a “barbaric act” and “an outright assault on humanity.”
“Let there be no doubt, those responsible will be identified, hunted down, and dealt with firmly under the law. Such acts of terror will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” CM said.
Local NPP MLA Th Shanti Singh also alleged the attack was carried out by “Kuki narco-terrorists.”
“This heinous act is nothing less than an act of terrorism. Such inhuman acts have no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
The incident has shattered a fragile calm in the region and reignited tensions across valley districts.
