CHINA BEHIND MANIPUR VIOLENCE!

How did ultras loot weapons from police stations so easily? Where are they getting sophisticated rifles from?

- VIJAY DARDA

At the moment, the country's main worry is Manipur. The violence that broke out last month shows no signs of abating. Over 130 people have died. Village after village has been set ablaze. The degree of cruelty is such that a child was also shot during the clashes between security forces and miscreants. The miscreants set on fire the ambulance that was transporting the child to the hospital. Among the fire victims were those who were accompanying the child. Currently, almost 50,000 people are forced to reside in the Army camps or other shelters.

The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3, and I wrote in this column on May 8 why the Seven Sisters are sitting on a powder keg. I had stated that the Kukis are predominantly Christians, whereas the Meiteis are predominantly Hindus with a few Muslims. That's why this conflict is also being given a communal colour. There is little doubt that neighbouring countries have fuelled the fire and fostered extremism on a massive scale in the North-East. Even now, the extremists active in many North-East states get weapons from China and even from Pakistan Army and ISI.