Mary Kom tweeted, requesting assistance, mentioning the defense minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, and prime minister
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Olympic medal-winning boxer and Rajya Sabha member Mary Kom issued a calm-down call on Thursday amid widespread unrest in her native Manipur due to demonstrations against the majority Meitei community’s inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. She told the news organization: “The situation in Manipur upsets me; earlier, I could not even imagine this much violence. It has gotten scarier since last night.”
Mary Kom made a plea for cooperation between the center and state governments, saying, “I ask the center and state governments to take steps and to maintain peace and security. This is my request. The boxer added, “I respect all people. Please live in peace. My question is why we all can’t coexist in peace? It will be better for all of us if we coexist in peace. In this violence, some people sadly lost family members. I ask God to make everything calm down as soon as this can be over.”
Additionally, the boxer tweeted her appeal while posting images of the violence. Mary Kom tweeted, requesting assistance, mentioning the defense minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, and prime minister Narendra Modi and his office. The inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category, which makes up more than half of the state’s population, sparked violence. Other communities have objected to the decision because it will prevent them from applying for jobs with the government and enrolling in educational institutions. About 40% of the state’s population is made up of tribes, including Nagas and Kukis.
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The violence started on Wednesday during a “tribal solidarity march” organized by the All-Tribal Student Union Manipur in the Churachandpur district’s Torbung neighborhood. In all 10 hill state districts, thousands participated in numerous protest marches and events. Later, police accused “anti-social elements” of spreading hate speech, images, and videos on social media. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Biren Singh’s administration imposed a five-day mobile internet ban as violence erupted and arson incidents were reported.
Singh attributed the violence earlier today to “prevailing misunderstandings between two sections of society,” and he promised that all grievances would be resolved after appropriate consultations. He corroborated reports of vandalism and arson from Churachandpur, Bishnupur, and Kangpokpi, as well as from the state capital Imphal, with an unspecified number of fatalities and property damage. To reestablish law and order and guarantee the safety of all citizens, army and paramilitary forces have been deployed. In February and March of last year, Manipur held Assembly elections, which allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party administration of chief minister Biren Singh to continue in power. The violence that resulted in many deaths both preceded and followed the election.
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