Manipur Violence: Death Toll Rises To 60; CM Appeals For Peace

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday appealed to the people of the state to bring peace and calm following ethnic violence that claimed around 60 lives, left 231 people injured and saw around 1700 houses burnt down.

The violence erupted on May 3 after tribals organized a demonstration in the ten hill districts of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute about 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts. The clashes displaced around 23,000 people and resulted in the deaths of at least 54 people.

In an effort to help those stranded in Manipur to return home, several airlines have been operating special flights from Imphal. Flybig, a regional carrier, has added three additional flights between Imphal and Guwahati, and is operating a Guhahati to Imphal flight via Tezu six days a week. Despite the surge in demand, airfares on the route have not spiked excessively.

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