Manipur violence : Woman shot dead outside school in Manipur

The incident came a day after schools reopened two months after ethnic violence erupted in the state. Police said the incident took place around 8.40 am near Sishu Nistha Niketan School. The woman's body has been sent for an autopsy.

While the woman's identity is yet to be officially established, the Churachandpur-based Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum claimed that she belonged to the Zo-Kuki community. The forum identified her as Dongaiching, a woman who lived on the church campus in the Lamphel area of ​​Imphal East district.

Schools have been closed for more than two months due to continued ethnic violence in Manipur.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday announced that schools will reopen from July 5 up to Class 8, except for 96 schools in the worst-affected areas. Students from classes 9 to 12 can return once the construction of prefabricated houses is completed and the displaced people sheltering in various relief camps are relocated, Singh announced.

The northeastern state has been witnessing ethnic clashes between tribal communities – Meitei and Kuki – that have so far left at least 122 dead, over 300 injured, and about 50,000 displaced.

The Manipur government banned the internet on May 3 in an attempt to prevent the spread of hate speech, inflammatory images, and video messages that could potentially spark further unrest. Another five-day extension of the ban till July 10 has been announced across the state.

As Reuters reported, unrest in the state began on May 3 when the ethnic majority Meitei clashed with hill tribe groups over economic benefits and quotas in government jobs and educational institutions offered to the tribes. Separately, the Manipur state government launched an eviction drive in February to evict tribals from hill forests, claiming they were encroaching on government land, sparking outrage among tribal people who were forced from their homes.

Manipur has a long history of political unrest, with various armed insurgent groups operating in the region. In this context, women played a significant role in voicing their concerns and demanding change. Over the years, they have actively participated in protests, marches, and strikes and have become a driving force in political mobilization.