Delhi Police refuse permission for civil society body’s solidarity meeting on Manipur Violence

The Conference For Human Rights (India) had planned to organise a solidarity meeting in southeast Delhi's C R Park on Sunday and had sought permission from the local police for it.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Sunday denied permission to a civil society organisation to hold a solidarity meeting on the ethnic violence in Manipur, citing the law and order situation, according to an official order.

The Conference For Human Rights (India) had planned to organise a solidarity meeting in southeast Delhi’s C R Park on Sunday and had sought permission from the local police for it.

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In an official communication to Conference For Human Rights (India) secretary general Nanita Sharma, police said, “… it is submitted that the permission to hold solidarity meeting at Market no. 2 is not granted considering the law and order situation.” More than 160 people have lost their lives and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Tension further mounted last week after a video purportedly shot on May 4 surfaced online showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.