Imphal: After being shut for nearly two months due to the violence, schools in Manipur will reopen on Thursday. The administration issued an order saying that classes 9 to 12 will start from August 10 in the violence-affected state. The order, which was issued on July 3 for classes 1 to 8, said that a separate order will be issued later for these schools. It also said that necessary measures will be taken to prevent any learning loss for the students of these schools, as per a report by Hindustan Times.
Since May 3, ethnic clashes have erupted in Manipur, a northeastern state, between two communities – Meitei and Kuki. The conflict is over land and influence in one of the worst ethnic violence in Manipur. Hundreds of people have been killed, many have lost their homes and become refugees, and many women have faced sexual violence. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions were closed because of the violence.
The Meiteis, who are 53 per cent of the state’s population, live in the Valley, which is about a tenth of the former princely state’s land area. They say they are facing problems due to “large scale illegal immigration by Myanmarese and Bangladeshis”.
The hill districts, which cover most of Manipur’s land area, are mostly inhabited by tribals — including the Nagas and Kukis and are protected from encroachment by various laws. Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas have fought with each other for various demands over decades. The recent clashes, however, are between Meiteis and Kuki community
