Imphal, Oct 21: In response to the ongoing violence that has gripped Manipur since May 3, the Manipur government has decided to extend the curfew timings for Imphal East and Imphal West districts. On Saturday, October 21, the curfew will be relaxed from the usual 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., in contrast to the previous 7 p.m. curfew.
This curfew, which has been in effect since the state-wide violence began, has covered several districts including Imphal West, Imphal East, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and other valley districts.
In recent times, as the law and order situation slowly improved, curfew timings were relaxed to 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on most days, and later up to 7 p.m. in Imphal West and Imphal East. However, the relaxation was frequently revoked without warning due to new episodes of violence.
The orders issued by the district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West on Friday stated that the relaxation of curfew timings was due to the “improvement of the law and order situation.”
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The orders further mentioned that this relaxation allows the general public to purchase essential items, including medicines and food. However, it does not apply to gatherings, large-scale movement of people, sit-in protests, rallies, or any other unlawful activities.
The order also specifies that individuals belonging to essential services, such as health, electricity, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), petrol pumps, schools, colleges, municipality, press and electronic media, functioning courts, and individuals traveling to and from the airport with valid permits will be exempt from the curfew.
It’s worth noting that on September 14, both Imphal East and Imphal West district authorities extended the relaxed curfew timing to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., as opposed to the usual 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
