Indian authorities said on Sunday they had started to relax a curfew imposed in violence-hit Manipur after 45 days of civil unrest in the north-east state, seeking to reduce anger spilling onto the streets and restore normalcy. “We have decided to remove curfew from 5 am until 5 pm to enable residents to buy food, medicines, and other essentials,” said Diana Devi, a local government official based in capital city of Imphal, not far from the border with Myanmar. Manipur has experienced widespread violence since May 3, following protests by indigenous communities sparked by resentment over economic benefits and quotas for government jobs and education reserved for Kukis, an ethnic group, who mostly live in the hills. Meiteis, the dominant community in the low lands of the state, who account for half of state’s population, demand extension of limited affirmative action quotas to them.—Reuters
