Bolpur: The violence in troubled-torn Manipur is unabated. The situation is alarming in the state. Gunfights, torching of houses and mounting death toll paint a gloomy picture of the northeastern state. Narrating his ordeal, Vaikum Hemant Kumar, a resident of Imphal and Professor at Visva-Bharati in West Bengal, while speaking to ETV Bharat on Monday, said, "I am a professor at Manipuri dance department of Visva-Bharati. I came to Manipur during the summer vacation. There was a curfew here and the situation is not good. The protesters have burnt several houses in the hilly areas of the state. I was not leaving my house. The situation is far worst in rural areas of the state. More than 200 houses were set on fire by the Kuki extremists. Armed Kukis are hiding in hilly areas and targeting the common people. They come down from the hills and taking control of the villages."
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K Sunita Devi, another professor, who works at Visva-Bharati and she also attached to the Manipuri dance department of the university, said, "I belong to Imphal in Manipur. My family stays in Imphal and I get to know about the situation there over the phone. I also talk to my friends and students over the phone to know the situation in my home state."
"It worries me to no end. The firing was going on till Sunday. The police have 303 guns while the Kukis were armed with AK47s, machine guns and bombs. So, the police are unable to control the situation. Besides Kukis, the state has more than different 20 tribal groups," she said.
Speaking further, Sunita said, "Several urban areas have been facing a short supply of vegetables as they come from villages. There is a shortage of essential items. Food is being supplied to rehabilitation camps from neighbourhood clubs. What I was seeing that several people not knowing the Manipuri language have infiltrated the troubled-torn areas of the state. Many people from Burma (Myanmar) have entered the state. The situation is pathetic," she added.
