Manipur Govt Bans Circulation Of Videos & Images Depicting Violence In State

Pic courtesy India Today

Imphal: The Manipur government has prohibited the circulation of videos and images depicting violence and damage to properties as a step towards restoring normalcy in the ethnic strife-torn state.

Any violation will be dealt with severely and those responsible will be booked under the relevant provision of the law, according to the government order issued on Wednesday night.

Several videos and photos, showing widespread violence in the north-eastern state, have gone went viral on social media platforms in the last few months. One of the recent such videos showed two youths being shot at point blank range and then being buried in a pit by a group of people.

“The state government views very seriously and with utmost sensitivity the reported spread of videos and images depicting violent activities like causing/inflicting harm/injury to body and/or damage to private/public properties through various social media platforms which may aggravate the law and order situation in the state,” said the order by Manipur home department.

“The state government after thorough examination of the matter has decided to restrain the act of spreading such videos and images as a positive step towards bringing normalcy in the state,” it said.

Anyone in possession of such videos or images can approach the nearest superintendent of police irrespective of jurisdiction and submit them for taking appropriate action, the order said.

Mass protests broke out in Imphal valley last month after images of bodies of two missing youths surfaced on social media. Over 100 students, mostly girls, were injured in the crackdown by security forces and police on protestors.

Ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki tribes broke out in Manipur on May 3.