Broadband Internet Back In Manipur's 5 Valley Districts, Mobile Data Still Blocked

The Manipur government has restored access to the internet via broadband connections in five valley districts, three days after it snapped mobile and broadband internet due to protests by students in the state capital Imphal.

In an order today, the state government said access to the internet via mobile data continues to remain blocked.

The five valley districts are Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching.

The ban -- meant to prevent the spread of fake and concocted social media posts following last week's "drone attacks" and subsequent protests -- was supposed to stay for five days. It has been partially lifted now, with broadband access enabled.

The internet ban is not applicable in the hill districts.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis - a term given by the British in colonial times - who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.