New Delhi: Two mothers rescued by the Assam Rifles during the ongoing violence in Manipur delivered babies at the Army’s temporary camps in the state, the Indian Army said in a tweet Sunday.
“I am very happy now, what would we have done in the jungle if you had not rescued us,” one of the mothers is heard saying in a video posted online by the Indian Army.
Both mothers rescued by the Assam Rifles are currently doing well, the Army added.
While the Army tweet did not mention details about the women, news agency ANI reported that a 38-year-old woman, Esther Hontah, gave birth by C-section at the Mantripukhri relief camp. The baby was delivered by the Assam Rifle doctors.
According to reports, the Army and Assam Rifles have rescued 23,000 civilians from Manipur’s Imphal valley and surrounding areas that have been witnessing tension between Meitei and Kuki communities since 3 May.
Reactions to the tweet started to pour in on Twitter where users praised the Army for its efforts.
One Levina Neythiri responded to the post on social media saying: “Hats off Indian Army. The lady was right — ‘You are our only hope’. God bless our soldiers who have been working tirelessly to rescue people.”
Another user, Tenzing Zhimomi, wrote, “Assam Rifles has always been a ray of hope and firm protector of people of North East..kudos to Assam rifles and the Army.”
The violence
The All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) organised a rally in solidarity against a Manipur High Court order that asked the state government to make an appeal to the central government about the proposal to include the Meitei community on the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list on 3 May, sparking the start of the violence.
The violence increased dramatically on 4 May, when the central government invoked Article 355, or emergency provisions, in the state. Convoys of vehicles carrying soldiers, Assam Rifles, members of the Rapid Action Force, and local police have taken charge of various impacted regions in the state. At least 52 people have been reportedly killed in Manipur so far.
According to news reports, since Sunday morning, there has been a relaxation of the curfew as life seems to be getting back to normal with people stepping out of their houses to buy essentials in Manipur’s Churachandpur district. The Army has also increased aerial surveillance by employing unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters in the valley, the reports added.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)