A powerful wave of solidarity swept through tribal-dominated regions of Gujarat on Sunday as a shutdown was observed to condemn the failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Manipur to quell the escalating ethnic strife. Across 14 districts with significant tribal populations, including Tapi, Valsad, Dahod, Panchmahal, Narmada, and Chhota Udepur, marketplaces stood deserted with shuttered shops, and groups of people staged sit-in dharnas as part of the 'bandh' called by various tribal organizations, supported by the opposition Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP).
AAP's working president and MLA Chaitar Vasava, while addressing the media, expressed national concern over the violence in Manipur, emphasizing that 52 talukas in the 14 Gujarat districts responded to the bandh call. People representing various sectors, including farmers, social, religious, and business organizations, joined forces in hopes that the government will intervene to halt the violence in Manipur, according to PTI.
The ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur, which claimed over 160 lives since May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organized to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, have provoked national outrage. The distressing incident on May 4, where two tribal women were paraded naked in Kangpokpi district, fueled the flames of unrest, garnering widespread condemnation.
