VIDEO: Clashes in Northeast India Leave Over 50 Dead

In the remote northeastern region of India, the death toll from clashes between different ethnic groups has risen to 54 as violence erupted again overnight, despite authorities rapidly deploying troops to restore order.

Thousands of soldiers have been sent to Manipur state since a protest march turned violent on Wednesday. Authorities have shut down the internet and ordered troops to shoot in extreme cases in an attempt to quell the unrest.

The police informed AFP that the situation remains tense following a new outbreak of violence on Friday evening, with the Press Trust of India reporting that there are 54 bodies in the morgues of hospitals in the state capital Imphal and the southern district of Churachandpur.

The director general of Manipur police, Dungel, told reporters on Friday that security forces are monitoring the situation. A unit of the Indian Army stationed in the neighboring state of Nagaland has reported that 13,000 people have taken refuge in “military shelters.”

On Thursday, security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters, some of whom burned vehicles and homes. The tribal groups were protesting against the Meiteis, who make up the majority of the state’s population and are seeking “scheduled tribe” status. Indian legislation grants such tribes quotas for government jobs and opportunities for college admissions.

Manipur is located in the far northwest of India, with its connection to the rest of the country maintained through a narrow land corridor, experiencing ethnic unrest for years. The northeast is home to dozens of tribes and small paramilitary forces, whose demands include autonomy and separation from India. Since the first insurgency in the 1950s, nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives in these conflicts.