Indian Students Clash With Police, Demanding An End to Unrestricted Migrant Entry

Students in India’s eastern city state of Manipur protested for a third day over demands for a government crackdown on migrants. One 16-year-old student was killed in the clashes, protesters told International Business Times.

Sapam Robinhood suffered a direct hit when police officers fired tear gas canisters into the crowd. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. At least 20 others were injured.

Manipur's government has since imposed an indefinite curfew on the state capital Imphal and closed all educational institutions. Students that stayed inside during the city-wide curfew said that they could hear "explosions" outside on Wednesday.

The students protesters are part of a grassroots organization that advocates for stricter controls on the number of migrants allowed into the city.

The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System would only allow non-locals to enter the state with an authorized permit. The law was first introduced under a British rule that granted special protection to indigenous people in northeast India.

Many Manipur students are unhappy that the law has not been implemented. One student in Imphal, who requested her name be kept anonymous for security reasons, explained, "Many people feel influx of migrants is taking our livelihood and identity. Natives feel they've taken what belongs to us."

The majority of migrants in Imphal and wider Manipur come from the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal. In scenes that echo similar protests in other parts of the world, local residents complain that they can't find jobs because migrants are taking them.

According to recent research, more than a quarter of educated young people in Manipur are unemployed.