India's violence-wracked Manipur holds 'closed-door' election

Fears of more bloodshed force candidates to campaign on the sly in remote region

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A supporter of India's main opposition Congress party holds up a banner during a rally in Manipur state's Thoubal district on Jan. 14. © Reuters

QURATULAIN REHBAR, Contributing writer

NEW DELHI -- India is swept up in election fever but there's little sign of it on the streets of Kangpokpi in Manipur state, where inter-ethnic violence has sharply divided residents of the remote region.

As the world's biggest democracy kicked off a six-week voting process last month, Kangpokpi resident Mang Kipgen walked by one of the town's polling booths to find it deserted -- in stark contrast to other parts of the country.

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