West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called upon everyone to rise above the differences of caste, creed, religion and race to protect the rights of the indigenous people. Wishing people on the occasion of 'International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples', Banerjee said indigenous peoples' rights must be protected for the sake of humanity. "On this International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, let's celebrate their vibrant traditions, art, and heritage that enrich our state's identity. Let's pledge to walk alongside our Adivasi brethren," Banerjee tweeted. "May the people of this state, this nation, and the world at large rise above differences of caste, creed, religion, and race to uphold and protect the rights of indigenous peoples, because this isn't just about one community; it's about humanity," she added. She said the "cultural tapestry of Bengal is woven with threads from diverse indigenous communities". Banerjee is on a three-day administrative
Gogoi also said the opposition bloc INDIA was forced to bring the no-confidence motion against the government to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'vow of silence' on Manipur
Scores of workers of the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction gathered at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi on Monday to protest against the Centre over the ethnic violence in Manipur that has claimed more than 160 lives. Around 100 activists of the Pune unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gathered for the protest with posters bearing messages such as "What is more valuable? Our lives or votes?" The protesters, led by the party's Pune City unit chief Prashant Jagtap, also raised slogans against the Centre and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Party MP Supriya Sule was also present at the protest. "We are staging this protest to wake the Centre up in the hope that it will take measures to restore peace in Manipur. With the Lok Sabha elections nearing, the intensity of hatred among people is increasing," a protester said. More than 160 people have been killed in the ethnic clashes in Manipur since May 3.
The Congress on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the Manipur violence issue and asked why did he allow Chief Minister Biren Singh to continue in the post. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to cite a news report about "repeated armoury looting" leaving the security forces worried, to attack the government over the Manipur issue. "No wonder that on August 1, the Supreme Court observed that from the beginning of May there was an 'absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery', as also law and order machinery in Manipur," he tweeted. "Yet the prime minister continues to be silent and allows the totally discredited chief minister to continue," Ramesh said. The Congress has been demanding a statement from the prime minister on the Manipur issue in Parliament followed by a comprehensive discussion on the matter in both Houses. The Congress and other opposition parties have been disrupting both houses of Parliament during the Monsoon
The Manipur Police on Friday said joint forces have conducted search operations in vulnerable and fringe areas of the strife-torn state and destroyed seven illegal bunkers after fresh violence broke out across various districts. The state government, however, relaxed the curfew in Imphal East and West districts for seven hours from 5 am to facilitate common people to purchase essential items, officials said. "Security Forces conducted search operations in the vulnerable and fringe areas of the State. Joint security forces conducted operation in Koutruk hill range and destroyed 07 (seven) illegal bunkers," the state police said on Twitter. Following the violence in several districts of the ethnic riot-hit state, the administration had on Thursday imposed a total curfew in the twin districts of Imphal as a precautionary measure, withdrawing relaxations announced earlier. The curfew was relaxed on Friday from 5 am to 12 pm "to facilitate the general public to purchase essential ...
Hours before a planned mass burial of Kuki-Zomi people killed in Manipur's ethnic violence, the states high court on Thursday ordered that the status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site in Churachandpur district, while ITLF, an apex tribal body, said it was postponing the funeral service plans by seven days following requests from the Union home ministry. Meanwhile, over 25 people were injured in clashes as Army and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas in Bishnupur district on Thursday to stop processions from proceeding to the proposed burial site violating restrictions on gatherings, officials said. The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West withdrew curfew relaxations earlier announced, imposing day curfew as a precautionary measure, throughout the Imphal valley. The Kuki-Zomi organisation, Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, had planned the burial of 35 people, who were killed in ethnic riots in the state, on Thursday at a sit
Supreme Court also asked the Centre as well as the state government to inform what kind of legal aid is being provided to them
According to him, it is the Central government's failure even if China is behind the unrest
The Manipur government on Thursday announced that it will convene a special assembly session in the second or third week of August. Government spokesperson and Information and Public Relations Minister Sapam Rajan said that the government is making efforts towards this end. There have been demands from several quarters to convene a special assembly session to discuss the current situation in the state. Rajan also dismissed media reports that claimed that the state government had not taken medical care of BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte after he was injured in an attack in the initial days of the ongoing ethnic strife in May. "We took care and regularly got updates of his health condition, even after he was discharged from the hospital. The government condemned the incident. BJP state president Sarda Devi and minister Th Basanta also met him in a hospital in Delhi," he said. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring ...
Manipur government has said that at least 718 Myanmar nationals, including 301 children, have illegally entered the northeastern state last week. A statement issued by Home Department said that the illegal influx was reported on July 22 and 23 in Chandel district by Assam Rifles, the India-Myanmar border guarding force. Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi sought to know from the Assam Rifles how the Myanmarese were allowed to enter India without proper travel documents and asked the force to push them back immediately. "Report has been received from the Headquarters 28 Sector Assam Rifles that 718 fresh refugees have crossed India-Myanmar border and entered into the general area of New Lajang," Joshi said in the statement. Of the 718 Myanmarese, 209 are men, 208 are women and 301 are children. Thirteen Myanmar nationals entered Lajang area on July 22. On July 23, a total of 230 Myanmarese arrived in New Lajang, 89 in New Samtal, 143 in Yangnomphai village, 175 in Yangnomphai Saw Mill, 3
Shah says govt ready for discussion, Oppn insists PM make a statement
Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday staged a protest in Parliament complex demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House on the Manipur issue. Holding placards and banners that read "INDIA for Manipur" and "INDIA demands PM's statement on Manipur", the opposition parties raised slogans against the government in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex. Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said it is the prime minister's duty to make a comprehensive statement in Parliament on Manipur violence. "It is shameful that the prime minister is making a statement outside the House, when Parliament is in session. It is his duty to make a comprehensive statement inside Parliament on Manipur violence," the Congress leader said. "We are requesting the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of Lok Sabha that the PM should make a statement on the situation in Manipur. We want a discussion under Rule 16
The ethnic violence in Manipur that erupted on May 3 and has left over 160 dead has been largely fuelled by rumours and fake news, according to officials from various security agencies who have been monitoring the situation in the restive northeastern state. The despicable May 4 incident in Kangpokpi district, where two women were paraded naked and assaulted by several people, was among the spate of sexual attacks that occurred after a picture of a body wrapped in polythene was circulated in the Imphal valley with a false claim that the victim had been murdered by tribals in Churachandpur. The picture was later found to be that of a woman murdered in the national capital but the fire had engulfed the valley by that time, and what was witnessed the next day put humanity to shame, says an official while referring to the video of the Kangpokpi incident that appeared on social media last week and has sparked massive outrage in the country. On the same day, barely 30 km away, two more ..
DCW chairperson claimed the state government asked her to postpone her visit as the law and order situation in the state 'is not good'
The grinding violence that has roiled Manipur for more than two months burst onto the national centrestage on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CJI D Y Chandrachud expressed deep anguish over a graphic video of two disrobed women being brutalised by a mob, calling the incident "shameful" and "unacceptable". The incident in a village in Kangpokpi district that was captured in the 26-second video and stoked a nationwide outrage took place a day after ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state on May 3 but the horrific footage surfaced only on Wednesday and became viral after the internet ban was lifted. Hours after Prime Minister Modi in his first public comments on the Manipur violence vowed that no guilty will be spared and law will act with its "full might and firmness", Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the police have arrested two men. CJI Chandrachud also warned that the apex court will take action if nothing is happening on the ground. Taking suo motu
The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of two women paraded naked in violence-hit Manipur over two months ago and asked the state police chief to take prompt action in the matter. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said she has been informed that the main accused has been arrested and others would be apprehended soon. Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side. "NCW condemns the Manipur incident. Taking suo motu cognizance, the DGP Manipur has been asked to promptly take appropriate action," the NCW tweeted. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted, "Just spoke to DGP of Manipur and he apprised that the main accused has been arrested. He assured me that others will also be arrested soon." Earlier, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said she spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the vi
The JD(U) on Thursday attacked the Centre and the BJP administration in Manipur asserting that the northeastern state is burning for more than two months even though it has a double-engine government. Referring to the incident in which two tribal women were paraded naked and molested by a mob at a village in Senapati district, JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh said it is horrific and shocking. The north-eastern state has the double engine government of BJP. But still, it is burning for more than two months. What happened to the 56-inch chest of the PM? The violence in Manipur shows no signs of stopping, he tweeted. BJP leaders use the term "double engine" to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. Innocent people are being killed; women are being brutally tortured. The assault on women in Manipur is horrific, shocking and disturbing, Singh said in the Twitter post. Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday sho
Earlier, addressing the media ahead of the Parliament's Monsoon session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that those found guilty will not be spared
The Manipur Police on Thursday arrested one of the main accused who was seen in a May 4 video of two tribal women being paraded naked and molested by a mob at a village in Senapati district, officials said. They said several police teams were formed immediately after the video of the incident surfaced. One of the people, alleged to be the mastermind, was arrested from Thoubal district, officials said. The accused was prominently seen in the 26-second clip. Police had issued a statement on Wednesday saying a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants and that all-out efforts were on to arrest the culprits at the earliest. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between the majority Meitei community, concentrated in the Imphal valley, and the tribal Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far.
The Manipur government has removed the daily curfew relaxation in the five valley districts from 5am to 6pm and clamped full curfew in view of a rally on Wednesday. The government's decision comes after Kwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee for Peace, which represents the womenfolk of the main market in Imphal town, appealed to all to make the "Mothers' Protest" rally a roaring success. The committee's co-convenor, K Dhaneshori, urged all mothers in every locality to come out from their homes between 11 am and 1 pm and raise slogans demanding rejection of separate administration, implementation of NRC and immediate convening of an emergency assembly session. She also appealed to all to support the protest against the continuing violence in the state. Security measures have been intensified in capital Imphal town as well. Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, police have detained 30 persons for their alleged involvement in the attack on IGP (Zone 2) K Kabib and his