Page 29 - Manipur

Mobile internet ban lifted in 4 Manipur district HQs unaffected by violence

The Manipur government has lifted the mobile internet ban in four hill district headquarters which have not been affected by ethnic strife, officials said on Thursday. The internet ban was withdrawn on a trial basis in the district headquarters of Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel and Tamenglong, which are Naga-majority areas, they said. The move comes after the Manipur High Court had directed the state government to operationalise mobile towers, on a trial basis, in all those district headquarters which have not been affected by the ethnic clashes. The mobile internet services in the four hill district headquarters resumed on Tuesday, the officials said. Asked about the resumption of mobile internet services, an official of the Ukhrul district administration said, "Only in district headquarters, a few selected mobile towers have been operationalised. But the connectivity is poor. The restoration will be done on a trial basis." At a recent function in Ukhrul, state Transport Minister Kash

Manipur govt extends internet ban in state till Nov 8 to contain violence

The Manipur government has extended the mobile internet ban in the state till November 8, officials said. Barring a few days in September, mobile internet has remained banned in Manipur since May 3 when ethnic clashes broke out, they said. The latest move comes after a mob had on Wednesday attacked a camp of 1 Manipur Rifles here to loot its armoury, prompting security personnel to fire several rounds in the air. The internet ban was extended following "apprehensions that anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speeches and hate video messages, inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation in the state". An order issued by Commissioner (Home) T Ranjit Singh, acknowledged the existence of "elements of imminent danger of loss of life and/or damage to public-private property... as a result of inflammatory material and false rumours which might be transmitted/circulated to the

Situation calm but tense in Imphal day after attack by mob on Rifles camp

The situation in Manipur's capital Imphal remained calm but tense on Thursday, a day after security forces fired several rounds in the air to disperse a large mob of more than 2,000 people who tried to loot an armoury within the camp of the 1 Manipur Rifles. Several markets in the city remained closed but educational institutions, government offices and the Manipur High Court were functioning normally, while vehicles were seen plying on roads after the curfew was relaxed from 10 am. The administration deployed additional state and central forces at major junctions and police personnel were seen patrolling the area near the Manipur Rifles camp. "Yesterday's attempt to loot arms and ammunitions at 1st MR Battalion by armed miscreants was repulsed by combined security forces effectively," the state police said on Thursday. The mob targeted the Manipur Rifles camp, close to the Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister's Office in Imphal West district on Wednesday. Responding to the situation

Manipur violence: Mob tries to 'gherao' police station near CMO's office

A mob on Wednesday tried to gherao a Manipur Police office complex demanding arms in Imphal, the capital of the restive state, prompting the authorities to order firing of several rounds in the air and withdraw curfew relaxations in two districts, officials said. A tribal student body called for a 48-hour shutdown from midnight of Wednesday to protest against the deployment of additional police commandos in Moreh town in Tengnoupal district, where a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) was shot dead on October 31. The Manipur government on Wednesday evening withdrew the daily curfew relaxation from 5 am to 10 pm in Imphal East and West districts "with immediate effect owing to developing law and order situation", according to an official order. The decision came following the attempt by a group of people to gherao the 1st Manipur Rifles complex, close to Raj Bhavan and Chief Minister's Office in Imphal West district, demanding weapons. Security forces fired several rounds in the ai

Manipur cop shot dead, state govt recommends banning tribal group

A senior police officer of Manipur was shot dead by suspected tribal militants in Tengnoupal district on Tuesday prompting the state government to recommend declaring World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) as a banned group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Sub-divisional police officer Chingtham Anand, a resident of Imphal's Haobam Marak locality, was killed in a sniper attack while he was on duty overseeing the cleaning of the grounds of Eastern Shine School for construction of a helipad jointly by the police and BSF, officials said. He was taken to a primary health centre in Moreh where he succumbed to injuries, they said. Within minutes, the state cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Biren Singh and announced a relief of Rs 50 lakh to the kin of Anand. It also decided to provide a suitable government employment to the next of the kin of the slain police officer. "In view of today's incident leading to killing of a senior police officer, the ..

NIA opposes bail plea of man accused of transnational conspiracy in Manipur

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the bail plea of a man accused of involvement in a transnational conspiracy behind the Manipur violence. The agency submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Gupta that the accused - Moirangthem Anand Singh - had association with proscribed organisations and was arrested with sophisticated arms and ammunition along with his associates in an area affected by the ongoing strife. "The accused was involved in transnational conspiracy hatched by the Myanmar-based leadership of terror outfits operationally active in the North Eastern Indian states to exploit the current ethnic unrest in the state of Manipur to wage war against the Government of India and execute terror attacks there by exacerbating the current situation...," the agency told the court. It submitted that if the accused was released on bail, it will cause hardship to the ongoing investigation, and considering the history of the accused, there was high probability th

From MSP to Pulwama: Here's what Satya Pal Malik said to Rahul Gandhi

On being asked about the solution to the problem in Jammu and Kashmir, Malik said that their statehood should be returned with immediate effect

Bhagwat's remarks on Manipur contradicts stance of Modi govt: Baghel

Baghel said the BJP government asserts that borders are secure under its rule while the RSS chief was pointing to role of external elements

Will never accept illegal immigrants in Manipur, says CM Biren Singh

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday asserted that his government will never accept illegal immigrants in the state and said indigenous communities must continue to maintain their historical ties. Singh also said that the arrest of two cadres of Myanmar-based outfit Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA) in Churachandpur district on Monday revealed the involvement of outside groups in the ethnic strife in the state which began in early May leaving more than 180 people dead. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for three projects at Andro in Imphal East district, he said, "I seek your support to maintain the old bond that exists among the traditional and government-recognised 34 communities. However, I will never allow and accept illegal immigrants." The ethnic park at Moirang where traditional houses of 34 indigenous communities of the state are on display bears testimony to the emotional bonds that exist within people, Singh said. "Our issue has been taken up by t

Were extremists across the border involved in Manipur violence: Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday asked if extremists across the border were involved in Manipur violence. For many years, Meitei and Kuki communities have been living together. How did the violence erupt all of a sudden? The conflict benefits external forces. Are external factors involved, Bhagwat said, while addressing the RSS Dussehra rally in Nagpur. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was there for three days. Who actually fueled the conflict? It (violence) is not happening, it is being made to happen, Bhagwat said. The RSS chief said he was proud of the Sangh workers who worked in Manipur to restore peace. Some anti-social people call themselves cultural Marxists or woke but they have forgotten Marx, he said. Bhagwat cautioned against attempts to garner votes by inflaming emotions ahead of 2024 general elections. He asked people to vote keeping in mind unity, integrity, identity and development of the country.

Manipur tribals protest deployment of additional' police commandos in Moreh

A section of tribal women in Manipur's Moreh town bordering Myanmar has been protesting against the deployment of additional police commandos for the past few days. Women are on a sit-in at Chikim village, around 3 km from Tengnoupal district's Moreh, a Kuki majority town. Officials said that a commandant of the Assam Rifles and other security officers held a series of talks with the protestors in the last few days but the issue is yet to be addressed. Several tribal organisations such as the Kuki Inpi and the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) claimed that efforts are on to induct more police personnel drawn from Imphal Valley in the town and this might disturb peace. Despite the strong presence of para-military forces and Indian Army manning the buffer zones and securing tranquillity within Moreh, the deployment of additional Meitei police through night choppers is of grave concern, COTU said in a statement. It claimed that the recovery of arms and ammunition in recent operations

Manipur HC allows appealing against order on ST status for Meitei community

The Manipur High Court has allowed tribal organisations in the state to file an appeal against the controversial March 27 order which directed the state government to send a recommendation on ST status for the Meitei community. A division bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol and Justice Guneshwar Sharma in its October 19 order allowed the tribal bodies to appeal against the order, saying, "the main grievances raised by the applicant is that they will be prejudicially affected if they are not given a chance to have a say or to raise objection in the matter of granting ST status to the Meitei community." A single judge bench had passed the controversial order on a petition filed by members of the Meitei Tribes Union, seeking that the state government be directed to act on their pleas for inclusion in the ST list. The March 27 order by then acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan led to widespread objections from Kuki Zo bodies which was followed by a rally, organised by the All Tribal Student

CBI files chargesheet against six accused in Manipur viral video case

CBI had registered a case on request of Manipur Government and further notification from the Government of India and taken over investigation of Case of NSK Police Station in District Thoubal

PM Modi more concerned about Israel than Manipur, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more concerned about happenings in Israel than in Manipur, which has been riven by an ethnic conflict since May this year. Addressing a rally near Raj Bhavan here after undertaking a 2-km-long padayatra through the city roads, he said that neighbouring Manipur is no longer a unified single state, but has been divided into two states on ethnic lines. Gandhi, who began a two-day visit to poll-bound Mizoram, asserted that the Congress had ushered in peace in the insurgency-hit northeastern state with the signing of a peace accord in 1986. "It is amazing to me that the PM and the Government of India is so interested in what is happening in Israel (Israel-Hamas conflict) but not interested at all in what is happening in Manipur, where people have been murdered, women molested and babies killed," he said. "The idea of India that respects each other, is tolerant, learns from other ideas, religions and ...

Mizoram voters wrestle with Zoramthanga's leadership ahead of Nov 7 polls

Regardless of the election outcome, Mizoram is signalling that change is on the horizon

Manipur govt restrains circulation of videos depicting violence, damage

In a bid to restrain the circulation of videos and images depicting violence and damage to properties in the state, the Manipur government in an order said such dissemination will be dealt with severely and booked as per law. The order, which was issued on Wednesday night, came even as videos and images of widespread violence went viral on social media platforms. One such video shows two Meitei youths being shot at point blank and then being buried in a pit by a group of people speaking Kuki language. The location of the incident site and the place of the burial is, however, not known. The order issued by the Manipur home department stated, "The state government views very seriously and with utmost sensitivity the reported spread of videos and images depicting violent activities, inflicting harm or injury to (any)body or damage to private and public properties through various social media platforms which may aggravate the law and order situation in the state. "The state government .

Curfew relaxation cancelled in Manipur's Moreh town till further orders

Tengnoupal district authorities in Manipur cancelled the daily curfew relaxation in the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh. An order issued by the District Magistrate of Tengnoupal Krishan Kumar on Monday said that daily curfew relaxation from 6 am to 5 pm to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food is "cancelled with immediate effect till further orders as there is a likelihood of gathering of public." However, curfew relaxation in the rest of the district will remain from 6 am to 5 pm, it said. The order shall not apply to government agencies involved in the enforcement of law and order, the order said. On Monday, large groups of the mob gathered in the Kuki-dominated town and started to clean market sheds previously used by the Meitei community so as to use them following which security forces intervened triggering altercations and tension, official sources said.

Renaming of districts, institutes without approval punishable: Manipur govt

The Manipur government has issued a notification, advising against renaming of districts and institutions without its prior approval, contending that such a move could create conflict among communities and aggravate the current law and order situation. Anyone found violating the directive shall be prosecuted under relevant laws, it said. Over 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds have been injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. "No one shall make or attempt to make any deliberate act of renaming districts, sub-divisions, places, institutions and address of such institutions without the approval of the state government," the order issued by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi said. It has come to the notice of the state government of Manipur from reliable sources that many civil society organisations, institutions

CRPF personnel injured in grenade attack near minister's house in Manipur

Two persons, including a CRPF personnel, were injured in a hand grenade explosion near the residence of Manipur minister Khemchand Yumnam in Imphal West district, police said on Sunday. The incident happened at Yumnam Leikai around 10 pm on Saturday, they said. Two persons, who were on a motorcycle, hurled the grenade, which fell a few metres away from the main gate of the minister's residence, they added. The CRPF personnel, identified as Dinesh Chandra Das -- a resident of West Bengal, recieved splinter injuries on his hand. The other injured person was a woman, and she also received splinter injuries on her right foot. Yumnam is the minister of rural development and panchayati raj. Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited the spot where the explosion happened. He condemned the attack.

Fresh violence breaks out in Manipur's Imphal Valley, two houses torched

Fresh violence broke out in Manipur's Imphal West district where at least two houses were set on fire and several rounds of bullets were fired, police said on Thursday. The incident happened in New Keithelmanbi in Patsoi police station area around 10 pm on Wednesday, they said. After the attack, the accused fled the spot, triggering tension in the area, they added. Security forces and fire services personnel brought the blaze under control, police said. A mob of Meitei women who gathered in the area following the incident was prevented by the security forces from proceeding further, they said. Additional security has been deployed and the situation is under control, police said. More than 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis account for about 53 p