Page 48 - Manipur

Oppn walk out from Parl panel meet after demand to discuss Manipur denied

Opposition members of the parliamentary standing committee on Home walked out of a meeting on Thursday after their demand to discuss the situation in Manipur was denied by the panel chief, sources said. At the meeting to discuss prison reforms in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, TMC's Derek O'Brien, and Congress' Digvijaya Singh and Pradip Bhattacharya submitted a joint letter to panel chairman Brijlal, saying as committee members they cannot ignore the situation in Manipur, the sources said. The letter signed by all three MPs said that as members of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, it is their moral and constitutional responsibility to discuss this matter with utmost urgency and the requited sincerity. "Having been a senior police officer yourself, you understand the gravity of the situation in the state. Manipur needs healing and an end to the violence. We as elected representatives cannot look away," they said. They further said t

Two armed groups come face to face in Manipur, security forces deescalate

Security forces thwarted clashes in Manipur's Kangpokpi district where two armed groups gathered and fired a few rounds, sources said on Thursday. The incident happened around 3.40 pm on Wednesday near Phaileng village, they said. Armed groups from Mapao and Awang Sekmai areas gathered in the area, escalating the tensions, they added. A few rounds were fired, but soon personnel of the Assam Rifles reached the area and brought the situation under control. Sources said women, however, blocked the roads to prevent the forces from reaching the area. In Churachandpur, a large number of Kukis staged a protest. The rally started at Public Ground and continued till Tuibong Peace Ground. Nearly 4,000 people participated in the rally, and most of them were in 'combat' dress with camouflage on their faces, sources said. No untoward incident was reported during the rally, which went on till 7 pm on Wednesday.

Oppn walks out from Par panel meet after demand to discuss Manipur denied

Opposition members of the parliamentary standing committee on Home walked out of a meeting on Thursday after their demand to discuss the situation in Manipur was denied by the panel chief, sources said. At the meeting to discuss prison reforms in states, TMC's Derek O'Brien, and Congress' Digvijaya Singh and Pradip Bhattacharya submitted letters to panel chairman Brijlal, saying as committee members they cannot ignore the situation in Manipur, the sources said. Earlier too, O'Brien and Singh had written to Brijlal urging him to hold a meeting to discuss the situation in Manipur. The chairperson had informed both MPs separately the inability to hold meetings urgently on the Manipur situation, as three meetings on prison reforms have been scheduled for July. A total of seven members, including the chairman, attended the meeting. Nearly 120 people have died and more than 3,000 injured in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3.

SC dismisses plea by 2 residents against internet shutdown in Manipur

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea by two Manipur residents against repeated internet shutdowns in the state rocked by ethnic violence and gave them the liberty to approach the high court on the matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra noted that a division bench of the Manipur High Court is already seized of the matter in which an expert committee was formed and directed to examine whether internet could be restored in the state. Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the matter concerned the internet ban in Manipur. "At this stage, faced with the fact that a petition under Article 226 is pending before the high court, Mr Farasat seeks permission to withdraw and intervene in a pending matter or file an independent petition before HC. We grant him permission to do so leaving all rights and contentions open," the bench said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by ...

Internet ban extended for 5 more days till July 10 in strife-torn Manipur

The Manipur government on Wednesday said it has extended the suspension of internet services in the state for another five days till 3 pm of July 10 to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order. The authorities banned internet services across the northeastern state for the first time on May 3 when clashes between ethnic communities began. It is being extended from time to time. "There is apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for law and order situation," a statement issued by Home Commissioner T Ranjit Singh said. Violence first broke out in the state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, more than 100 people have died and several hundred injured, besides thousands taki

Schools reopen in Manipur after 2 months, attendance thin on first day

: After remaining shut for more than a couple of months because of ethnic clashes, schools reopened across Manipur on Wednesday. Though attendance in most institutes was extremely low on the first day, students, parents and guardians welcomed the state government's decision to resume classes. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had on Monday announced the government's decision to reopen schools up to class 8 from July 5. Most students with whom PTI interacted were happy to get back to school. Class 1 student Linthoi said, "I am very happy. Finally, after a two-month wait, I will be able to meet my friends and teachers. Moreover, I will learn new things. She said the shutting down of schools had made her life extremely idle and boring. Several students said the state government should take steps to ensure that schools remain open for at least a few hours daily even if the situation is tense. Bhabesh Sharma, father of a class 4 student, hoped that the situation remains normal for classes

Manipur stares at food shortage as ethnic violence affects farming

Agriculture has been affected in Manipur as many farmers are unable to tend to their fields due to the ongoing ethnic violence, and if the situation does not improve, food production in the northeastern state will be affected, a senior official said on Wednesday. Department of Agriculture Director N Gojendro told PTI that farmers were unable to cultivate at least 5,127 hectares of agricultural land, leading to a loss of 15,437.23 metric tonnes till June 28. "If the farmers are unable to cultivate paddy this monsoon season, the loss will increase by the end of July. The department has, however, readied fertilisers and seeds that can be harvested in a shorter period of time and required lesser amount of water," he said. There are around 2-3 lakh farmers in the state cultivating paddy on 1.95 lakh hectares of agricultural land. Thoubal district has the highest yield per hectare in the state, he said. Farmers fear that there might be a shortage of locally grown 'Meitei Rice', leading

Two incidents of intermittent firing in Manipur, no casualties reported

Intermittent firings were witnessed in two places in Manipur, the latest being in the early hours of Wednesday, but no casualties have been reported so far, security sources said here. The first incident of intermittent firing was reported between two communities in the Khoijumtambi area from 7 pm to 8 pm on Tuesday, they said. The exchange of fire stopped after some time, the sources said, adding that no casualty was reported. The other incident was reported around 4.30 am on Wednesday along the ridge line, East of Phaileng. There was no report of any casualty in this as well, the sources said. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 have been injured in the ethnic violence that broke out in Manipur on May 3. The violent clashes took place after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state for four days last month

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KNO spokesperson Seilen Haokip's house set on fire in Churachandpur

More than 100 people have died and over 40,000 people have been displaced ever since the ethnic clashes began in the state on May 3

Tomatoes to cumin: Soaring prices put pressure on kitchen bills

The hike in prices will continue as the supply remains affected, claimed those in the business

BJP has pitted communities in Manipur, which led to riots: Mamata Banerjee

She said this while virtually addressing party workers in Birbhum on Monday

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Supreme Court quashes PIL for setting up of 'National Commission for Men'

Several important matters were taken up for hearing by the Supreme Court on Monday

Govt not doing enough to quell violence, initiate dialogue in Manipur: NFIW

After its three-member delegation visited Manipur, the women's wing of CPI on Monday alleged that the ongoing disturbance in the northeastern state is not communal but "state-sponsored" as the government has been acting as an "onlooker" and has not done enough to quell violence. At a press conference in the national capital, National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) General Secretary Annie Raja said the BJP governments in the state and at the Centre should take responsibility for the situation. Its activists urged the government to initiate dialogue and restore peace in the state. They demanded that the government disarm all groups and individuals, initiate confidence-building measures, register FIRs at the earliest, and urgently improve conditions in the relief camps. According to NFIW, its team was in Manipur from June 28 to July 1. They visited three relief camps and a government hospital in Imphal East, two camps in Moirang of Bishnupur, the District Collector's office there a

Manipur entrepreneurs stare at uncertain future as violence hits businesses

With Manipur witnessing violence for over two months, the business community in the state is bleeding red with economic activities almost coming to a standstill. A number of entrepreneurs in the state said on Monday that irrespective of the communities, all sections of the people and their economic activities have been affected by the violence that began on May 3. Corporate leaders who had returned to Manipur after serving long stints at global MNCs outside the Northeast are now questioning their own decisions of investing time and money in their home state. "The impact has been huge. Almost everyone, irrespective of the communities, has been affected. Before May 3, life was pretty normal. For the last couple of years, we were on a path of progress. Businesses were flourishing, people were progressing on day-to-day lives as we were recovering from the COVID-19 impact. "Then this (ethnic clashes) happened. Now our lives have changed, and the way people do business has changed. In fa

SC asks Manipur govt to file updated status report on rehabilitation

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Manipur government to file an updated status report detailing the steps taken to ensure rehabilitation and improve the law and order situation in the ethnic violence-hit state. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra listed the batch of petitions on the issue for hearing on July 10. Asking Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, to file an updated status report, the bench said, "It should have details like rehabilitation camps, law and order and recovery of arms. In a brief hearing, the top law officer gave details of the deployment of security forces and the recent status of the law and order situation and said curfew in the state has now been reduced to five hours from 24 hours. According to Mehta, civil police, Indian reserve battalions and 114 companies of CAPFs are also deployed in the state. He said senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Kuki group

Manipur insurgent groups lift blockade to ensure supply of commodities

The insurgent groups, in a press statement, further said that Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki Zo communities since May 3, 2023

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Demand discussion on Manipur in Parliament: Cong MP writes to colleagues

Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi has written to fellow legislators cutting across party lines in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, urging them to demand a discussion in Parliament on the ensuing crisis in Manipur and pursue legislative interventions seeking accountability from the Centre and the state government. Bordoloi, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Assam's Nowgong, said with the Monsoon Session of Parliament scheduled to begin on July 20, he has written to all his colleagues in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha across state and party lines, urging them to lend their voice to the demand for a discussion on the crisis in Manipur. "I am writing to you in the wake of devastating and escalating ethnic violence ensuing in the state of Manipur. Violence has gripped the Northeastern state since the 3rd of May 2023, and the situation in Manipur has deteriorated significantly over the past three months, with reports of widespread violence, human rights abuses, and loss of innocent lives," ...