Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's convoy was on Thursday stopped by the Manipur police at Bishnupur, about 20 kilometres from Imphal, officials said. After arriving at Imphal, he was travelling in a convoy to Churachandpur to visit relief camps in the area. Police officials said the convoy was stopped fearing violence along the route. They said that tyres were burnt on the highway near Utlou village in Bishnupur district and a few stones were thrown at the convoy. "We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur," a police officer told PTI. Congress office bearers are speaking with the police and army authorities to ensure safe passage for their party leader. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei ...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at Imphal for a two-day visit to strife-torn Manipur on Thursday. He left for Churachandpur district where he will visit relief camps to meet people displaced by ethnic strife that rocked the northeastern state since early last month. Around 50,000 people are now staying in over 300 relief camps across the state since ethnic strife started in May this year. On Friday, Gandhi is scheduled to visit relief camps in Imphal and hold talks with certain civil society organisations, Congress sources said. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Clashes first broke out 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 (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- ...
The Congress has been making scathing attacks against the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state of Manipur, over their handling of the violence
Alleging that political campaigns have taken precedence over Constitutional duties in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, senior Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remind N Biren Singh, the chief minister of that state, of his 'Raj Dharma'. Elected officials need to carry out their responsibilities, Saikia who is the Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly said in a letter to Modi. "I urge you to remind the Chief Minister of Manipur, Biren Singh, to observe the principles of Raj Dharma, just as you were reminded by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji over two decades ago," the Congress leader said in the letter. In 2002, Vajpayee had famously asked Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat then, to maintain his 'Raj Dharma' in order to control the riots in the western state. Saikia stated that it was disheartening to witness "political campaigns taking precedence over constitutional duties". "It is crucial for elected
During the time, 112 empty cases of different calibres, two live rounds of 12 bore gun, 12 empty cartridges of Barrel and two local made explosives were recovered
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With violence-hit Manipur struggling to return to normalcy, prominent representatives from the Meitei community on Tuesday stressed the need to reach out to the other side and initiate a dialogue to resolve differences and restore peace. At a discussion organised here by Delhi Manipuri Society, an organisation working for Meiteis, representatives from the community said it is important to focus on restoring peace in the state. They said the government should make fresh efforts for dialogue. Retired Lieutenant General Himalay Singh, the first officer from northeast India to reach the rank of lieutenant general in the Indian Army, said it is not the time for "eye for an eye" but for peace-building. "We should sit down together and have a dialogue. When the Home Minister came to Manipur, and announced the formation of a peace committee, it was a good step... Hope the peace committee works out," Singh said while expressing concern over the situation. "Ethnic conflicts are caused by .
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit violence-hit Manipur from June 29-30 and meet people in relief camps and interact with civil society members, party general secretary K C Venugopal said on Tuesday. This is the first visit of the Congress leader to the northeastern state embroiled in ethnic violence since May 3. "Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Manipur on 29-30 June. He will visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur during his visit," AICC general secretary (organisation) Venugopal tweeted. Manipur has been burning for nearly two months, and desperately needs a healing touch so that the society can move from conflict to peace, he said. "This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate," Venugopal added. The Congress has blamed the BJP and its "divisive politics" for the present situation in the state which seen over 100 deaths in the violence.
The Meira Paibis has led numerous social and political movements in Manipur, including some powerful protests against alleged atrocities committed by the security forces
More than 50% of the seized two-wheelers during the ongoing Manipur violence are Kenbo bikes which are banned in Manipur
The Manipur government has decided to invoke "no work, no pay" rule for its employees who are not attending office. The General Administration Department (GAD) has been asked to furnish details of employees who are not able to attend their official work due to the prevailing situation in the state. A circular issued on Monday night by GAD Secretary Michael Achom said: "In pursuance of the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on June 12 and decision taken at para 5-(12) of the proceedings, all employees drawing their salaries from General Administration Department, Manipur Secretariat are informed that no work, no pay may be invoked to all those employees who do not attend their official duty without authorised leave." Manipur government has one lakh employees. The circular also asked for all administrative secretaries to "furnish details of those employees who could not attend their official duty due to prevailing situation in the state indicating the details of employees such as
Women activists were deliberately blocking routes and interfering in operations by security forces in violence-hit Manipur, the Army said, urging people to help it in restoring peace in the Northeastern state. Terming such "unwarranted interference" detrimental to the timely response by security forces, the Army's Spears Corps shared a video on Twitter late on Monday of some such incidents. The statement came two days after a stand-off in Imphal East's Itham village between the Army and a mob led by women that forced the forces to let go of 12 militants holed up there. "Women activists in #Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering in Operations of Security Forces. Such unwarranted interference is detrimental to the timely response by Security Forces during critical situations to save lives and property. "Indian Army appeals to all sections of population to support our endeavours in restoring peace. Help us to Help Manipur," it tweeted. The stand-off in Itham went on
\Since being requisitioned, the Assam Rifles (AR) was the first responder to come to aid the people of violence-hit Manipur, the statement said on Monday
Mizoram is waiting for a relief package sought from the Centre for over 12,000 internally displaced people from ethnic violence-hit Manipur, a senior home department official said on Monday. The Mizo National Front (MNF) government, headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, had in May sought Rs 10 crore as a relief package for those displaced people. Mizoram Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia said that Tourism Minister Robert Romawia and some officials, including him, met the Union home secretary and the additional secretary in Delhi recently and urged him to release the package at the earliest. "Even though the response of the home secretary and the additional secretary was positive during the meeting, we have not received any word from the Centre regarding the relief package till today," he told PTI. The home department handles the displaced people from Manipur and those who had taken refuge in the state from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Lalengmawia said that the home departm
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he hoped his foreign trip would give him enough courage to "break his silence" on the Manipur crisis and Chinese incursions. In a tweet, he said, "Let's hope the foreign trip by Modiji will give him enough courage to mention China now by name instead of succumbing to its bullying. And also break his silence on Manipur which continues to burn for nearly eight weeks now." "More than 4000 weapons have been taken from state armories in Manipur and not one head has rolled. Let alone Kashmir, imagine a fraction of this happening in any opposition ruled state and the orchestrated outrage from our media. New India after all," he said. Targeting the NDA government, the AIMIM leader claimed that there are more ministers who are willing to attack a former US president than there are willing to name China. "Is anyone surprised that more ministers in @PMOIndia government are willing to attack a former
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has expressed concern over the changing nature of violence in the northeastern state. The union home minister is reportedly concerned over the shifting of violence and civil unrest from peripheral areas to districts in the Imphal valley. "The changing nature of violence from exchange of fire in the peripheral areas to the civil unrest in the valley districts has become a matter of concern for Amit Shah ji," the chief minister told reporters here after his return from New Delhi late on Sunday night. Singh briefed Shah in New Delhi about the "evolving situation" in Manipur and said the state and central governments have been able to control the violence to a "great extent". "Shah raised issues such as the attacks on the house of Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh and the residence of state minister Sushindro Meitei, the ongoing arson and destruction of government properties and the
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the Manipur violence and said the first thing he should do is sack Chief Minister N Biren Singh if he is really concerned about the state. No amount of "propaganda" by the BJP-led government can cover up its "abject failure" in handling the Manipur situation, Kharge said. He said reports indicate that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has finally spoken to Modi on the situation in the northeastern state and added, "For the last 55 days, Modiji did not say a word on Manipur. Every Indian is waiting for him to speak." "If Modiji is really concerned about Manipur, then the first thing he should do is sack his chief minister," Kharge said on Twitter. More than 100 people have so far lost their lives in the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur. Kharge said, "No amount of propaganda by the BJP and Modi government can cover up their abject failures in dealing wit
People prayed for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in Manipur during a candlelight march in Kohima on June 25. More than 120 people have died in the violence so far
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the Manipur violence and said the first thing he should do is sack Chief Minister N Biren Singh if he is really concerned about the state. No amount of propaganda by the BJP government can cover up its abject failure in handling the Manipur situation, Kharge said. He said reports indicated Union Home Minister Amit Shah had finally spoken to Modi on the Manipur situation, and added, "For the last 55 days, Modi ji did not say a word on Manipur. Every Indian is waiting for him to speak." "If Modi ji is really concerned about Manipur, then the first thing he should do is to sack his chief minister," he said on Twitter. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities in Manipur so far. Kharge went on to add, "No amount of propaganda by the BJP and Modi government can cover up their abject failures in dealing with (the) Manipur ..
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has expressed concern over changing nature of violence in the northeastern state. The union home minister is reportedly concerned over the shifting of violence and civil unrest from peripheral areas to districts in the Imphal valley. "The changing nature of violence from the exchange of fire in the peripheral areas to the civil unrest in the valley districts has become a matter of concern for Amit Shah ji," the chief minister told reporters here after his return from New Delhi late on Sunday night. Singh briefed Shah in New Delhi about the "evolving situation" in Manipur and said the state and central governments have been able to control the violence to a "great extent". "Shah raised issues such as the attacks on the house of Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh and the residence of state minister Sushindro Meitei, the ongoing arson and destruction of government properties and ...