Page 59 - Manipur

Riots had actually been in decline before Manipur's May violence

State joined the northeast in reporting a fall in the number of terrorism cases, too

518 stranded people evacuated from violence-affected areas of Manipur

"The current situation in Manipur has improved quite a lot. Today curfew was also relaxed"

LIVE: Internet ban in Manipur till May 13, CM says high-level inquiry soon

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Manipur violence claimed 60 lives, kin to get Rs 5 lakh as ex gratia: CM

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that 60 people were killed, 231 injured and 1,700 houses including religious places burnt in the ethnic violence that rocked the northeastern state for the past few days. Addressing a press conference here, the chief minister said that the state cabinet resolved to provide ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh to those who suffered major injuries and Rs 25,000 to those with minor injuries. These are very very unfortunate incidents. I appeal to people to bring peace together at the earliest, Singh said. He said that 1,700 houses including temples and churches have been burnt down during the violence. The chief minister said that Rs 2 lakh will be paid to those whose houses were destroyed and the government will rebuild them. In the wake of the unfortunate incident that happened in Manipur, more than 20,000 people who were left stranded in relief camps have been moved to safety till today. Another 10,000

51 Rajasthan students stranded in violence-hit Manipur flown to Jaipur

Two special flights arranged by the Rajasthan government on Monday evening brought back 51 students from the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur, officials said here. The state government has also made arrangements for boarding and lodging facilities for these students, they said. On Sunday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said his government would bear the travel costs of students of Rajasthan returning home from the northeastern state, as he directed officials to ensure their safe return. Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur last Wednesday, displacing thousands and killing at least 54. The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the 10 hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Over 2,000 people from violence-hit Manipur flee to Mizoram: Official

More than 2,000 people from Manipur have fled to neighbouring Mizoram and sought shelter in the state following ethnic violence, a senior official said on Monday. State Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia said that a total of 2,056 internally displaced people from Manipur have entered Mizoram and taken refuge in different parts of the northeastern state till Monday evening. The senior official said that most of the people who have come from Manipur belong to the ethnic Zo (Mizo) community and they have been given shelter by their relatives. The government is also making efforts to provide those people with temporary shelters. Saitual district, which shares border with Manipur, has the highest number of such people at 827, followed by Kolasib district at 757, he said. Besides, 402 people have reached Aizawl district, and 59 others have taken shelter in East Mizoram's Champhai district near the Myanmar border. Serchhip and Khawzawl districts have four and seven people ...

Manipur: Group claims 5,000 Meitei became homeless in Churachandpur, Moreh

The People's Alliance for Peace and Progress, Manipur, an organisation working for Meiteis, on Monday claimed that 5,000 people belonging to the community have become homeless in the state's violence-hit Churachandpur district. Sectarian violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3 when people from the Meitei community and the Kuki tribe clashed with each other over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, leading to the death of at least 54 people. In a statement, the organisation alleged that all houses belonging to Meitis in the community settlement area in Churachandpur have been burned down by "well-armed civilians supported by militants". "The Meiteis are taking refuge at the DC office of Churachandpur district headquarters which has very loose security. None of the refugees have been evacuated so far," it said and added that 5,000 people from the community have become homeless. The organisation also claimed that in Moreh town, almost every Meitei house h

Airlines operating special flights from Imphal to help stranded people

Several airlines were operating special flights from Imphal to help people stranded in violence-hit Manipur return home, officials said on Monday, maintaining that this resulted in airfares on the route not rocketing out of control despite the massive jump in demand. Regional carrier Flybig said it operates a Guhahati to Imphal flight via Tezu six days a week. But, since Saturday it has operated three additional flights between Imphal and Guwahati, on which people from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Maharashtra returned from Imphal. "A total of 150 passengers were brought back from Imphal to Guwahati over the three days. On Saturday, people from Arunachal Pradesh were brought back, while people of Meghalaya came on Sunday, and a group from Maharashtra were brought to Guwahati on Monday," Flybig's director of corporate affairs Ajay Jasra told PTI. "Flybig operates under the UDAN scheme, and our average fare from Imphal to Guwahati is Rs 3,500. There is no question of charging more

SC concerned over loss of life, Manipur to step up relief after violence

Concerned over the huge loss of life and property, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and the Manipur government to step up relief and rehabilitation efforts for those hit by ethnic violence in the north-eastern state, besides protecting places of worship, many of which were targeted during the mayhem. While listing out steps taken to deal with the situation, the Centre told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that no untoward incidents have been reported in Manipur in the last two days and the situation there is gradually returning to normalcy. More than 50 people have been killed in violent clashes between the tribals living in the Manipur hills and the majority Meitei community residing in the Imphal Valley over the latter's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Over 23,000 people have been rescued and sheltered in military garrisons and relief camps. Terming the aftermath of the violence humanitarian issues, the apex court emphasised that due arrangements

Last batch of stranded Tripura students returns; 239 airlifted from Manipur

The last batch of Tripura students stranded in strife-torn Manipur returned home on Monday, an official said. Sixteen students landed at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport here along with the Tripura government team sent for evacuating the stranded residents of the state. With this, a total of 239 students from Tripura have been evacuated from Manipur in five batches, he said. Meanwhile, air fares to all routes connecting Agartala have skyrocketed due to the ethnic flareup in Manipur. An office-bearer of a private agency said air fares between Imphal and Agartala, which hovered at Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500, has increased to Rs 9,000-Rs 10,000. Air fares from Agartala to Guwahati and Kolkata have also increased from around Rs 2,700-Rs 3,500 to over Rs 10,000. Moreover, there is no ticket available on the Kolkata-Agartala route for the next two days, he said. The reason behind the exorbitant increase in rates is due to people leaving Manipur in panic, he added. Ethnic clashes broke out in Ma

Haryana govt evacuating students from violence-hit Manipur: Official

Officials of the Chief Minister's office are in constant touch with officials concerned in Manipur and are taking updates of every situation

HP CM pays for local students' evacuation from Manipur from own pocket

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu shelled out Rs 60,000 from his own pocket for the evacuation of five local students stuck in violence-hit Manipur, an official spokesperson of the government said on Monday. The Chief Minister immediately responded to an urgent text message by a stuck student and came up with Rs 60,000 for the students' evacuation back home, said the spokesperson. He also instructed the state government officers to take necessary action to bring back the five students Simran, Sujal Kaundal and Ashwani Kumar from Mandi, Nawang Chhering from Kullu, and Keshav Singh from Hamirpur. Three of them were pursuing studies at NIT Manipur, while the other two were studying at Khumban Lampak Sports Complex, National Sports University -- both in Imphal. The spokesperson said the students had been flown from Imphal to Kolkata and they will reach New Delhi by the evening. The state government has issued telephone numbers for the evacuation of other Himachal

Curfew relaxed in parts of Manipur, security upped at Myanmar border

Life was crawling back to somewhat normal in violence-hit Manipur on Monday as people came out of their homes to buy essential items with the curfew being relaxed for a few hours in the morning, officials said. Drones and helicopters continued a close watch over the state and its border with Myanmar, while personnel of the Army and Assam Rifles held flag marches in different areas that have been rocked by ethnic violence over the last few days, they said. Over 100 columns of the Army have been deployed in the state after the violence broke out on Wednesday, and along with Assam Rifles, paramilitary and state police, around 10,000 security personnel are on the ground to maintain the law and order situation, officials said. The employment of aviation assets was being intensified, a defence spokesperson said, adding that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters have been pressed into action for surveillance not only in the hinterland but also along the India-Myanmar Border. "Us

4 Delhi students to be evacuated from state: Kejriwal to Manipur CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he spoke to his Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh regarding the evacuation of four students from the national capital who are stuck in the violence-hit state. Kejriwal said Singh assured him that the students would be provided all necessary help. Manipur witnessed violent clashes last week over a move to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the majority Metei community in the state. The clashes broke out after Naga and Kuki tribals, who are opposing this plan, organised a 'Tribal Solidarity March' on May 3. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said four students from Delhi are in Manipur and they will be evacuated on Tuesday. "There are four students from Delhi in Manipur. They are safe. They will be evacuated tomorrow as no flight is available today. I will also talk to the Manipur CM," he said. Later, taking to Twitter, the chief minister said, "Spoke to Hon'ble CM, Manipur. He was v(ery) cordial and has assured all help to our .

Bihar arranges special flight to bring back students stranded in Manipur

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar will bring back all students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur, an official said here on Monday. All the students, holed up in their hostels and other places in the restive north-eastern state, will be brought back on Tuesday and the expenses of their travel will be borne by the government, he said. "As per the directions from the chief minister, the Resident Commissioner in Delhi got in touch with students from Bihar in Manipur. They will be ferried to the airport in Imphal in buses, and flown back to Patna by a special flight," the official added.

Curfew relaxed in Imphal as life crawls back to normal, CM thanks Amit Shah

Life was crawling back to somewhat normal in violence-hit Manipur as people came out of their homes in state capital Imphal to buy essential items with the curfew being relaxed for a few hours on Monday morning, officials said. Drones and helicopters continued a close watch, while personnel of the Army and Assam Rifles held flag marches in different areas that have been rocked by ethnic violence over the last few days, they said. The clashes broke out on Wednesday after tribals organised a demonstration in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, leading to the deaths of at least 54 people. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts. So far, 23,000 people have been rescued from the violence-hit areas and moved to military garrisons, officials

Shielding governance failure will not resolve Manipur's problems

The contentious issues of eviction of forest villages, Meiteis demanding ST status and the breakdown of talks on autonomy with the Kukis coalesced, creating an explosive situation

BJP woo Christians in Kerala but target them in Manipur: CPI(M) leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are trying to woo Christians in Kerala but that community is now "being hunted" in Manipur, said MV Govindan, the Kerala unit secretary of the CPI(M). Addressing reporters here, Govindan said it is the BJP's agenda to create a rift on communal lines and thousands are being affected as a result. "Manipur is ruled by the BJP. They claim that they have huge support among the northeastern states and the Christians there. However, the people, including the elected representatives, are stranded. "Narendra Modi and BJP are trying to woo Christians in Kerala but people of that community are being hunted in Manipur," Govindan said. He said the Left government in Kerala is taking all steps to bring home Keralites stranded in Manipur. Govindan claimed that even elected representatives are not safe in Manipur and referred to news reports in which an MLA's son claimed that the politician was stranded there. "Many prominent persons are affected due to t

Army drones, helicopters on watch in Manipur, 23,000 people moved to camps

Army drones and helicopters kept a close watch on Manipur on Sunday as curfew was relaxed in some parts of the Northeastern state, which was rocked by ethnic violence over the last few days, officials said. So far, 23,000 people have been rescued from the violence-hit areas and were moved to military garrisons, they said. Personnel of the Army and Assam Rifles held flag marches as life started crawling back to somewhat normal, but the tension was palpable. Sources said around 10,000 security personnel have been deployed in the state, which has been on the boil since Wednesday. Governor Anusuiya Uikey chaired a meeting with Security Advisor Kuldip Singh and Operational Commander Ashutosh Sinha. At the meeting, the two officers shared their suggestions with the governor to resolve the crisis, said a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan. Uikey advised the officers that arrangements be made for the safe return of the people who are in relief camps at present, it said. The clashes broke

Congress slams Manipur CM over violence, says he cannot absolve himself

The Congress on Sunday hit out at Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the situation in Manipur, saying he cannot absolve himself and "his patrons in New Delhi and Nagpur" of the responsibility for the horrific violence and killings in the state. The Congress' attack came a day after Singh, who heads a BJP-led government in Manipur, chaired an all-party meeting over the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state. In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The CM of Manipur finally condescended to meet with all political parties and some civil society groups. But he cannot absolve himself and his patrons in New Delhi and Nagpur of the responsibility for the horrific violence and killings in the state." The Congress has been warning of the consequences of what the RSS/BJP has been doing in the northeast, he said. "But now is the time for a collective resolve to bring Manipur to peace and harmony," Ramesh added. Violent clashes broke out between tribals and people .