Page 20 - Violence

West Bengal Governer aggrieved by 'deterioration of democracy' in state

The Governor went to Canning in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday evening and interacted with the locals over the violence witnessed for the past few days

Mizoram urges Centre to provide relief fund for displaced people in Manipur

The Mizoram government on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds to provide relief to over 11,000 displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, an official statement said. The state government has sought Rs 10 crore as immediate relief for those who are currently staying at shelters in different parts of Mizoram since ethnic clashes broke out in the neighbouring state on May 3. During the day, state Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte called on Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi and urged him to sanction the fund at the earliest, the statement said. Bhalla, on his part, told Royte that the Centre will soon sanction the relief package, it said. During the meeting, Royte said that more than 11,000 people from Manipur, mostly women, children and elderly persons, are currently staying at shelters in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state. The Mizoram government, NGOs and churches are providing shelters and food to the displaced peop

All out efforts by Centre to bring back peace in restive Manipur: Official

All-out efforts have been made by the Centre to bring back normalcy in Manipur through a number of initiatives that include enhanced area domination in fringe areas and higher reaches by security forces, mobilisation of additional troops and close monitoring by senior officials, sources said Friday. The Union home ministry has also rushed Director General of CRPF S L Thaosen to Manipur to assess the situation and for better utilisation and coordination of central forces, the sources privy to the development said. The central government's urgency to check continuous violence in Manipur comes after the killing of nine youths in a single incident and torching of the private residence of Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, they said. At present, around 30,000 central security personnel are deployed in Manipur for law-and-order duties besides state police forces. The forces include around eight battalions of central paramilitary forces, 80 columns of the Army and 67 columns of the Ass

Manipur violence: Supplies hit by blockades by tribals, Meitei women

Supplies of essential items including baby food and medicines and movement of security forces have been hit in several areas of Manipur because of blockades of both the National Highway leading to the state by tribals as well as at least six arterial roads by women-led vigilante groups. Sources added that in the past one week, 4,000 trucks carrying essential supplies reached the valley via NH 37, which is the only road that is open for now. The blocking of key roads at several areas from the valley to the hill districts in the south has become a new challenge for the Assam Rifles and the Army, a source said on Friday. "As of now, NH-2 and several key arteries are blocked in the state, badly affecting transportation of supplies & even delays timely response. Since women-led vigilante groups or Meira Paibis are in the forefront of the blockades on several roads, the security forces are finding it difficult to clear it using force," the Army source said. Gyaneswari, a former ...

Efforts on to nab culprits of Wednesday killings, says Manipur CM

Condemning the killing of nine people in the Khamenlok area of Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said search and combing operations are on by security forces to nab the culprits. Singh also asserted that his government will safeguard the unity and integrity of the state and will not do anything which is against the interest of the people of the state. "Search and combing operations have been conducted at different places including Kurangpat and Yaingangpokpi by a team consisting of paramilitary forces and Manipur Police to nab the culprits and stringent actions would be taken against those involved in such heinous crime," he said in a statement on Thursday. The death of nine people in a gun battle outside a Kuki village has further embittered relations and led to mob violence elsewhere including in the capital of the state Imphal, where clashes erupted on Thursday and houses were torched. The CM said search operations had been conducted in 41 villages of hill areas and 39 villa

TMC demands immediate meeting of Parliamentary panel on Manipur violence

The Trinamool Congress has demanded an immediate meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on the continued violence in Manipur

Security needs to be tightened: MoS Rajkumar Singh on violence in Manipur

His remarks come after nine people were killed and 10 others injured in a fresh flare-up of violence in Manipur which witnessed ethnic clashes on Wednesday

Manipur peace panel: Kukis may not attend meetings; Meiteis welcome move

Kuki members included in a committee set up by the Centre to facilitate the peace-making process among various ethnic groups of strife-torn Manipur expressed unhappiness, claiming they were not consulted before including their name in the panel. Several Kuki organisations also raised objections to the inclusion of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the 51-member panel headed by Governor Anusuiya Uikey. The Meitei community members, however, welcomed formation of the Peace Committee. The apex body of Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) in a statement said its president has been included in the list of members "without prior and proper consultation and information". "Kuki Inpi Manipur senses no rationale to pursue peace solely with individuals who have engineered the violence against its people... Peace must be the result of the concerted efforts of the Union Home Ministry and the affected communities. It cannot be a condition to impose normalcy," the KIM said. Kuki-based civil society organisatio

'Not consulted over CM's presence': Kuki members to boycott peace committee

The peace committee is part of a series of measures, including a judicial probe panel, announced by Amit Shah at the end of his four-day visit to Manipur

Manipur violence: Over 50,650 displaced people living in 350 relief camps

Over 50,650 men, women and children, displaced in Manipur's ethnic violence were sheltered in 350 camps, Information and Public Relations and Health Minister S. Ranjan said here on Sunday

1,500 people from trouble-torn Manipur take refuge in Nagaland: Official

Around 1,500 people from the ethnic violence-affected Manipur have taken refuge in different parts of neighbouring Nagaland, an official said on Friday. While many of these people are staying with their relatives, others are in houses provided by villagers. The Nagaland government is yet to collect the accurate data. However, as per available reports, around 1,500 people from Manipur have taken shelter in various parts of the state, Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha told PTI here. The clashes between Meitei and Kuki tribes, which started early last month, have so far claimed over 100 lives and some 10,000 army and para-military personnel had to be deployed to bring back normalcy in the northeastern state. Meanwhile, the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), a tribal body, on Friday visited six villages in Chumoukedima district, where the displaced people have taken refuge. The organisation distributed relief materials to them. In a statement, the CPO said a total of 704 Kuki people h

Manipur violence: CBI files 6 FIRs, initiates probe into conspiracy

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed six FIRs and formed a special team to probe the alleged conspiracy related to the ethnic violence in Manipur, officials said

Woman among three killed, 2 injured in fresh Manipur violence, says police

In a fresh incident of violence in restive Manipur, at least three people, including a woman, were killed and two other injured by the suspected militants in Manipur's Khoken village, police said

Manipur violence: What is SoO pact Amit Shah warned of dissolving?

Manipur government withdrew from the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact on March 10. Amit Shah today also warned of the dissolution of the pact in any further violation

Meiteis, Kukis urge Centre to control situation in violence-hit Manipur

As the ethnic unrest continues in Manipur, representatives of the Meitei and Kuki communities on Wednesday sought restoration of peace in the state even as differences remained stark. Members from the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo tribes held a protest at the Jantar Mantar here demanding that Chief Minister Biren Singh be sacked and President's rule implemented in the state. A press conference was held by representatives of the Meitei community who demanded the Centre's intervention in restoring peace in the state. Home Minister Amit Shah is in Manipur, monitoring the situation. Shah, who reached Imphal Monday night, will visit the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district on Thursday, where he will meet Kuki civil society groups. The Kuki community members said more than 115 tribal villages, 4000 houses and 222 churches have been desecrated and burnt. They claimed Kuki houses were burnt even when Home Minister Amit Shah was in the state on May 29-30. Timothy Chongthu, a ...

Health ministry deploys several teams of doctors to violence-hit Manipur

The Union Health Ministry has deployed several teams of doctors to strife-torn Manipur with immediate effect on the direction of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Six teams, with four doctors each specialising in surgery, psychiatry, medicine, obs and gynaecology, paediatric, urology and emergency care, will support the state in providing health facilities that have been adversely impacted due to the ongoing strife, a ministry statement said on Wednesday. The teams consist of doctors from AIIMS-Kalyani, AIIMS-Guwahati and NEIGRIHMS-Shillong, it said. Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur nearly a month ago after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. After a relative lull for over a fortnight, the state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes, and gunfight between militants and security forces on Sunday. So far, over 80 people have been killed in the violence, according to officials.

Manipur CM appeals to people to surrender looted firearms, lift blockades

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday appealed to people to surrender firearms looted from security forces. He also warned of legal action against anyone found to be in unauthorised and illegal possession of arms and ammunition. In a signed statement, the chief minister also appealed to people to lift road blockades to ensure free movement of security personnel and relief material. "I appeal to all persons concerned to return and surrender the arms and ammunition which have been snatched from armed police battalions, police stations, etc., in valley and hill districts to the nearest police station/MR/IRB, etc. at the earliest. "Legal action as per the Arms Act 1959 and Rules will be taken in case any person is found to be in unauthorised and illegal possession of arms and ammunition during combing operations by security personnel or otherwise," the chief minister said. Singh said that in many places, people were found violating curfew restrictions and blocking roads, .

Manipur: Shah visits border town Moreh, meets Kukis, other communities

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting in this border town on Wednesday to take stock of the security situation in the northeastern state which has been witnessing sporadic violence for nearly a month. Shah, on the third day of his visit to the state, also met a delegation of the Kuki community and a team representing others communities, and they expressed strong support for the government's initiatives to restore normalcy. "Took stock of the security situation with senior officials in Moreh (Manipur)," Shah tweeted. A home ministry spokesperson said Shah held a security review meeting in the Moreh town, bordering Myanmar. "Held a meeting with the delegations of Kuki and other communities at Moreh. They expressed strong support for the government's initiatives to restore normalcy in Manipur," Shah said in another tweet. The home minister is on a four-day visit to Manipur and making efforts to restore peace to the state. On Tuesday, the Meitei and Kuki groups expresse

Strictly deal with activity disturbing peace in Manipur: Shah to officials

Assuring a CBI inquiry into the violence, Shah assured them that a relief of 20 tonnes of rice would be provided to the tribal communities in Manipur shortly

Home Minister Amit Shah arrives in strife-torn Manipur to bring peace

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in ethnic strife-torn Manipur on Monday night to restore peace by hammering out a solution between the clashing communities, officials said. He reached the Bir Tikendrajit Imphal International Airport in Imphal aboard a special flight from Delhi, beginning his four-day visit to the state. Shah is expected to hold several rounds of meetings on Tuesday to assess the situation and plan steps to restore normalcy, sources said. On Wednesday, he is likely to address a press conference in the afternoon to announce the measures initiated to control the ongoing violence across the state. He is expected to fly out of Imphal on Thursday morning, security sources told PTI. This is Shah's first visit to the northeastern state since ethnic clashes broke out earlier this month. Ethnic clashes, which have claimed over 75 lives, first broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei ...