Adani News

Tag: Manipur

  • Mob sets fire to private godown of Manipur minister, damages worth crores

    Mob sets fire to private godown of Manipur minister, damages worth crores

    Imphal (IANS) | At Chingarel in Imphal East district, a mob attacked Manipur minister L.K. A private godown of Susindro Meitei was set on fire. Plastic pipes worth Rs 120 crore were gutted in the fire, besides other materials. Police said on Saturday that after setting the godown on fire on Friday night, the mob also tried to attack the minister’s residence at Khurai in the same Imphal East district.

    Due to the timely intervention of the security forces, the attack was stopped and the crowd dispersed. Police said the security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells till Friday midnight to disperse the mob from Khurai areas.

    There is no information about any casualty in the incident. Speaking to the media on Saturday, the minister said that ‘it was a politically motivated attack’.

    Earlier, the mob had torched the residences of several ministers, legislators and leaders of various political parties. These included Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Manipur’s only woman minister Nemcha Kipgen, PWD minister Konthoujam Govindas, Uripok constituency MLA Raghumani Singh, Suganu MLA K. Ranjit Singh and Naoria Pakhangalkapa MLA S. Contains the residence of KB Devi.

    Friday night’s incident took place after incidents of exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces were reported from various places in Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts. Police said the mob, which consisted of men and women, demanded an early resolution of the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

    The mob accused all ministers and legislators of not doing enough to end the Manipur crisis.

    –IANS

  • Fierce gun battles reported from 2 Manipur districts

    Fierce gun battles reported from 2 Manipur districts

    Imphal: Heavy exchanges of fire took place between security forces and unknown armed assailants in different places of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts on Friday, defence officials said.

    There were reports said that at least two people, including a woman, were injured in the firing but official confirmation was awaited.

    Defence sources said that a group of armed assailants sneaked into the Yaingangpokpi (YKPI) area in Imphal East district towards the hill side on Friday afternoon.

    “The assailants fired from automatic weapons towards Urangpat and Gwaltabi villages. Security forces deployed in these vacant villages responded in a calibrated manner to avoid any collateral damage. Large group of women were part of the mobs at YKPI and Seijang (both in Imphal East district) areas preventing movement of additional security forces into the area,” the sources said.

    A defence PRO said that they would share further information of the encounters with the media after collecting the details from the two districts.

    Friday’s gun battles comes a day after two soldiers were injured when armed miscreants fired at them at North Boljang in Imphal West district while an INSAS Light Machine Gun and a highly-explosive mortar bomb were recovered in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, respectively, on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the Army, Assam Rifles and various other central and state security forces have been continuing combing operations in different parts of the state. Search operations were also conducted to recover the arms and ammunition from the attackers and arrest those involved in violence.

  • Manipur: NE Students Organisation Questioned PM Modi’s Silence Regarding Manipur Violence

    Manipur: NE Students Organisation Questioned PM Modi’s Silence Regarding Manipur Violence

    IMPHAL: The Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were criticised by the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) on Thursday for doing nothing about the situation in Manipur.

    In a news conference held by NESO, they discussed the worrying state of affairs in Manipur over the communal violence and questioned PM Modi and his administration’s inaction on the subject. The NGO urged the Centre to take action to end the bloodshed in the violent northeastern state.

    The umbrella organisation of student organisations, which includes the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), the Garo Students’ Union (GSU), the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), and the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), has also announced a candle march on June

    The Kwakta neighbourhood has given the criminal organisations responsible for the high-intensity IED bomb explosion in the Kwakta region of the Bishnupur district 48 hours to come out and take responsibility.

    The choice was announced as a resolution adopted following a public gathering on June 22 in Kwakta Bazar.

    Rafi Shah, the general secretary of Meitei Pangal Intellectual Forum, told reporters that the terrible explosion happened at a crucial bridge that connects the districts of Bishnupur and Churchanpur.

    Four people were hurt in the event, and he noted that two of them were in a critical condition.

    According to the locals, an explosion in Kwakta should be interpreted as an attempt to disturb the tranquil coexistence that the inhabitants of Kwakta enjoy with other communities. According to him, the explosion was so strong that residences 200 metres distant from the bridge were damaged by flying debris.

    The day after the blast, the Indian Army and central forensic experts arrived at the scene to begin the inquiry. The superintendent of police for Bishnupur district said an inquiry is ongoing.

  • 11,785 tribals from violence hit Manipur take shelter in Mizoram

    11,785 tribals from violence hit Manipur take shelter in Mizoram

    Aizawl: Some 11,785 people belonging to Zo ethnic tribes displaced from violence hit Manipur took shelter in Mizoram, Chief Minister Zoramthanga said on Wednesday.

    According to a tweet of the Mizoram Chief Minister, the tribals took shelter in all the 11 districts with the highest number of 4,296 displaced people taking shelter in Kolasib district, adjoining southern Assam, followed by 3,837 in Aizawl and 2,855 in Saitual districts.

    The Chief Minister in his tweet said: “Humanitarian assistance as a responsible government, we don’t have much but we are ready to share ! 2388.50 quintals of rice issued to Zo ethnic tribes in troubled Manipur areas and internally displaced persons residing in Mizoram by Govt. of Mizoram, including other relief supplies.

    “A total of 11,785 IDPs from Manipur have taken shelter in Mizoram since the eruption of ethnic strife in Manipur. Mizoram is currently providing shelter to over 50,000 people from neighbouring Manipur, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

    “Mizoram, an Eternal Home for all Zo Ethnic Tribes ! An equally safe haven for non-ethnic and every law-abiding citizen ! As much a safe place as it is for the Meiteis, we wish to see Manipur a safe place for the law-abiding Zo Ethnic Tribes !”

    Officials in Aizawl said that of the 11,785 displaced people from Manipur, 2,883 people are residing in 35 relief camps in 11 districts while the remaining 8902 people are staying in their relatives’ houses, churches and various other places.

    The Mizoram government has sought Rs 10 crore from the Centre to provide relief to the people, sheltered in the state after being displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur.

    CM Zoramthanga wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16 and May 23 seeking financial support, but the Centre has yet to respond favourably.

    Zoramthanga on Sunday assured his Manipur counterpart N. Biren Singh of providing security to the people belonging to the Meitei community living in Mizoram.

    A number of people from the Meitei community have been residing in Mizoram for many years and work in various professions.

    The Chief Ministers of Mizoram and Manipur on Sunday discussed the security of the Meitei people staying in Mizoram.

    The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the apex Mizo student body, and the All Mizoram Meitei Association (AMMA) held a meeting in Aizawl to discuss the ongoing violence in Manipur.

    Both organisations have pledged to take appropriate measures to put an end to the unrest.

    During the meeting, AMMA leaders led by its president Wahengbam Gopeshore disclosed that they had recently submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu through the Mizoram Governor outlining the efforts made by their organisation.

  • Illegal migrants from Myanmar set up settlements in Manipur: Report

    Illegal migrants from Myanmar set up settlements in Manipur: Report

    Imphal (IANS) | A Manipur cabinet sub-committee report revealed that 2,187 illegal immigrants from Myanmar have set up settlements at 41 places in four districts. The sub-committee is headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip.

    The report said that the maximum number of 1,147 Myanmar nationals are currently living in Tengnoupal. It is followed by 881 in Chandel, 154 in Churachandpur and five in Kamjong.

    The sub-committee, whose members also include ministers of state Awangbo Newmai and Thounaojam Basanta, visited tribal-dominated districts in March and April. During this he met illegal immigrants, and talked about providing them humanitarian relief and shelter.

    Before ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, the government had decided to identify and place in selected detention centers a Myanmar national who had previously sought asylum in the state.

    About 5,000 migrants, including women and children, have fled conflict-torn Myanmar since the army took power in February 2021.

    Haokip is one of 10 tribal legislators who have demanded a separate administration since the outbreak of ethnic violence on 3 May.

    Of the 10 MLAs, seven including Haokip belong to the BJP.

    Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said last week that infiltrators and militants from across the border had fueled the ongoing unrest in the state and it was not enmity between two communities.

    Manipur has an unfenced border of about 400 km with Myanmar.

    An official report said that the identification of such a large number of illegal immigrants in the first phase itself has become a cause of panic among the illegal immigrants settled in the state.

    The report is available with IANS. It said the Manipur government’s ‘war on drugs’ campaign has badly affected the opium cultivation and drug trade by Myanmar nationals in the state.

    For this reason violence has been spread by them in Manipur recently. It is supported by the drug mafia of Myanmar.

    Various Kuki Citizens’ Organizations (CSOs) have been alleging that the Manipur government is harassing Indian citizens in the name of identifying illegal immigrants. The Kuki say they have lived in the hills of Manipur for decades, and even fought against the British in what is now known as the Anglo-Kuki War (1917–1919).

    The state has been ravaged by ethnic violence between the majority Meitei and Kuki tribes. In this, more than 120 people have been killed and more than 400 people of different communities have been injured.

    –IANS

  • Manipur Violence: Opposition party angry with PM Modi’s silence, submitted memorandum to PMO

    Manipur Violence: Opposition party angry with PM Modi’s silence, submitted memorandum to PMO

    New Delhi (IANS) | Leaders of ten opposition parties hit by violence in Congress-led Manipur on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the people of the northeastern state and not meeting them before leaving for the US tour. The Congress criticized the Prime Minister’s meeting with Manoj Muntashir, who wrote clumsy dialogues for the film ‘Adipurush’, and said that the PM has no time to meet senior leaders of the country.

    Congress leader Ajay Kumar claimed that writer Muntashir met Modi without prior appointment and spoke with him for 45 minutes, while leaders in the delegation from the violence-hit state, even those from the BJP, were not allowed to meet PM Modi. No time was given for

    Addressing a joint press conference at the party headquarters, Congress leader Ajay Kumar said, since June 10, many senior leaders of Manipur, including political leaders, civil society people, are waiting here to meet Prime Minister Modi. Even Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the Assembly Speaker are also waiting for the time.

    He said that senior leader Ibobi Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Manipur for 15 years, and several other top leaders of Manipur are not able to meet the PM, while a screenwriter can meet the Prime Minister without prior permission.

    He said that a memorandum was also submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office by a delegation of 10 parties.

    Kumar was accompanied by former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, leader of opposition parties, Manipur PCC president Keesham Meghchandra Singh and others, who said they were disappointed as the prime minister did not even spare ten minutes for them before leaving for the US. Removed

    Kumar said the opposition leaders have been camping here for the last 10 days hoping to meet the prime minister. He said, not only these leaders, but also the people of Manipur were very disappointed that the Prime Minister had no time for them.

    Meanwhile, regarding the Manipur violence, former Chief Minister Ibobi Singh said that it was a failure of Chief Minister Biren Singh and he himself admitted that it was a failure of intelligence and administration.

    As citizens of this country, we were waiting here to meet Modiji, the former chief minister said. We have not come here to beg anything from the Prime Minister, but what has happened in Manipur should be considered a national issue. The double engine is the double failure of the government in dealing with the violence in Manipur.

    He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah came to Manipur after 26 days and stayed there for three days, but even this did not help in restoring peace.

    Memorandum of Opposition:

    The memorandum submitted by the opposition leaders highlights that more than 150 people have been killed, while more than 1,000 have been injured. More than 5,000 houses have been burnt and more than 60,000 people have been displaced. Hundreds of churches and temples have also been burnt.

    The memorandum also alleged that it was the politics of ‘divide and rule’ of the BJP, which gave rise to this crisis.

    The memorandum mentions the demand of 10 MLAs including two ministers in the government belonging to the Kuki tribe, demanding a separate administration for the Kukis. The memorandum warned against any move to divide the state of Manipur.

    The memorandum states that the Prime Minister’s silence on the caste violence, which has claimed many lives and caused havoc for thousands of citizens, is a clear message of his indifference towards the people of Manipur.

    Chief Minister Biren Singh has also been held responsible for the violence in the memorandum and it has been said that he was the architect of caste violence due to his arbitrary actions. If he had taken preventive and prompt action, the ethnic conflict could have been avoided.

    The signatories to the memorandum include leaders from Congress, JDU, CPI, CPM-M, TMC, AAP, Forward Bloc, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena and RSP.

    The Congress has been critical of the Prime Minister’s silence on the Manipur violence.

    The Congress on Tuesday reminded the Prime Minister to follow ‘Rajdharma’ instead of ‘campaigning to improve his image’.

    –IANS

  • Schools to resume classes in Manipur from July 1

    Schools to resume classes in Manipur from July 1

    Imphal: Schools will resume normal classes in violence-hit Manipur from July 1 instead of June 21 as announced earlier, officials said on Tuesday.

    Director of Education (School) L. Nandakumar Singh said in a notification that the resumption of normal classes in all schools in Manipur stands deferred till July 1 or until further order.

    All zonal education officials under the Department of Education are hereby directed to inform all concerned and take up necessary actions accordingly, the notification read.

    Earlier, the department had announced that the normal classes will resume from June 21.

    After July 1, considering the law and order situation, the classes for the remaining standards up to college level will be resumed in a phased manner.

    Manipur has 4,617 schools and out of these, relief camps for the displaced persons and accommodation for the central forces were set up in around 100 schools.

    The state government has been trying to make alternative arrangements for the inmates of the relief camps and the security forces, so that the students are not affected, an official of the Education Department said.

    Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had earlier disclosed plans to change the curfew timings allowing normal activities to resume gradually, and reopening of schools at the earliest.

    Meanwhile, as thousands of students are displaced and taking shelter in the relief camps, the Thoubal district education department has decided to provide education to the displaced students staying in the relief shelters within the district.

    Officials said that around 6,000 students of various standards have been displaced due to the ethnic violence that hit the state on May 3.

    Education Minister Bashanta Singh had said earlier that the department is taking steps for the welfare of the affected students.

    “Study materials like notebooks, pens, pencils, sports materials, and uniforms will be provided to the displaced students,” he had said, adding that volunteer teachers will be deputed for the students staying in the relief camps to organise coaching classes.

    Singh had said that the transfer of displaced students studying in Class 9-12 to schools of their choice will be allowed provided seats are available.

    “If seats are not available in the selected school, arrangements will be made in other nearby schools,” said Singh, adding that those who live in the far-flung areas will be provided with gadgets like tablets for distance learning.

  • Manipur Chief Minster Biren seeks Zoramthanga’s help to douse Manipur flames

    Manipur Chief Minster Biren seeks Zoramthanga’s help to douse Manipur flames

    GUWAHATI: Beleaguered Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh called up his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga on Sunday and sought his help to douse the flames of ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis.

    Zoramthanga is a Mizo and Mizos and Kukis share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. Thousands of displaced Kukis of Manipur are taking shelter in Mizoram. Zoramthanga broke the news about Singh seeking his help.

    “The Chief Minister of Manipur spoke to me over the phone at 12:30 PM; regarding the #Manipur ongoing violence asking for my aid in resolving the issue with a hope that henceforth there would be a peaceful co-existence,” the Mizoram CM tweeted.

    He further wrote that Singh sought his help also to ensure that the Meiteis living in Mizoram are safe.

    Zoramthanga apprised Singh that the Mizoram government has already taken certain steps and measures to abate the Manipur violence.

    He said the people of Mizoram are empathetic towards the Meiteis and the state government and NGOs took measures for peace and security. He said the Meiteis living in Mizoram have nothing to fear.

    “We shall go on to promote safety and security for them,” Zoramthanga assured.

    No incident of violence was reported from any part of Manipur on Sunday even as the Central and state forces continued with conducting joint marches.

    Protestors, including women, in Imphal vented their ire against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They congregated at a marketplace and destroyed a radio during a symbolic protest against “Mann Ki Baat”. “We don’t want to listen to Mann Ki Baat,” they shouted.

    In the Imphal Valley on Saturday night, hundreds of women holding fire torches took part in a protest against the violence. They demanded the implementation of the National Register of Citizens in the state and the abrogation of a “suspension of operation” agreement that the government had signed with some Kuki insurgent groups.

    Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum said 44 days elapsed since the violence erupted but Modi had not made any comment on the crisis.

    “Law and order have completely collapsed in Manipur and yet, President’s Rule is not imposed in the state,” the forum said.

    It requested the Manipur CM and Union home minister Amit Shah to address the “ethnic cleansing faced by the indigenous Kuki-Zo tribes”.

    Over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic clashes which broke out on May 3 after a “Tribal Solidarity March” which was organised by a tribal students’ body to oppose the move for the inclusion of Meiteis – the state’s largest community – in the Scheduled Tribes list.

  • Houses of BJP leaders, party offices come under mob attack in Manipur

    Houses of BJP leaders, party offices come under mob attack in Manipur

    GUWAHATI: In strife-torn Manipur, leaders of ruling BJP and its offices are increasingly becoming the targets of frenzied mobs.

    Throughout Friday evening and night, mobs made multiple attempts to target the houses of lawmakers and BJP offices in the Imphal Valley.

    A BJP mandal office in Thongju was vandalised by a mob but another attempt to target the party office at Sinjemai was thwarted by security forces. The alert forces also foiled attempts from mobs to target the houses of minister Thongam Biswajit and BJP state president A Sharda Devi.

    In other incidents, gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district and Kangvai in Churachandpur district throughout Friday night. A mob raided the Iringbam police station in Imphal West district to loot weapons but did not find any. The crowd was later dispersed by the Rapid Action Force.

    Earlier, mobs attacked the houses of three lawmakers.

    On May 25, the house of minister Konthoujam Govindas was vandalised. This was followed by the burning down of the official residence of minister Nemcha Kipgen last Wednesday. Then on Thursday night, the private residence of Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh was torched.

    After a series of untoward incidents in Imphal, Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Rapid Action Force intensified joint patrolling and area domination activities. The forces prevented rioters from congregating till late Friday night. They fought a pitched battle with a mob after the latter had torched a warehouse owned by a retired senior police official. Two civilians were injured.

    Curfew is in force in several districts but mobs are congregating almost every day in Meitei-majority Imphal Valley to target the properties of lawmakers. Locals said people are venting their ire out on the streets as the government failed to check rising inflation, restore normalcy and take actions against militants involved in the violence.

    Some MLAs, mostly from BJP, are camping in New Delhi to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of them, Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, said they would request Modi to take all steps for restoring peace in Manipur.

    Meanwhile, the Twitter account of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) says “@ITLFMediaCell’s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”

  • Militants kill 11 in Manipur

    Militants kill 11 in Manipur

    Imphal: At least 11 persons were killed and 23 others injured when suspected militants attack the Khamelock village in Manipur, police said on Wednesday.

    A police official said that heavily armed militants attacked the village late on Tuesday night and fired at the villagers with automatic weapons killing nine persons on the spot and injuring 23 others, including women.

    Two people succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

    The official said the death toll is likely to increase as several of the injured are said to be critical.

    Khamenlok village lies along the borders of the Meitei-dominated Imphal East district and the tribal inhabited Kangpokpi district.

    Additional paramilitary forces were deployed in Khamenlok, where several people have been killed in recent clashes.