Politics / Manipur

NEW DELHI, Jan 22 ? As the Centre-NSCN (I-M) peace talks resumed on Tuesday, Manipur upped the ante demanding a Constitutional amendment to protect its territory even though Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee assured an all-party delegation from the state that its boundaries would not be affected in search for a solution to the vexed Naga problem, reports PTI. Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh, who led the delegation to Vajpayee, told newsmen later that the Prime Minister has assured them that the territorial integrity of Manipur would remain unaltered while discussing a solution to...

NEW DELHI, Jan 22 ? Rattled by the posturing of the NSCN(I-M) leaders the Manipur Government is likely to make major concessions for the development of its Naga-dominated hill districts, even as Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh said his Government was open to the idea of sitting across the table with the NSCN(I-M) to discuss the problem if the Union Government allows. But the Chief Minister added in the same breath that any such meeting would possible only the I-M leaders drop the demand for greater Nagaland.

The Chief Minister accompanied by a delegation of all political parties is...

Imphal, Jan. 21: The BSF today rescued eight persons, including senior officials of the Food Corporation of India, after a shootout with gunmen on the Imphal-Moreh road while they were speeding towards the Indo-Myanmar border town.

Official sources said nine persons were abducted by unidentified men while they were on their way to Moreh in two jeeps to inspect the site for the construction of a food and civil supplies godown. The gunmen intercepted the vehicles at Khongkham, 4 km from Moreh, at 10.30 am.

On receiving information about the abduction, the BSF post at Khongkhang rushed its...

Imphal, January 21: The personnel of the border security forces have rescued eight individuals including senior officials of the food corporation of India from the clutches of the kidnappers near Khongkhang along the Imphal Moreh road this afternoon. However, deputy director of FCI identified as Sadashivam is yet to be rescued from the hands of the kidnappers, sources added. According to Deputy Inspector General of BSF Nagaland and Manipur sector P K Misra, tie personnel of 37 battalion post located at Khongkhang is still chasing the militants and trying their best to rescue Sadashivam. The...

Imphal, January 21: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday assured an all-party delegation from Manipur that the boundaries of the state will not be affected in the wake of the ongoing peace talks between Centre and Nagaland. The delegation leader and Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh told newsmen that this assurance was given when the team met Vajpayee to discuss the impact of the talks on the state. Singh said Manipur also wanted a constitutional amendment for the maintenance of territorial integrity of the state. "We welcome Centre's peace talks with Nagaland but the...

IMPHAL, Jan 21 ? The oldest regional political party in Manipur, Manipur Peoples? Party (mpp) and ruling Secular Progressive Front (spf) alliance partner Democratic Peoples? Party (dpp) have cautioned the Government of India against adopting measures detrimental to the interests of the people of Manipur.

MPP president and Opposition leader O Joy Singh and party leader Dr Nimaichand Luwang, addressing media-persons at the party office on Monday, said the Centre should accord maximum respect to the State Assembly resolution on territorial integrity of Manipur.

Stating that in a democratic...

Imphal, January 19: Former Ministers Y Erabot and Vivek Raj Wangkhem besides MSCP leaders would personally approach the Election Commission of India at New Delhi to demand de-recognition of the merger of MSCP with the BJP. While former Minister and central committee member of the party Dr Y Jiten is already camping at the national capital on the matter, party president M Hemanta and MLA Vivek Raj left Imphal today, informed spokesman cum general secretary of MSCP Kh Devbrata to The Sangai Express. The Delhi visit is in compliance with the EC directives to personally appear before it, he said...

Imphal, Jan. 18: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today announced that elections to the autonomous district councils in the state would be held soon. Addressing a Congress party convention on panchayati raj at Imphal?s Gandhi Memorial hall today, Ibobi Singh regretted that though polls to municipal bodies, nagar panchayats and zila parishads were held regularly, election to the district councils have not been conducted for the past 12 years.

The chief minister said the Secular Progressive Front government would discuss with the tribal development minister the issue of holding the...

Imphal, Jan. 17: The abducted relative of Manipur food and civil supplies minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh returned home late last night, police said today. Pheiroijam Sanajit Singh, son of the minister?s elder brother, was abducted by unidentified persons from Imphal East on Wednesday. He works as the ?personal public relations officer? of the minister. Singh was kidnapped by gunmen while he was on the way to a hospital with his family.

They took him away in his Santro, after letting off all other occupants, including his mother, wife and two children.

While the car was recovered...

Imphal, January 17: Unlike the ceasefire extension imbroglio episodes of June 2001 and other past social unrests with regard to the question of the state's territorial integrity, the Naga hoi-polloi dwelling in Imphal view the present renew Manipur territorial integrity slogans in different ways, at least this time. In a random survey conducted by Newmai News Network in the last two days indicates that Nagas in the valley are not going to the repeat the 2001 anti-ceasefire agitation days when they had fled to the hill districts. Miss Awon of Dewlahland, a school teacher by profession told this...