Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, April 21: UNC president and Naga leader, KS Paul Leo who was abducted by KNF (MC) cadres from Keithelmanbi area while he was on his way from Karong to Imphal on April 17 was released late last night after four days in captivity. With the release of the Naga leader, tension which has been shimmering all over the State, especially in Senapati district has finally cooled down putting at rest apprehension of yet another round of ethnic tension and conflagration. The abducted Naga leader reached Keithelmanbi today at about 1.30 am after his release by the militants. He was met by emissaries...

IMPHAL, April 21: The prominent Naga leader, K S Paul Leo who was in captivity of the banned Kuki National Front (Military Council) since April 17, has been finally released safe and sound today. Mention may be made here that K S Paul Leo who is the president of the United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of the Naga tribes in Manipur, was abducted by the KNF (MC) militants on April 17 afternoon near Keithelmanbi along the National Highway-39 in Senapati district. The Naga leader, Paul, was received by a team of social activists comprising both Nagas and Kukis residing in the State at...

IMPHAL, April 21: G Joykumar Sharma, vice president of the Nipamacha faction of MSCP has strongly refuted the forgery accusations hurled against them by the Chaoba group. In a statement, the vice president said far from forging the signatures of the six MLAs/ministers, Nipamacha and his group do not know anything about the forgery case. The statement went on to add that even the Election Commission did not entertain the claims and allegations of the Chaoba group when the case was being heard on April 19. Joykumar went on to add that contrary to the claims of Chaoba and his group, the Delhi...

IMPHAL, April 20: Tribal welfare minister Haokholet Kipgen has rushed to Keithelmanbi to secure the release of United Naga Council president K.S. Paul Leo, who was abducted by the Kuki National Front (Military Council) last Tuesday. Kipgen, a Kuki, has been appointed by Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam to diffuse the crisis over Leo's abduction. Hopes for an early release of Leo emerged with the abductors toning down their demand of a complete halt in Nationalist Social Council of Nagalim's (Isak-Muivah) support to the Kuki Revolutionary Army, a rival outfit. Buckling under public pressure...

IMPHAL, April 20: The Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of the president of United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of the Naga community in Manipur, Paul Leo who was abducted by suspected Kuki militants on Tuesday. According to an Amnesty International press release which was made available to the press here, taking KS Paul Leo as their hostage by armed Kuki group on his way to Imphal is a violation of International Humanitarian Law. The statement also said that the abduction incident took place only a few days after the massacre of at least seven people belonging to...

IMPHAL, April 20: Union minister of state Thounaojam Chaoba, today lodged a First Information Report, FIR against his erstwhile comrade-in-arms and former state Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha and two others at the Parliament street police station in New Delhi on charges of forgery of signatures and fabrication of affidavits in the name of six MLAs belonging to the Chaoba group. In the FIR, copies of which was made available to the press, Chaoba charged that former Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha, G Joykumar Sharma, and P Achou Singh had colluded and forged the signatures of six MLAs...

IMPHAL, April 19: Two negotiators, including a Christian pastor, held abortive talks with the Kuki National Front (Military Council) last night to secure the release of United Naga Council (UNC) president K.S. Paul Leo. Leo was abducted by KNF (MC) militants on Tuesday from National Highway 39 near Kethelmanbi village (in Kangpokpi sub-division) to deter the Nationalist Social Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) from supporting the Kuki Revolutionary Army - a rival outfit. The KNF(MC) has, in fact, demanded that the NSCN(IM) stop propping up the KRA as a precondition to Leo's release. The...

IMPHAL, April 19: UNC president Paul Leo who was abducted by suspected KNF (MC) cadres from Keithelmanbi on April 17 is safe and sound in the custody of his captors, said reliable sources. For the second day today leaders and representatives of Kuki and Naga voluntary organisations held a meeting at the residence of Transport Minister Haokholet Kipgen. Inside sources said representatives of both Naga and Kuki organisations met KNF (MC) functionaries late last evening at an undisclosed place at Senapati and urged the under ground outfit to release the UNC chief unharmed and at the earliest...

IMPHAL, April 19: Both factions of the apex body of government employees associations and trade unions, the Joint Administrative Council, JAC (AMGEO and AMTUC) have rejected the government appeal to end their cease work strike, even as disbursement of February and March salaries for the state uniformed services commenced today. Taking strong umbrage at the government decision to restrict arrears only to MR, police, jail and fire service personnel, both JA factions accused the government of discriminating among different groups of employees with the objective of playing divide and rule, and...

IMPHAL, April 18: The MSF has flayed the decision of the Catholic school authorities to close down the schools just because they were receiving monetary demands from militants. The more than 15,000 students of Catholic schools were admitted after the school authorities took full responsibility and they cannot be discarded just because the authorities were facing some problems, the students body said. Stating that the school authorities cannot use the students as their shields, a statement of the MSF said it will stand for rights of the students. Making a fervent appeal to all underground...