Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, March 18: Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today appealed to the insurgents for a political dialogue while expressing hope that they would come up with 'positive response,' during the one-month period of unilateral ceasefire declared by his government on March 1 last, reports PTI. "We all love Manipur and why can not we sit together to bring solution to any problem," Koijam told PTI here. Violence would not solve any problem, he said. The Chief Minister said any issue can be settled through dialogues or negotiation and sought cooperation from various organisations, local club...

IMPHAL, March 17: An Army havildar, who had once tried to stop Assam Rifles personnel from dragging a minor boy away from his house, is likely to face court martial on charges of obstructing operational activities. But the issue threatens to snowball into a major controversy as the September 1999 incident has been taken up by the National Human Rights Commission. Havildar Bhorot Singh, a resident of Heirok village in Thoubal district, was serving in the ninth battalion of the Assam regiment at the time of the incident. He is now attached to the 14 battalion of the National Cadet Corps here as...

IMPHAL, March 17: As the present political crisis in New Delhi deepens, the Samata Party-led People's Front Ministry in Manipur is preparing to give full co-operation to the party's national leaders. As the first step, the Samata Legislature Party meeting was hurriedly organised at the Chief Minister's Secretariat last evening to discuss the resignation of the Union Defence Minister and Samata Party leader George Fernandes and other Samata Party leaders from the Union Council of Ministers. The meeting of the Samata legislators which was presided over by Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam...

IMPHAL, March 17: The underground Revolutionary People's Front, rejecting the ceasefire announced by the Army and state government, has declared that the RPF would cease its activities only when there is clear-cut indication that 'colonial rule' would end and Manipur would regain its independence. A statement issued by the department of communication and publicity of the outfit said the people of Manipur cannot be taken off their guard by the 'crocodile tears' of a ceasefire or the possibility of talks under colonial rule. It added that in a fitting reply to the ceasefire announcement, PLA...

IMPHAL, March 17: The State Cabinet has decided to undertake a scheme on highway protection sooner or later to check activities of unlawful elements on the two national highways, the lifeline of a land-locked State like Manipur. The decision was taken in an emergency Cabinet meeting held at the office chamber of Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam. The meeting, while deliberating in detail about the burning of 15 oil tankers by underground activists on the National Highway-39 on March 8, also reviewed the ongoing law-and-order situation of the State after the announcement of the month-long...

IMPHAL, March 16: The state Samata Legislature Party has resolved to stand solidly behind Union Defence Minister George Fernandes and other Central leaders of the party amidst the crisis currently gripping the NDA Government at the Centre. An emergency meeting of the Samata Legislature Party, Manipur, chaired by Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam was held today at the Chief Minister's secretariat to discuss the resignations of Fernandes and other Samata party ministers, including Digvijay, Nitish Kumar and V Sreenivasa Prasad from the Union council of ministers, and of Jaya Jaitley from...

IMPHAL, March 16: Leaders of most political parties active in the State have endorsed the ongoing month long ceasefire declared by the Radhabinod Koijam-led People's Front government. A resolution to this effect was adopted at an all-party meeting held this afternoon at the Chief Minister's secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam. The meeting took an overview of the prolonged separatist movement in the State and the consequent law and order situation, and discussed possible ways and means for bringing back the 'misguided youths' to the national mainstream. While...

IMPHAL, March 15: In yet another suspected custodial death case, a 25-year-old Kuki farmer, son of a village chief in Sadar Hills, Senapati district was allegedly tortured to death by the security force personnel after being picked up along with another youth, from the Keithelmanbi area in the district recently. The deceased has been identified as Pouminlun Lhouvum, son of Seikholen, chief of Heibung village in Senapati district. The suspected custodial death case came to light when the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) took up the case following a complaint lodged by the deceased's...

IMPHAL, March 15: With a view to curb extraneous expenditure, the government has initiated a number of austerity measures in the state with immediate effect. Among other measures, the government has temporarily withdrawn grant of special pay, special allowance and secretariat duty allowance hitherto allowed to certain specific posts. Non-practicing allowance, paid to medical and veterinary doctors in government service has also been withdrawn. According to an office memorandum issued in this regard by the state finance department (pay implementation cell), the temporary withdrawal of...

IMPHAL, March 15: The Army is likely to extend its suspension of counter-insurgency operations for another 16 days. Though officially, the Army has not said anything on the matter, sources said the formal announcement on the extension may come tomorrow. General-officer-commanding of 57 mountain division, Maj. Gen. Iqbal Singh earlier declared the suspension of military operations against all militant outfits by the Army and Assam Rifles for 15 days beginning March 1 for Yaoshang (Holi) festival. The Radhabinod Koijam-led People's Front government had also announced a unilateral ceasefire with...