Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, January 25: Security has been tightened in the entire greater Imphal area from this afternoon ahead of the 52nd Republic Day tomorrow, amidst the boycott called by a host of underground organisations. IRB, MR, CRPF and Manipur police personnel have been deployed at sensitive spots and to guard vital installations. Heavy patrolling by security personnel had already begun this morning all over the greater Imphal area. Security teams also conducted frisking of travelers and passersby at various points in the city and on major roads. It may be recalled that the Manipur People's Liberation...

IMPHAL, January 25: Residents of several villages along the Manipur Nagaland border are reported to have fled their homes and taken shelter in Mao during the past week on account of rising tension due to persistent territorial disputes between villagers of this state and their compatriots in Nagaland. A reliable report said after the latest flare-up in the Songsang area, residents of several villages on the interstate border have come under severe threat to leave their villages. It is worthwhile recalling that disputes had occurred earlier in the Tungjoy and Dzuko areas, but these had been...

IMPHAL, January 24: Large number of people in Jiribam, especially youths and male persons, have been fleeing their homes to Silchar and Jirighat of the neighbouring Assam since yesterday morning after they got wind that militants of the State are planning to attack the IRB post at Jiribam, according to sources. The sources also said the rumor, that the militants were planning to attack IRB post before the Republic Day, spread about among the residents of Jiribam town two days ago and the terrified residents preferred to run for cover to the neighbouring state. The sources further said most of...

IMPHAL, January 24: Reiterating that AMSU is not related to any underground group AMSU Secretary General Y Premananda said Khoirom Gourashyam became presidents of MUSU and AMSU as a bonafide student. Talking to reporters today the secretary general said AMSU is strictly observing its constitutions, which says that it should have no relation with UG groups. AMSU had no relation in past, and no relation now and will not have any relation in future, it said. Reacting to the claim by KYKL (O) Premananda said AMSU refused to accept the claim that the attack on Gourashyam was not against AMSU. He...

IMPHAL, January 23: Movie hall owners and employees are planning to challenge in court chief minister W. Nipamacha Singh's "threat" that his government would not allow cinema halls to screen Manipuri and English films if Hindi films are not screened there. Sources said the chief minister's remark has also irked local cable TV operators. The outlawed People's Liberation Army (PLA) banned all forms of entertainment, including films, music and satellite channels, in the Hindi language in Manipur from September last year. However, the outfit spared teaching of Hindi in educational institutions...

IMPHAL, January 23: The All Manipur Students' Union, AMSU has strongly objected to the proposal of the extension of ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) to other Naga inhabited areas of the Northeastern region. A memorandum to this effect was sent today to the Prime Minister, the Union Home minister and Chief minister of Manipur by Premananda Yumnam, general secretary. The question of ceasefire jurisdiction has been a bone of contention. Because the NSC (IM) is planning to create a separate state of Nagas comprising large areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Earlier these governments had...

IMPHAL, January 23: The residents of Yangoupokpi, a tiny Meitei hamlet on the Myanmar border in the Chandel district under the Tengnoupal police station, have abandoned the village after suspected Naga militants served a warning on the villagers to leave on the threat of the dire consequences. This was disclosed by five of the villagers who have since fled to Imphal, during a press conference held at the branch office of the All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj at Singjamei Kshetri Leikai. According to the villagers, a large group of well-armed UGs, thought to belong to one of...

IMPHAL, January 23: The chief minister W Nipamacha Singh, has no inclination to have the adjourned winter session of the State Assembly reconvened, MPP leader O Joy Singh observed today while speaking to media persons at his office chamber at the state Assembly. The MPP MLA said the failure of those Ruling MLAs who had been invited to a meeting by the Speaker on January 20 last to discuss the reconvening of the Assembly session to turn up made it obvious and the CM and the ruling MLAs were not interested in reconvening the Assembly. O Joy further said the negligence of the chief minister, who...

IMPHAL, January 22: The Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, KYKL (O), has owned up responsibility for the assassination attempt on the All Manipur Students' Union, AMSU, president, Kh Gourashyam, on January 17, in a press release today. The organisation however said it hit out against the UNLF and not the AMSU in targeting Gourashyam. It said it had made this intention of hitting at UNLF sympathisers and members in the AMSU clear earlier. It said it had also appealed to the public to identify these elements in the AMSU and to have them thrown out so as to re-establish the AMSU as a pure students' body...

IMPHAL, January 22: The state Governor, Ved Marwah, apparently exasperated by the constant dithering over the issue of reconvening of the adjourned winter session of the State Assembly, today directed that the adjourned session should be reconvened latest by February 6 next to take up the pending no-confidence motion against the W Nipamacha Singh government. In near-identical letters to the chief minister and the Speaker, the Governor also expressed his unhappiness over the continued stalling of the Assembly session and their disregard of his previous message to them in this regard. The Raj...