Politics / Manipur

IMPHAL, January 18: Normal life was crippled in this border State following a 24-hour general strike called by the powerful All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), an apex students' body in Manipur. The general strike came into force from the midnight of January 17 and it will continue till midnight of January 18. The strike has been called in protest against the attempt on the life of AMSU president Khoirom Gourashyam by some unknown armed youths on Wednesday afternoon, while he was sitting in his room in AMSU headquarters. Even though the general strike was announced barely two hours after the...

IMPHAL, January 18: A sharp division of opinion has surfaced within the United Front Government over the issue of the 26 point Action Plan the chief minister, W Nipamacha, signed with the Union Home minister, LK Advani, according to an insider source. Some have even expressed un-happiness at the leadership of the chief minister, according to the source. They also resented the unnecessary embarrassment caused at the discovery that the government's announcement of a 12-point action plan was false and that it actually contained 26 points. Again, some ministers had goaded the chief minister to...

GUWAHATI, January 17(UNI): The ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is likely to be extended to all Naga areas of the Northeastern region. A crucial meeting of the Chief Ministers of Northeastern region, besides that of Nagaland was being convened shortly to take the final decision, said the Joint Secretary of the Union Home ministry, GK Pillai. The July 1997 ceasefire with the rebels had been extended till July 31 with revised ground rules debarring the NSCN cadres to carry arms to all populated areas, besides there would be no safe havens. This was decided after...

IMPHAL, January 17: The president of the All Manipur Students Union, AMSU, Khoirom Gourashyam, 31, of Phubala, was shot and wounded by some unidentified gunmen at the AMSU office at the DM College campus this afternoon. Gourashyam, who was hit in the left chest, is reported to be out of danger. He is now under treatment at the JN Hospital. The AMSU has called a 24-hour general strike in the state from midnight tonight in protest against the assassination attempt. According to AMSU sources, some five unidentified youths came to the AMSU headquarters at around 12.50 this afternoon, and while two...

GUWAHATI, January 17: The Government of India is likely to convene a meeting involving Chief Ministers of the Northeastern states to discuss the issue of 'ceasefire without territorial limit' as has been insisted by the NSCN(IM) engaged in peace talks with the government. The joint secretary (NE) of the Union Home Ministry, G K Pillai, informed The Assam Tribune that the centre was likely to consider a ceasefire pact with the NSCN(IM) without territorial limit in view of the 'solid progress' made in the last round of negotiation with the outfit. The last round of talks saw changes in the...

IMPHAL, January 17: Speaker S Dhananjoy today said he had convened a meeting of legislature party leaders of the ruling and Opposition groups on January 20 for the second time, after Governor Ved Marwah wrote to him asking him to summon the House immediately. The meeting is scheduled to start at 2 pm. The Speaker said he had called a meeting of the leaders of the Ruling United Legislature Front and the Opposition Manipur Democratic Front on January 15, but none from the Ruling side turned up. The Speaker served meeting notices to 13 Ruling and Opposition members in attempt to defuse the...

IMPHAL, January 17: The combined front of the Opposition parties, the Manipur Democratic Front (MDF) has decided to elect its leader "openly" and also democratically. This was stated by the convenor of the MDF and Samata Party MLA, Nimaichand Luwong during a press conference held at the Speaker's bungalow last night. The decision to elect the leader of the Opposition in an open manner and also democratically, was taken in a meeting of the MDF in which all the 23 MLAs barring the Smata Party MLA Wangkhem Basantakumar took part. Nimaichand Luwang also told the reporters that the decision to...

IMPHAL, January 16: The political scenario in Manipur has become more complicated following the five ruling Front ministers' failure to turn up at the hearing summoned by the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly in connection with their disqualification case. The five ministers who were summoned for hearing are Sericulture Minister Hangkhanpao, Minister of State for Minorities, Allaudin, Minister of State for IFCD, K Tomba, Minister of State for Family Welfare, S Chandro and Minister of State for PHED, Onzamang Haokip. Mention may be made here that they were summoned by the Speaker on...

IMPHAL, January 14: Union Home Minister LK Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes doubt that the 26 point Action Plan will be implemented by the Nipamacha led United Front Ministry, the Samata Party leader Radhabinod Koijam said. In an interview Radhabinod Koijam said the Home Minister expressed his doubts about the sincerity and honesty of Nipamacha in implementing the Action Plan. The Home Minister expressed this when he met the former after Nipamacha submitted the Action Plan, the Samata Party leader said. When asked about the fate of Nipamacha Government, Radhabinod also said the...

IMPHAL, January 13: An unspecific number of MLAs and ministers at the United Front's camp being currently run at the CM's official bungalow here is said to be fatigued to the point of being bored to death. They want to leave the humdrum of the monotonous camp life and enjoy the real vigorous life of a privileged minister in total freedom elsewhere However being afraid of what the chief minister, the deputy chief minister and other loyal senior cabinet ministers might say and think of them, these bored members of the ruling UF dare not open their mouth about the matter, a very reliable sources...