Tag: Manipur updates

Manipur: Four People Killed in Fresh Clashes, Kuki Groups Lift NH Blockade

Curfew in West Imphal district is scheduled be relaxed for 13 hours – from  5 am to 6 pm – today.

New Delhi: Exactly two months after violence first broke out in Manipur, killings have continued, with four people having been killed on July 2 alone – and police saying that one of them have been beheaded.

Meanwhile, Kuki rebel groups said that they would lift the blockade on the National Highway in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. This blockade had only been lifted during Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state but was imposed again when three people from the Kuki-Zomi community were killed in Kangpokpi district on June 9, Indian Express has reported.

The report said that the United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organisation have released a statement saying that the blockade would be lifted to ensure the supply of essential commodities into the state. Both organisations are signatories to the Suspension of Operations agreement of 2008, with the Union government.

The Imphal Free Press has additionally reported the two bodies as having said, “Once the deployment of central forces is completed in all vulnerable areas, we will ensure that our volunteers are withdrawn from these areas to help restore peace and tranquillity”.

Curfew in West Imphal district is scheduled be relaxed for 13 hours – from  5 am to 6 pm – today. A day ago, Chief Minister Biren Singh visited the hills adjoining Bishnupur-Churachandpur, according to ANI.

Efforts at peace come alongside news of fresh killings in Churachandpur district, where a man was beheaded in a Hmar-Kuki-majority village on Sunday. The victim, David Thiek, was one of the volunteers who had stayed back the guard the village after the Hmar chief had told them to vacate it as a mob approached to burn houses early in the morning, the Express report said.

The report further said that three people from the Meitei community died in Khoijumantabi in Bishnupur district in the valley.

According to villagers who spoke to the Imphal Free Press, a total of eight volunteers were on guard duty when Kuki militants cornered them and launched a coordinated attack from both sides using automatic weapons at around midnight.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has noted that its letterhead has been forged and is being used in fabricated press releases by “the Meitei propaganda machine.”

In an earlier version of this article, The Wire too had inadvertently reported on one such press release that was later identified as false.

Manipur: After Convoy Stopped, Rahul Gandhi Reaches Churachandpur by Chopper

According to reports, the police stopped his convoy at Bishnupur fearing that it could be attacked.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Churachandpur, one of the worst violence-affected districts in Manipur, via a helicopter on Thursday, June 29, after the police stopped his convoy fearing that it would be attacked.

Gandhi plans to visit relief camps and meet survivors over the course of two days.

In the evening, the Congress leader tweeted saying, “I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are being very welcoming and loving. It’s very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority.”

Gandhi’s convoy was stopped at Bishnupur, around 20 km from Imphal. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal told the news agency ANI, “Rahul Gandhi’s convoy has been stopped by police near Bishnupur. Police say that they are not in a position to allow us. People are standing on both sides of the road to wave to Rahul Gandhi. We are not able to understand why have they stopped us…”

According to NDTV, the police said that Gandhi was stopped from travelling by road because there were women blocking the road. “We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur,” a police officer said.

However, Congress sources told the channel that the women were “protesting against the cops for stopping Mr Gandhi and that they wanted him to visit Churachandpur as well as their village”.

“He visited Manipur to know what the people of the state are going through. He didn’t come here to do politics. Why are they blocking his road,” a woman said, according to NDTV.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘IT cell’ head, Amit Malviya, has meanwhile questioned Gandhi as to why he did not visit the state “between 2015-17,” when a Congress government was in the state and had passed legislation which saw opposition.

Malviya called Gandhi, “just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling.”

Meanwhile, opposition leaders, including those from the Congress like party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, have criticised the move to block Gandhi’s journey when PM Modi has been silent on Manipur.

Earlier, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had said while families were forced into neighbouring states, the PM is “busy hugging world leaders, flagging trains or in poll campaigns.”

Meanwhile, as Mizoram feels the strain of accommodating tens of thousands of violence-affected people fleeing Manipur, a sizeable chunk of cases filed in Manipur have had to be registered by police irrespective of jurisdiction largely because most complainants are still scared of travelling in the state, two separate reports on Indian Express and The Hindu point out.

Ethnic violence which started in early May in Manipur has continued to make its presence felt, paralysing life in the state in which almost 200 people have died and over 60,000, displaced.

Internet services remain suspended.

The Hindu has reported that almost a third of the 5,960 cases of arson and violence registered over the last 56 days were ‘zero FIRs’ filed by police irrespective of jurisdiction.

These were filed suo motu by police and invoke sections relevant to arson, violence, murder, looking of weapons and more.

“On average, more than 100 cases were filed every day,” the report said. As many as 2,226 FIRs were filed after Union home minister Amit Shah left the state on June 2. And 71 cases were filed after Shah chaired an all-party meeting in New Delhi on June 24.

The Wire has reported on disillusionment on the ground in Manipur, with representatives of both Kuki and Meitei sides saying that Shah’s promises to them have not been kept.

Muan Tombing, general secretary of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) told Hindu that since the members of the community cannot travel to the valley areas to file their cases, they have been pursuing zero FIRs in Delhi, Aizawl in Mizoram and Guwahati in Assam.

Meanwhile, with close to 12,000 people having fled Manipur and taken shelter in the neighbouring state, Mizoram Home Commissioner H. Lalengmawia told Indian Express that with no financial aid from the Union government, Mizoram administration has primarily had to depend on contributions from the church and voluntary organisations and private individuals.

“But unless the central government intervenes immediately, after maybe around two weeks, we will be running short of resources,” Lalengmawia said.

Assam and Nagaland have sheltered 3,000 people from Manipur, it has been reported.

Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking at least Rs 10 crore in financial assistance and a team led by state cabinet minister Robert Royte had also visited Delhi to request funds.

This article, first published at 9:11 am on June 29, 2023, was republished at 5:03 pm on the same day with updates.

Manipur: Govt Invokes Rare RBI Clause, Villagers Stop CBI Team From Entering College Armoury

Two soldiers of the Assam Rifles sustained minor injuries in firing at N. Boljang village of Imphal West.

New Delhi: As news of sporadic violence trickles out from Manipur, one of the recurring issues has emerged to be residents’ distrust of security forces and law enforcement officials.

The Imphal Free Press has reported that 2,000 residents of Pangei village, mostly comprising women, refused entry to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team which had arrived to investigate the loot of a large cache of arms and ammunition from the Manipur Police Training College’s armoury on Thursday, June 22.

Heingang Police Station had filed a case to recover the arms stolen from Pangei. The copy of the FIR, which The Wire has, noted that a mob of 5,000 people had overpowered those on duty at the armoury, broken the locks of four rooms and taken several arms and ammunitions.

The arms listed as having been taken from the 7th India Reserve Battalion’s armoury on the campus include 157 INSAS rifles, 54 SLRs, 34 9 mm carbines, 22 INSAS LMGs, and 19 9 mm pistols. From the two rooms maintained by the MPTC, the arms taken include 18 INSAS rifles, one AK-47, 44 SLRs, five JVPCs, one 51 Motor and 91 0.303 rifles.

The CBI team, which had reached at 3.30 pm, left the area after finding it impossible to enter the college’s main gate where the women had organised a sit-in.

Stolen arms and ammunition continue to pose a threat to peace in the state which has seen brutal ethnic violence since May 3. Nearly a hundred have died, and houses of thousands have been destroyed. The number of displaced is assumed to be close to 50,000.

Manipur invokes rare RBI provision

Meanwhile, the N. Biren Singh-led government of Manipur, which has been on the receiving of criticism over its alleged inability to contain the violence, has invoked a rarely used Reserve Bank of India provision that allows the restructuring and rescheduling of loans. It also allows a moratorium to be placed on existing loans in the light of the visible pause on economic activity.

The Hindu has reported that the Manipur government has cited the riots and violence of the recent past to invoke a clause that provides relief to borrowers. This clause has so far only been raised in places affected by natural calamities.

One of the clause’s rules is that “only genuine persons, duly identified by the state administration as having been affected by the riots/disturbances, are provided assistance”. It continues that if the administration is not in a position to identify “genuine persons”, it is up to the state’s banks to do this.

The Imphal Free Press had reported earlier this month that daily wage earners, including women vendors and small business owners, were facing “immense difficulties to repay their loans” due to the turmoil in the state.

There is curfew across the state and internet continues to remain suspended, despite a high court order asking for partial lifting of the ban in some paces.

The report cites a June 21 order by Manipur chief secretary Vineet Joshi who said that reports indicated that many properties and businesses of residents have been affected in the violence, either directly or indirectly.

“Due to this, the borrowers who had taken loans are not in a position to repay them and requested SLBC [State Level Bankers’ Committee] to extend relief to the affected persons,” the order said.

The SLBC is the highest body of bankers in Manipur and has under its umbrella the banks operating in the state.

Explosions and firing continue

The Spear Corps of the Indian Army have tweeted that “armed miscreants” fired unprovoked in N. Boljang village of Imphal West district early on June 22. Two soldiers of the Assam Rifles sustained minor injuries in the firing and the Army responded in a calibrated manner, the tweet said.

An INSAS rifle was recovered during search operations after the firing, another tweet by the Corps said.

 

Manipur: HC Asks Govt to Restore Internet Service at Designated Areas, SC Refuses Urgent Listing

Meanwhile, the Manipur high court has admitted a review petition seeking a modification of its controversial March 27 order that directed the state government to recommend the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

New Delhi: The Manipur high court’s order to the state government to allow restricted internet access in certain areas, originally delivered on Friday, June 16, was made public today, June 20.

Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A. Guneshwar Sharma gave the directions after hearing several public interest litigations urging for internet to be restored in the state, a report on India Today NE states.

The state government had originally extended the internet ban till today. It is not clear yet as to whether it will be further extended.

The bench said that internet access is necessary for “urgent and vital tasks,” particularly in the continuing student admissions process.

“Taking into consideration the hardship faced by the public specially with regard to the ongoing admission process of the students in the State and to enable the public for carrying out their urgent and essential services, the State authorities are directed to provide limited internet service to the public in some designated places under the controlled of the State authorities,” the June 16 order stated, according to Bar and Bench.

On June 9, the Supreme Court had turned down the urgent listing of a petition urging the restoration of internet in the state, where it has been shut since early May.

SC turns down urgent listing by tribal forum

A Supreme Court vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice M.M. Sundresh has refused to urgently list an interlocutory application filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum seeking the deployment of Army personnel to help curb the violence, LiveLaw has reported.

The matter will now be heard on July 3.

Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves had pushed for an urgent listing, nothing that in spite of assurance by security agencies, 70 tribal people have allegedly been killed. Gonsalves noted that the apex court was the last hope for tribals.

The application urged for armymen to be deployed to the districts of Churachanpur, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Impal East, and Imphal west and for a special investigation team to be established to look into the violence and who caused it.

It also urged for first information reports to be filed against Kourounganba Khuman of the Arambai Tenggol group and M. Pramot Singh, president of the Meitei Leepun group.

HC seeks govts’ response on Meitei-ST order review petition 

Meanwhile, the Manipur high court has admitted a review petition seeking a modification of its controversial March 27 order that directed the state government to recommend the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.

“The first respondent shall consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order…,” the March 27 order had said.

The Meitei Tribes Union (MTU), opposed to the previous order, moved the high court. “It is this part of the order that we have sought a modification of. There is a Supreme Court judgment that says inclusion or exclusion of any community is the prerogative of the Parliament and the President. So this direction does not comply with that,” MTU advocate Ajoy Pebam told PTI.

The court issued notices to the Union and state governments, seeking their response to a petition filed by MTU. The review petition will be heard on July 5.

The ethnic violence in the state is believed to have been triggered by this order and the opposition to it.

Mob storms police station

The arrest by security forces of four persons who were travelling in a Tata Safari with a 51mm mortar led to mob outrage in Thoubal district on June 19. A huge crowd tried to storm Lilong police station to protest against the arrest by the Assam Rifles, India Today NE reported separately.

The four, Haorongbam Ranjit, Ngangom Shanta Meitei, Abujam Naoba and Mutum Robindra, are being housed at the Lilong police station.

Manipur: Tensions Still High; Over 7,500 Have Fled to Mizoram So Far

In Imphal on Monday, a few houses were set ablaze on Chassad Avenue, Imphal East District under Porompat Police Station, around 2 pm.

New Delhi: After the recurrence of violence in Manipur on Sunday night and during the day on Monday, the situation in the state remains tense. The violence in the state first escalated on May 3, and more than 70 people lost their lives in the first few days after that.

In Imphal on Monday, a few houses were set ablaze on Chassad Avenue, Imphal East District under Porompat Police Station, around 2 pm. Khongsai, a member of the Kuki Students Organisation, told The Wire, “Four houses were set on fire, and approximately 40 people were affected by the situation.”

Khongsai shared videos with The Wire depicting charred houses and people evacuating.

On Sunday too, Manipur witnessed violence in Imphal West district, where three individuals were injured due to the firing.

Khongsai alleged that a mob had also targeted a church, the Independent Church of India, resulting in its destruction. Approximately half a kilometre away from Chassad Avenue, in New Lambulane, George Onjamang Haokip also alleged that the Independent Church of India was burned down by Meiteis.

The escalating tension has prompted a significant number of Kuki people to flee the state capital for their safety.. Khongsai revealed, “At present, more than 7,000 refugees have sought shelter in Mizoram due to communal violence in Manipur, particularly in Imphal and its surrounding areas.”

According to a PTI report, over 7,500 people from Manipur have fled to neighbouring Mizoram because of the violence. A total of 7,527 ethnic Zos, known as Kukis in Manipur, have crossed over to Mizoram till 5 pm on Monday, PTI quoted an official as saying.

Displaced people have reportedly been provided temporary shelter in relief camps in Mizoram. The part of Manipur that borders Mizoram is largely inhabited by Kukis.

Houses were set on fire in Imphal on Monday. Photo: Screengrab from video

The majority Meitei community has been demanding Scheduled Tribe status, but the hill tribes of the Nagas and Kukis are opposed to this demand. The violence began during a solidarity march organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur against the Meiteis’ demand and a high court order stating that the state government should recommend ST status for Meiteis.

According to Khongsai, there is alleged involvement of present Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba in the ongoing events. He alleged, “More than 20 village houses have been burned down by the Meitei volunteer group called Arambai Tenggol.” Arambai Tenggol takes its name from a weapon historically used by Manipuri kings. The presence of Arambai Tenggol and another group called Meitei Leepun has been noticed by residents over the past one year, particularly on social media platforms.

Khongsai further claimed that the Arambai Force is said to be recruited by Sanajaoba. The Congress party’s Manipur in-charge, Bhakta Charan Das, recently told The Hindu that outfits like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, allegedly enjoying chief minister N. Biren Singh’s support, have also been responsible for the destruction of churches belonging to the Meitei community.

Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh addressed the media on Monday, saying three individuals, including a former MLA, were apprehended for their alleged involvement in the violent incidents. Singh said that three people had suffered minor injuries in Imphal West district on Sunday night. The culprits, who were in possession of double-barrel guns, were apprehended by the police, he said.

In another incident on Monday, a minor altercation took place in the New Lambulane area of Imphal city. Singh alleged that an ex-MLA was implicated in the conspiracy. Two armed personnel, armed with single-barrel guns, reportedly threatened vendors and ordered them to vacate the vicinity. As a consequence, both individuals, along with the former MLA, were taken into custody.

Earlier, Singh had claimed that the unrest in the state was not due to a “fight between communities,” but instead because of resistance to the government’s policy of forest conservation and poppy clearing, reports by the Indian Express and Imphal Free Press said.