Latest news with #A.K.Mishra
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Free movement, resettlement will take time, Home Ministry officials tell Meitei civil society groups
The resumption of free movement for all communities along the National Highways in Manipur, and the resettlement of internally displaced people are 'going to take some time', Home Ministry officials told a delegation of Meitei civil society groups at a meeting in the National Capital. The officials 'clearly stated' that this is 'not achievable in a few months or a few weeks', the Meitei groups said in a press conference on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), a day after the meeting. The Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), an Imphal-based coalition of civil society groups from Manipur's valley regions, met with an MHA team led by North-East Adviser A.K. Mishra on Tuesday afternoon, even as protests broke out in Imphal again related to an alleged cover-up of the word 'Manipur' on a State bus. 'There was a fruitful and constructive discussion on a range of issues with officials of MHA on Tuesday. It was clearly stated by MHA that the issues of opening National Highways, resettlement of the internally displaced persons, these are going to take some time. This is not achievable in a few months or a few weeks.' FOCS consultative member Puyam Rakesh said at the press conference. 'No specific timeline' At a security review meeting on March 1 this year, Home Minister Amit Shah had directed that from March 8, there would be free movement along the highways, which have been blocked since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023. However, on March 8, amidst attempts to enforce this direction, a 19-year-old man was killed and more than 40 people were injured in Kangpokpi district as Kuki-Zo people clashed with Central armed police forces. Speaking on behalf of the FOCS delegation, Mr. Rakesh alleged that 'the Union government is reluctant to use excessive force to reopen the highway', adding that the MHA officials did not give any 'specific timeline' for when these issues, such as free movement on the highways and resettlement of displaced persons, could be addressed. 'We understand that these issues take time, but we urged for addressing immediate concerns of displaced persons, taking care of their financial needs, taking care of medical needs, and ensuring education for the children,' he said. 'That was the message given to us by the Government of India. We look forward to having more rounds of talks and also intercommunity dialogue with the Kuki-Zo community, which will be very important for restoring normalcy and peace i Manipur,' Mr. Rakesh said. While FOCS has agreed to engage with Kuki-Zo community associations, the delegation from Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), another Meitei group which met separately with MHA officials clarified that it will engage 'exclusively with Government of India'. Also read | Bus incident: Manipur group announces civil disobedience 'State is burning again' The FOCS made it a point to note that there have been 'some concrete steps' taken by the administration since the imposition of President's Rule, with a 'successful de-escalation' in the last few months. However, Mr. Rakesh indicated that the situation has been deteriorating again since last week's incident in Gwaltabi, when security forces tried to cover up the word 'Manipur' on a State transport bus that was ferrying journalists to the hill district of Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival. The incident has 'hurt the sentiments of the people of Manipur, and the State is now burning again, and women and children are on the streets protesting,' Mr. Rakesh said. 'This [incident] has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as an attempt to dismember the State of Manipur.' With reports emerging from Imphal that a group of MLAs were meeting with Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to stake their claim to form a government in the State, Mr. Rakesh said, 'We welcome a popular government if it has the political will to act in coordination with the Centre to do the needful which can positively change the situation on the ground. But we are not demanding it for the moment.' Gwaltabi incident 'deeply regretted' The ongoing protests in Imphal, which were part of a 'civil disobedience' call given by the COCOMI, displayed banners that said, 'President's Rule must stop insulting Manipur's integrity.' On Wednesday, the Office of the Chief Secretary of Manipur issued a press release, clarifying that there have been 'no instructions whatsoever or even remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged'. It added that the 'reported untoward incident' is being treated with 'utmost seriousness' and is 'deeply regretted', adding that once the Commission formed by the Governor submits its report, and 'those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action would be taken'. 'Evading responsibility' Mr. Rakesh added that the FOCS delegation also raised concerns about 'seasoned politicians' — including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kiren Rijiju — making comments about Manipur having a 'history or tradition' of ethnic conflicts. This was 'sending a message that is normalising the violence' in the State, the FOCS delegate said. 'We see this as getting away from responsibility rather than taking accountability for the problems of the people of Manipur. These narratives are not doing anything good for the people of the State. Such insensitive statements should be avoided,' he said.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Free movement, resettlement will take time, MHA officials tell Meitei civil society groups
The resumption of free movement for all communities along the National Highways in Manipur, and the resettlement of internally displaced people are 'going to take some time', Home Ministry officials told a delegation of Meitei civil society groups at a meeting in the National Capital. The officials 'clearly stated' that this is 'not achievable in a few months or a few weeks', the Meitei groups said in a press conference on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), a day after the meeting. The Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), an Imphal-based coalition of civil society groups from Manipur's valley regions, met with an MHA team led by North-East Adviser A.K. Mishra on Tuesday afternoon, even as protests broke out in Imphal again related to an alleged cover-up of the word 'Manipur' on a State bus. 'There was a fruitful and constructive discussion on a range of issues with officials of MHA on Tuesday. It was clearly stated by MHA that the issues of opening National Highways, resettlement of the internally displaced persons, these are going to take some time. This is not achievable in a few months or a few weeks.' FOCS consultative member Puyam Rakesh said at the press conference. 'No specific timeline' At a security review meeting on March 1 this year, Home Minister Amit Shah had directed that from March 8, there would be free movement along the highways, which have been blocked since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023. However, on March 8, amidst attempts to enforce this direction, a 19-year-old man was killed and more than 40 people were injured in Kangpokpi district as Kuki-Zo people clashed with Central armed police forces. Speaking on behalf of the FOCS delegation, Mr. Rakesh alleged that 'the Union government is reluctant to use excessive force to reopen the highway', adding that the MHA officials did not give any 'specific timeline' for when these issues, such as free movement on the highways and resettlement of displaced persons, could be addressed. 'We understand that these issues take time, but we urged for addressing immediate concerns of displaced persons, taking care of their financial needs, taking care of medical needs, and ensuring education for the children,' he said. 'That was the message given to us by the Government of India. We look forward to having more rounds of talks and also intercommunity dialogue with the Kuki-Zo community, which will be very important for restoring normalcy and peace i Manipur,' Mr. Rakesh said. While FOCS has agreed to engage with Kuki-Zo community associations, the delegation from Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), another Meitei group which met separately with MHA officials clarified that it will engage 'exclusively with Government of India'. Also read | Bus incident: Manipur group announces civil disobedience 'State is burning again' The FOCS made it a point to note that there have been 'some concrete steps' taken by the administration since the imposition of President's Rule, with a 'successful de-escalation' in the last few months. However, Mr. Rakesh indicated that the situation has been deteriorating again since last week's incident in Gwaltabi, when security forces tried to cover up the word 'Manipur' on a State transport bus that was ferrying journalists to the hill district of Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival. The incident has 'hurt the sentiments of the people of Manipur, and the State is now burning again, and women and children are on the streets protesting,' Mr. Rakesh said. 'This [incident] has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as an attempt to dismember the State of Manipur.' With reports emerging from Imphal that a group of MLAs were meeting with Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to stake their claim to form a government in the State, Mr. Rakesh said, 'We welcome a popular government if it has the political will to act in coordination with the Centre to do the needful which can positively change the situation on the ground. But we are not demanding it for the moment.' Gwaltabi incident 'deeply regretted' The ongoing protests in Imphal, which were part of a 'civil disobedience' call given by the COCOMI, displayed banners that said, 'President's Rule must stop insulting Manipur's integrity.' On Wednesday, the Office of the Chief Secretary of Manipur issued a press release, clarifying that there have been 'no instructions whatsoever or even remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged'. It added that the 'reported untoward incident' is being treated with 'utmost seriousness' and is 'deeply regretted', adding that once the Commission formed by the Governor submits its report, and 'those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action would be taken'. 'Evading responsibility' Mr. Rakesh added that the FOCS delegation also raised concerns about 'seasoned politicians' — including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kiren Rijiju — making comments about Manipur having a 'history or tradition' of ethnic conflicts. This was 'sending a message that is normalising the violence' in the State, the FOCS delegate said. 'We see this as getting away from responsibility rather than taking accountability for the problems of the people of Manipur. These narratives are not doing anything good for the people of the State. Such insensitive statements should be avoided,' he said.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur shall remain ‘indivisible', say Meitei groups
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur must be recognised as ‘indivisible', Meitei civil society delegates tell MHA officials
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
