Latest news with #Kuki
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Jiribam killings: NIA-Assam Police arrest key conspirator; mobile phone, SIM card recovered
Representational Image NEW DELHI: In a significant breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a key conspirator involved in the brutal killings of three women and as many children in Manipur's Jiribam district in November last year. The accused, identified as Thanglienlal Hmar alias Boya, a resident of Moinathol Dilkshosh Ghaat in Assam's Cachar district, was apprehended by a joint team of the NIA and Assam Police, according to an official statement. 'Investigations have revealed that Boya was actively involved in both the conspiracy and execution of the horrendous crime,' the NIA said in the statement. "A mobile phone along with a SIM card was recovered by the NIA from the possession of the accused," it added The victims were abducted and murdered by militants on November 11, 2024, in the Borobekra area of Jiribam. Their bodies were later dumped in the Barak river. The incident sparked renewed unrest in the region, already reeling from an ongoing ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki population since May 2023.
NDTV
16 hours ago
- NDTV
NIA Makes First Arrest In Killing Of 6 Meiteis Including Infant In Manipur's Jiribam
Guwahati/New Delhi: A suspect in the kidnapping and killing of three women and three children from the Meitei community in Manipur's Jiribam in November 2024 has been arrested, marking the first breakthrough in the case being handled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Assam Police said they arrested the suspect, identified as Thanglienlal Hmar alias Boya, based on information provided by the NIA, and handed him over to the country's top anti-terror investigation agency. The arrest comes three weeks after the Manipur High Court ordered the NIA to give a report on the case, and two days after it ordered the NIA to file a chargesheet within a month. The members of the Meitei community who were kidnapped from Jiribam, a district bordering Assam, and whose mutilated bodies were found floating in a river days later, were Yumrembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25) and her two children Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (2.5 years old) and Laishram Lamnganba Singh (10 months old). At that time, the Manipur cabinet in a resolution had called the suspects "Kuki militants". The arrested suspect, however, belongs to the Hmar tribe, a distinct tribe and not part of the Kuki nomenclature. The Kukis in Manipur along with the Zomi and Hmar tribes have been rallying behind the banner of "Kuki-Zo" since ethnic violence with the Meiteis began in May 2023. The women and children were kidnapped from Jiribam's Bokobera neighbourhood while another group of militants were engaged in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Ten of the militants were shot dead in the encounter.
The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Amid Oppn protests, Centre extends President's Rule for the 3rd time in ethnic strife-torn Manipur
Participating in a brief discussion after junior home minister Nityanand Rai moved the resolution to extend the President's Rule, opposition members objected to the extension and called for dissolution of the state assembly. Congress' Anto Antony called the Manipur violence a 'man-made disaster.' The President's Rule was imposed 13 February for a period of three months after Biren Singh stepped down as chief minister. The state assembly was put in suspended animation and former Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla was appointed the governor. The President's Rule was further extended for another three months on 12 April. New Delhi: Amid objections from opposition benches, which demanded that a popular government be installed in Manipur, the Centre Wednesday passed the statutory resolution in the Lok Sabha extending the President's Rule in the ethnically torn north-eastern state by another six months from 13 August. Antony blamed the 'inefficiency of the BJP government' for the collapse of governance in the state. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on Manipur is a reflection of the BJP's lack of political will and absence of administrative efficiency. A. Bimol Akoijam, the Congress MP from Inner Manipur, urged the government to treat the Manipur issue as seriously as issues like the Pahalgam attack. Strongly objecting to the extension of President's Rule, Akoijam demanded the dissolution of the state assembly. 'The rule of the people and the will of the state must have a say rather than dictating terms even if it is a small state,' he said. He charged the Union government for being hand-in-glove with the state government in its actions in Manipur. 'The previous CM said that he was acting under the advice of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.' Calling the President's Rule 'almost illegitimate morally,' Akoijam said that instead of the President's Rule being continued, they should have a fresh mandate in Manipur. He also demanded that a JPC be constituted and accountability be fixed so the people of Manipur do not feel like they are neglected. Responding to the opposition's charges, Rai said that Manipur was an instance of community/caste violence sparked by the release of a report in the state. He said that since the imposition of President's Rule, there has been only one instance of violence. 'This is a confirmation of the peace machinery active in the state,' the Minister of State said. With the situation continuing to be volatile, the Centre decided to extend the President's Rule by another six months and use the time to initiate dialogue between the Kuki and Meitei communities and restore normalcy in the state. 'This House approves the continuance in force of the Proclamation, dated the 13th February, 2025, in respect of Manipur, issued under Article 356 of the Constitution by the President, for a further period of six months with effect from 13th August, 2025,' reads the statutory resolution moved by the minister. Article 356(2) of the Constitution allows for the extension of the President's Rule for six months each with the approval of Parliament. President's Rule can be extended for up to three years. Ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on 3 May 2023 following a tribal solidarity march by the Kuki-Zo community at Churachandpur to protest the proposed move to give Scheduled Tribe status to the non-tribal Meiteis. The violence has so far claimed over 250 lives and displaced approximately 60,000 people. The conflict has led to a complete segregation of the two main communities—the predominantly Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki Zo Chin. While the Kukis have fled the Imphal Valley, the Meiteis have fled from the hills. Though incidents of violence have come down in Manipur since the imposition of President's Rule in February, the ground situation continues to be volatile. Movement of passenger traffic on the two main national highways has remained disrupted. It remains out of bounds to the Meiteis, who have to travel by air if they want to go out of the state. The state government did try to open the national highways but were not successful. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs have been demanding installation of a popular government for a while now but with the party a divided house, the Centre is not too confident if it's the right time to stake claim. 'Right now, our priority is to bring back normalcy in Manipur. The Centre has had a round of meetings with civic society groups from both the communities and the political leaders in the state with the aim to restore normalcy,' a senior Manipur government official told ThePrint. The Union home ministry is also having meetings with the representatives from Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, with whom it had signed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement to extend the pact, which had lapsed in February. The agreement was first signed on 22nd August, 2008 by the Centre, the Manipur government, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF), which together represented 25 insurgent groups comprising Kuki-Zo, to initiate political dialogue with the armed groups operating in the state to end hostilities and settle their demands for a separate homeland. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 3 months into President's Rule, Governor's airlift to Raj Bhavan shows Manipur is still volatile
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Ethnic Conflict Leaves Manipur's Thriving Agricultural Lands Abandoned
Churachandpur: Manipur's previously thriving agricultural lands are now hauntingly quiet, reflecting the anxieties and doubts that have engulfed its farming communities since ethnic strife began in May 2023. Once vital to the state's economy and the source of income for over 60% of its residents, agriculture in Manipur is currently suffering from the effects of ongoing conflict between the Meitei and Kuki groups. Lush farmlands have transformed into no-man's-lands characterised not by farming equipment and crops, but by barricades and trepidation. In the village of Ujungmakhong in Churachandpur district, the harshness of this predicament is evident. Farmers like Kaiminlien have been unable to access their fields for almost two years. "Today, I am planning to inspect my farmland. Since it's located in the buffer zone, I've been unable to cultivate it," he shares. "A lot of grass has taken over. The smaller weeds can be removed with herbicide. Up until now, we haven't received any assistance, which frustrates me greatly." The village, which hosts around 30 families, collectively possesses about 15 hectares of land. Currently, all of it remains uncultivated, a casualty of the violence that has jeopardised both livelihoods and food production. The wider ramifications of this neglect are profound. Agriculture makes up nearly 22% of Manipur's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), and with farming activities halted, the economic structure of the state is deteriorating. Dr Thiyam Bharat Singh, an Associate Professor at the Centre for Study of Social Inclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSI) at Manipur University, reports that more than 5,127 hectares of farmland have stayed fallow for two years. "This has led to a loss of over 15,000 metric tonnes of rice," he states. "Such a drastic decrease in food production drastically impacts the GSDP. The ethnic conflict has undermined agriculture in Manipur, leading to a significant food shortage." The situation has rendered farmers on both sides of the buffer zone impotent. Once hopeful fields have turned into areas of conflict, where farming is hindered not by natural disasters, but by persistent security risks. With agriculture sidelined by political unrest and fear, and uncertainty leaving seeds unsown, Manipur's agricultural heritage faces a significant threat. Unless peace is achieved and tangible support is extended, thousands of farmers might remain in this precarious situation, jeopardising not only food security but also the long-term social and economic stability of the region.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
A court order leaves India's Cuba envoy with two wives, Supreme Court hears case
In 2022, the Gauhati High Court ruled that a marriage under the Christian Marriage Act can't be dissolved by customary practices of the Kuki tribe. This decision created a complex matrimonial situation for Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, India's ambassador to Cuba read more A view of Supreme Court of India building in New Delhi. PTI The Gauhati High Court in 2022 had ruled that a marriage conducted in a church under the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, between a man and a woman from the Kuki tribe cannot be dissolved by customary practices involving the Songpijan village committee or 'gaonburas (village elders)' in Assam's Dima Hasao district. The court stated that such a marriage can only be annulled through legal proceedings before the High Court or a district judge, as outlined in section 10 of the Divorce Act, 1869. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This decision created a complex matrimonial situation for Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, India's ambassador to Cuba, who found himself with two wives. Before the 2022 High Court ruling affirming his 1994 church marriage to Neikhol Changsan, he had remarried another woman after a customary divorce, and he has a daughter from each marriage. Supreme Court's observation The Supreme Court, addressing Changsan's appeal, expressed no sympathy for him. After mediation attempts failed, a bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi noted on Friday (July 25) that the Gauhati High Court's judgment was legally robust. Recognising that the Indian Foreign Service officer has been married to his second wife for nearly 15 years, the court sought a resolution to this legal and matrimonial dilemma, aiming to help Neikhol rebuild her life. Arguments by first wife, IFS officer Neikhol, representing herself in court, claimed she single-handedly raised her 29-year-old daughter without her husband's involvement and accused Changsan of manipulatively estranging their daughter from her. She urged the Supreme Court to 'protect her honour and dignity,' describing how Changsan secretly dissolved their marriage through tribal elders before remarrying. In response, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing the ambassador, stated that he has been covering their daughter's expenses, who is now pursuing a career in Bengaluru. Changsan also noted he has provided Neikhol with a house in Delhi and pays her Rs 20,000 monthly maintenance. The Supreme Court bench remarked, 'We have absolutely no sympathy for the man. The HC judgment is in your favour, and you have suffered socially and mentally. But can you think of a way to start life afresh?' To facilitate a potential resolution, the court suggested Neikhol meet her daughter in Bengaluru to discuss future steps. It directed Changsan to arrange her flight tickets, provide accommodation near her daughter's residence, and pay an ad hoc sum of Rs 3 lakh to support the visit. Justice Kant emphasised, 'If at all there is a possibility of settlement, the daughter could have a significant role to play,' urging the ambassador to encourage his daughter to reconnect with her mother. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Kuki Inpi, the highest governing body of the Kuki tribe in Assam, clarified that Kuki customary law cannot dissolve a church-conducted Christian marriage or force a couple to reunite against their wishes, aligning with the High Court's stance.
