Latest news with #Kuki-Zomi-Hmar
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28-05-2025
- Politics
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Manipur: 10 NDA MLAs meet governor, seek ‘popular government' in state
A delegation of 10 Manipur MLAs , including seven from the Bharatiya Janata Party, met Governor Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday, to urge the formation of a 'popular government' in the state, The Indian Express reported. The 10 MLAs are the BJP's Yumnam Radheshyam Singh, Thockchom Radheshyam Singh, Lourembam Rameshwar Meitei, Thangjam Arunkumar, Kh Raghumani Singh, Kongkham Robindro Singh and Paonam Brojen Singh, the National People's Party's Sheikh Noorul Hassan and Janghemliung Panmei and Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta. Thockchom Radheshyam Singh has claimed that 44 MLAs support the formation of the government, The Indian Express reported. 'Given the way things have gone and the pressure from the public, we expressed to the governor that it's the right time to install a popular government,' he told the newspaper. Manipur has been mired in ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities that broke out in May 2023. The violence has since left at least 260 dead and displaced more than 59,000. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024. President's Rule was imposed on February 13 after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned earlier that day. Bhalla has been administering Manipur since then. After meeting with the governor on Wednesday, Thockchom Radheshyam Singh said that the President's Rule was an emergency move and should be the last option. 'If the new popular government fails, you can reimpose President's Rule again in full throttle,' he said, according to The Indian Express . The BJP MLA claimed that the group has the support of all the legislators in the Assembly except for the 10 from the Kuki-Zo community and five from the Congress. Seven out of the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs won their Assembly seats on BJP tickets. Two belong to the Kuki Peoples' Alliance and one is an Independent. The Manipur Assembly has 60 seats, of which one fell vacant after the death of an MLA. Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta Singh said that the delegation submitted a signed document to Bhalla affirming their support for a 'popular government', India Today NE reported. He said that the document had the signatures of 22 MLAs from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. 'We expect the formation of the popular government to happen soon,' the Independent MLA said. 'We are appealing to the Governor that we want a popular government. All NDA MLAs in Manipur are very keen to have a popular government installed. We also want the support of the public.' On April 29, a group of 21 NDA MLAs had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to restore a 'popular government' in the state. They had contended that this was the only way to bring back peace and normalcy in Manipur.
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04-05-2025
- Politics
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Manipur Police file FIR after gun salute conducted in Kangpokpi district
The Manipur Police on Saturday filed a case against unidentified persons after a gun salute was organised in Kangpokpi district's Saikul. The event was held to remember the victims of the ethnic conflict that began exactly two years ago between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities, NDTV reported. The ethnic conflict has since left at least 260 dead and displaced more than 59,000. 'Local leaders and elders were summoned to police station,' the police said in a statement on X about the event on Saturday. 'Raids have been conducted at different areas to arrest the miscreants.' The police said that five single-barrel guns and camouflage uniforms were seized from the area. 'Raids will continue to arrest the miscreants and seize the other guns,' the statement said, adding that organisers of the event would be 'dealt as per law'. An unidentified police officer told NDTV that the carrying of firearms and the gun salute violated the permission granted by authorities to hold the event. The officer added that no violation of the law or show of firearms would be tolerated in view of the imposition of the President's Rule in the state.
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30-04-2025
- Politics
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Manipur: 21 NDA MLAs urge Amit Shah to restore ‘popular government'
Twenty-one MLAs from Manipur – all members of National Democratic Alliance parties – on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to restore a 'popular government' in the state. This is the 'only means to bring peace and normalcy' to the state, they wrote. The letter came more than two months after President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 after the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Manipur has been mired in ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities that broke out in May 2023. The violence has since left at least 258 dead and displaced more than 59,000. 'The people of Manipur welcomed the President's lots of hope and expectation,' the MLAs wrote to Shah. 'However, it's going to be three months, but no visible actions to bring peace and normalcy have been seen so far.' The MLAs said they were being blamed by civil society organisations 'for not staking claim to form a popular government and fixing responsibility for the imposition of PR (President's Rule) in the state'. 'We, therefore request you to kindly take necessary steps to install a popular government in Manipur at the earliest,' said the MLAs. 'We assure you we will work with full dedication and devotion to bring peace and normalcy after the installation of a popular government.' The last time President's Rule was imposed in Manipur was between June 2, 2001, and March 5, 2002, for 276 days due to political instability. President's Rule under Article 356 transfers the powers and responsibilities of the state government to the Union government and the functions of the state legislature to Parliament for the duration of its enforcement. The only exception is the operation of High Courts, which are unaffected.
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25-04-2025
- Politics
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Manipur: Activists call for shutdown on Friday to protest alleged custodial death
A group of activists in Manipur has called for a statewide shutdown on Friday to protest the alleged custodial death of a 27-year-old man earlier this month, PTI reported. The man, Khoisnam Sanajaoba, was arrested in Imphal East district on March 31 on allegations of being associated with banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (Nongdrenkhomba). He died on April 13, reportedly while in judicial custody, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, India Today NE reported. Sanajaoba had been admitted to the medical institute earlier on the same day. He had been remanded to the Manipur Central Jail in Sajiwa on April 10. A joint action committee formed to seek justice for Sanajaoba claimed that he was in fact a 'village volunteer', and sought an impartial investigation into his death. The members of the committee hail from the same area as him – Khurai Ningthoubung Leikai in Imphal. The term 'village volunteers' has been used for armed civilians guarding villages since an ethnic conflict broke out between the state's Kuki and Meitei communities in May 2023. The joint action committee has also demanded that Sanajaoba's family be given adequate compensation, his next of kin be given a government job, and the post-mortem report and the raw video footage of the examination be made public. Manipur has been mired in ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities that broke out in May 2023 and has since left at least 258 dead and displaced more than 59,000. President's Rule was imposed in February this year after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. Between April 19 and April 21, the Manipur Police arrested at least 18 alleged members of several banned outfits, including the Kangleipak Communist Party (Nongdrenkhomba), in the state.
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24-04-2025
- Politics
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Manipur: Kuki homes set ablaze in Kamjong, public gatherings banned in two villages
Several homes were burned down in two Kuki villages in the Naga-dominated Kamjong district of Manipur on Wednesday, after which the authorities issued orders prohibiting public gatherings, The Hindu reported. The homes were burned down in the Gampal and Haiyang villages while most residents were working on their fields. The villages are near the Myanmar border. In an order issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, District Magistrate Rangnamei Rang Peter said that the restrictions were necessary because of potential threats to peace and public safety. The authorities have directed people not to leave their homes, and have prohibited any actions that could disrupt law and order in the area, The New Indian Express reported. Manipur has been mired in ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities that broke out in May 2023 and has since left at least 258 dead and displaced more than 59,000. President's Rule was imposed in February this year after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. Several Kuki-Zo groups, including the Kuki Inpi Manipur and the Kuki Students' Organisation, condemned the incident and called for the reconstruction of the homes that were burned down. They also demanded fair compensation and proper rehabilitation for all displaced residents. They further urged the deployment of sufficient personnel from 'neutral security forces' in the area to prevent any potential escalation of violence, The Hindu reported.
