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Deccan Herald
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Handling the Arambai Tenggol tangle in Manipur
Emboldened by the imposition of President's rule in February this year, the Manipur Police, which had hitherto been cautious about taking any legal action against members of the radical outfit - the Arambai Tenggol (AT) - has now adopted a more assertive approach, actively rounding up those who took law in their own July 8, six AT members were arrested from two districts for assaulting Manipur police officials in Bishnupur on June 9. The Meiteis have been astir, demanding the release of the AT leader, Asem Kanan Singh, and even calling for a bandh on June Singh had been arrested by the CBI at Imphal airport over 'his involvement in various criminal activities related to Manipur violence in 2023'. Twelve others who had been detained for questioning have been released. Kanan Singh was a head constable with the Manipur police, but was sacked for his alleged involvement in smuggling of group's radical outfit, AT, raised in 2020 by Leishemba Sanajaoba, the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Manipur and presently a Rajya Sabha member, has been calling the shots in the state. One of the outfit's main objectives is for Meiteis to revert to the native religion of Sanamahism - nature worship - which had been slowly replaced by Vaishnavism that rooted itself in Manipur in the later half of 18th century. .An AT spokesman, announcing the withdrawal of the 10-day bandh call on June 10, said that the 'group was formed as an unarmed socio-cultural organisation to preserve and promote the culture and traditions of Manipur. Circumstances forced us to take up arms'. .But during the mayhem that gripped the state from May 3, 2023, the AT, in collusion with other miscreants, looted weapons and ammunition from the armouries of police training schools, India Reserve Battalions, and police stations. Of the 5,600 arms and over 6.5 lakh rounds of ammunition looted, only 1,500 weapons and 20,000 rounds had been recovered by the police as of October on Arambai Tenggol intensifies in the imposition of President's rule, members of AT and other radical outfits surrendered hundreds of weapons. Simultaneous joint operations, carried out by the Central Armed Police Forces, Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police, in mid-June yielded 328 weapons, including SLRs, LMGs and carbines. On July 15, 86 more weapons, including AK Rifles, carbines and pistols, were recovered along with 974 live rounds. Still a large haul of arms and ammunition continue to be in the wrong around 60,000 men on their rolls, armed cadres of the Arambai Tenggol, meaning 'dart-wielding cavalry', move around the valley sporting black T-shirts with AT insignia, threatening locals. The extent to which the AT has spread terror in the state can be gauged from the fact that on a call given by the outfit to all legislators, 37 MLAs and two MPs attended a rally in January last year in Kangla fort, in the heart of MLAs were directed to submit their six demands to the Centre, which included expediting the NRC with 1951 as the cut-off date, abrogation of Suspension of Operations, better known as SoO, with the Kuki-Zo, withdrawal of Assam Rifles as they felt the para military forces was biased, removal of names of illegal migrants from the Schedule Tribe list, complete fencing of Indo-Myanmar border and shifting of Myanmar refugees to neighbouring these, the Centre has accepted the demand for fencing of the Manipur-Myanmar border, work for which has already begun. But there has been stiff opposition to the fencing by both Nagaland and Mizoram governments as they aver that the kin of people residing close to the border are related to those residing across the border, so much so that children from across the border attend schools in their part of the country and return home after school is, therefore, no surprise that a large number of refugees from Myanmar have sought shelter in Mizoram due to the conflict raging between the ethnic groups and Myanmar's Junta government. The Myanmar Air Force has even resorted to strafing hostile villages. These internecine clashes have, therefore, led to mass influx of Myanmarese to neighbouring the SoO tripartite agreement among the Centre, the Manipur government and the Kuki National Organisation, a conglomerate of 17 Kuki outfits, and the United People's Front with eight other Kuki outfits under its umbrella, signed in 2008, has been periodically extended. .The SoO agreement with the Centre and the State which was being extended till 2023 is in a state of limbo since the Manipur government wanted the agreement to be terminated as there were allegations of their active participation in the ethnic conflict during the last two years, though the Kuki-Zo representatives assert that the former militants were all confined to their talks between the Centre and the representatives of Kuki-Zo tribals that took place in New Delhi on June 9 and 16, has also hit a dead end. The Kuki-Zo representatives have been demanding Union Territory status with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo dominated districts. This is, however, being vehemently opposed by the Meiteis, who are resisting any bifurcation of the is time the concerned parties negotiate for peace in the north eastern state that has been periodically rocked by conflicts, impacting its development..(The writer is a retired Inspector General of Police, CRPF)
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Meat sale banned along Nuh yatra route; internet to be suspended
The Nuh district administration has imposed a complete ban on the sale and public handling of meat and non-vegetarian food items along the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra route and around key temples on Monday for 18 hours (6am to 12am), in a bid to maintain peace and public order during the procession, officials said. Police in Raipur during a previous Brij Mandal Yatra by Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Gurugram. (HT Archive) 'The ban will be effective from 6am to midnight, covering the route from Nalhad Mahadev Temple to Zhirkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Ferozepur Jhirka and the Singar Temple in Singar village,' said Nuh deputy commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena. 'All vendors and food establishments have been strictly instructed to comply. Legal action will be taken against violators,' he added. As part of broader security and administrative preparations, internet services in the district will be suspended from 9pm on Sunday, Meena said. Additionally, the permission request for the yatra by self-styled cow vigilante and Goraksha Bajrang Force chief Raj Kumar, alias Bittu Bajrangi has been rejected, and his social media account has been suspended to prevent the circulation of fake or inflammatory content. Bajrangi had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking permission to participate in the Jalabhishek Yatra. The order is part of a wide-ranging effort to respect religious sentiments while ensuring the yatra concludes peacefully, officials said. Due to anticipated traffic diversions, all government and private schools in Nuh district will remain closed on July 14 to ensure the safety of students, officials added. Extensive security arrangements Security arrangements for the yatra are extensive, with 2,500 police personnel deployed across the district. This includes 14 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) supervising 28 checkpoints, where videography and thorough security checks will be conducted. Additionally, mounted police, sniffer dogs, bomb squads, four drones, 21 video cameras, and commando units will be stationed at strategic locations. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel equipped with light machine guns (LMGs) and tear gas will also be deployed. Officials said special vigilance will be maintained at Tiranga Park, Badkali Chowk, and the KMP Rewasan Bridge. To further tighten safety protocols, the administration banned the open sale of petrol and diesel in containers across the district on July 14. Ban on aerial objects, control room activated A blanket ban on aerial objects, including drones, gliders, microlights, kites, and firecrackers, is in effect for July 13 and 14 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, officials said. A control room has been set up on the second floor of the Mini Secretariat and will remain operational until 9pm on Monday, with helplines available at 01267-299625 and WhatsApp +91 90503 17480. The administrative and security framework is intended to prevent a recurrence of the July 31, 2023 clashes, when violence broke out during the yatra, resulting in stone-pelting and vehicle arson, officials said, requesting anonymity. Additional director general of police Sanjay Kumar has reviewed preparations on the ground, emphasising inter-departmental coordination and continuous patrolling, especially in hilly and sensitive areas, officials said.
The South African
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Ban the bomb: No nukes is GOOD nukes for the world
Well, that was a 'close one'…huh? Over the past two weeks, the world held its breath as we witnessed what could ostensibly be compared to a modern-day Cuban Missile Crisis. In case you were wondering, as many military and political analysts are telling us, this provocation by Israel and the US is not about Iran's non-existent nuclear weapons programme. It's about the R-word: regime change. Again. However, some of those same analysts have dismissed the recent strikes by the US on Iran's (empty and evacuated) 'nuclear facilities' as largely ceremonial 'war theatre'. Others are saying this was just a way for Trump to get Bedlam Bibi and AIPAC off his back – at least for a while. In response to the US/Israel strikes, Iran reciprocated with drones and hypersonic missiles that turned parts of Tel Aviv into Gaza. (How about that for a big fat dose of righteous karmic retribution?) If Iran were not planning to build a nuke before (and according to multiple credible sources they weren't), but are considering it now…can you blame them? After the antagonism and attacks Iran has faced from Israel in the past few weeks alone, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear Iran is now putting their nuclear armament programme into maximum overdrive. Besides…have you seen what happens to countries that capitulate to US/Israel pressure and abandon their nukes and other WMDs? After Gulf War 1 in 1991, Iraq destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile and halted its biological and nuclear weapon programs. Look what happened to them – and Saddam Hussein. Libya's Gaddafi gave up his nukes…look how that worked out for him, and Libya. Syria also ended their chemical weapons stockpile and nuclear ambitions, guess what became of Assad? North Korea, however, refused to give up their nukes, and…guess what? No one f**ks with North Korea. What's the moral of the story? Well, with genocidal, terrorist, rogue states – like Israel and the US – in the world, DO NOT give up your nukes or WMDs. Oh, you know who else gave up their nukes? Us. S'Africa. (Watch this space..?) Look, don't get me wrong. If it were up to me, in my perfect world, there'd be NO fkn nukes on this planet. No nukes, WMDs, MOABs, RPGs, LMGs, Daisy BBs, or any weapons of any kind. Not even hunting rifles or pistols. Not even a pellet gun. (You can have paintball guns, that's it.) But I'm not in charge. They are. And it's not a perfect, peaceful world. And since just about EVERYONE else on the planetary playground gets to have nukes…why not Iran? Isn't that a bit like a high school where every white kid in the class gets to carry tasers, switchblades and catapults…but the sole, lonesome, Arab kid sitting in the corner at the back of the class is not allowed to possess so much as a pea shooter? (Btw, why do we keep calling them WMDs – Weapons of Mass Destruction? To gloss it over? To tone it down? Let's just call them what they are – WMMs: Weapons of Mass Murder. And I say f***ing ban them all.) Did you know…there are currently more than 12 000 nuclear warheads on this planet? And, did you know it only takes less than 100 to destroy the whole world? Back in late 2018, in an interview with RT's Crosstalk , nuclear analyst, Ted Seay, senior policy consultant from BASIC (British American Security Information Council) said, 'We're looking at a world where arms control may not be enough. We're looking at a need for declaring, first, that nuclear weapons are unlawful – and having all of the powers sign on to that. And then…do something about reducing the thousands of active nuclear weapons that are still out there.' 'We're down to under 20 000 now,' he said. 'That's not good enough. We have to bring it down to the low hundreds, and then we have to get rid of them entirely. And that's not going to be an easy process and it's not going to be a quick one.' He added, 'We know it only takes about 100 Hiroshima-sized weapons – and that's nothing (compared to today's nukes). If we pop that off…we end civilisation as we know it.' Do you remember when, back in July 2018 during Donald Trump's first term, there was a concerted effort by Trump and Putin to reduce the nukes? It was at a meeting called…the Helsinki summit. Two months earlier, on 8 May, Trump had torn up the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear deal with Iran. Top of the Helsinki agenda for Trump and Putin was the subject of reducing the nukes around the planet from 14 000 warheads to around 1500. Did you know that? Most of the world's population probably does NOT know that. Do you know why they don't know that? Because the corporate-owned, government-controlled stenographers known as the Western mainstream media didn't really cover it. No, they were too busy screaming themselves hoarse and purple at the unbearable thought of Trump making peace with Putin. So, you'd think, scaling back on those numbers of nukes would be a GOOD thing. Right? But it never happened. Can you guess why..? Because the usual hawkish, neocon, psychopathic, mass-murdering war pigs in the US, Israel and Western political establishment fought very hard against it – and won. Maybe that's why Trump wanted to meet Putin alone in Helsinki, without his deep state handlers in the room because they would only torpedo any chance of detente between the leaders. Which they did. Turns out, the deep-state handlers got their way. A few months after the Helsinki Summit, Trump announced that instead of scaling back the nukes – as he and Putin intended – the US would instead be spending more than a trillion on upgrading the country's nuclear arsenal. Then, on 2 August 2019, Trump pulled the US out of the 1987 INF nuclear treaty…with Russia. (I wonder who got to him…and how?) By pulling out of the INF treaty, Trump basically triggered a whole new arms race and cold war. In early February this year, Trump made another half-hearted, half-assed 'proposal' to Putin and Jinping to slash the military budgets of their three countries in half and revive nuclear arms control. By late February Trump had walked all that back, and by May approved a massive record military budget – which includes an upgrade to the US nuke arsenal. Are we learning yet..? Have you ever asked yourself…who actually benefits from stuffing the world full of planet-killing nuclear weapons? Well, there's a very telling and revealing scene in the movie, Hail Caesar! , by those cinematic genius siblings, the Coen brothers. And the scene goes something like this… Hollywood studio executive Eddie Mannix (James Brolin) is lunching in a Chinese restaurant with a fat-cat corporate executive, Cuddahy (Ian Blackman). Cuddahy is trying to seduce and head-hunt Eddie away from the studio, and bring him into 'the company'. During their conversation, Cuddahy reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a photo. CUDDAHY: 'Ever heard of the Bikini Atoll?' EDDIE: 'What?' CUDDAHY: 'A test site, couple of rocks in the South Pacific – till a few weeks ago. Then we blew the Aitcherino . Not supposed to be telling you this.' He hands Eddie the photo, of a mushroom cloud. CUDDAHY: 'The real world. Hydrogen bomb. Fusion device. ' EDDIE: (mumbles) 'Armageddon'. CUDDAHY: (leaning in) 'And Lockheed was there'. Did you catch that last part? 'Lockheed was there.' That's right. The guy works for Lockheed Martin …one of the world's major arms dealers. And decades later, they're still going strong. So, that's who's been getting obscenely wealthy manufacturing these weapons of mass and planetary destruction, for decades. And Lockheed …are not the only ones. Of course, as usual, their stock value has just surged during this latest Israel-Iran crisis. Maybe we, the people, could pick up from where Trump (and Putin) left off? Back in 2016, Noam Chomsky warned us: 'The two greatest existential threats facing humanity today are global warming…and nuclear war.' While the jury's still out on whether Daisy the cow's flatulence is to blame for the former, there's no denying the imminent threat of the latter. Here's a good, sane, rational idea… Instead of the US, Israel and the rest of their Western NATO lapdogs pressuring Iran to abandon any aspiration of acquiring ONE nuclear weapon? How about we, the people of the planet, rise up – again – and put massive pressure on our 'leaders' and governments to roll back the nukes…until there's not a single warhead left? Sound good? No..? (If your answer to that is genuinely 'no' then you're either a psychopath, retarded, evil…or all of the above.) Isn't it about time we revived that anti-war cry that we haven't heard in decades which practically defined the sixties? And that anti-war cry is… Back in the mid-50s to 60s, when the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) movement was rocking, the anti-war cry, Ban the Bomb was everywhere. Protests. Flags. T-shirts. Graffiti. Everywhere. Don't you think it's long overdue time for the global public to start chanting that anti-war cry again? What can you do…to help abolish nuclear weapons? Well, for starters… Check out the artwork in this article's header. It's by a veteran, renowned, anti (nuclear) war artist named Peter Kennard. If you want to contribute to the new anti-nuke movement we're about to kick off, go to Kennard's website and browse the montage or poster pages. Pick an image, or two, or several, whack 'em on your social media…and then share far and wide. (According to the British Journal of Photography, all of Kennard's anti-war artworks are free for non-commercial use by NGOs, charities and demonstrations). Add a caption or comment to your image calling on governments and public to push for global multilateral nuclear disarmament. You can also join organisations like ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons). And you can write, email, campaign, protest and generally just badger and harass your public reps and politicians into doing their jobs – for once – on this one, crucial, critical, existential issue: An outright, universal, multilateral, worldwide ban on nuclear weapons. And let's get this new, global, nuclear disarmament party started. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Time of India
Over 300 arms & huge cache of ammo seized in Manipur
1 2 Imphal: Manipur Police and security forces recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from five valley districts during a series of coordinated search operations launched late Friday night. The operation led to the recovery of a substantial number of firearms, totalling 328, including SLRs, INSAS rifles, carbines, MP5 guns, LMGs, AK-series rifles, Amogh rifles and pistols, among others. These intelligence-based operations mark a significant achievement for Manipur Police and the security forces in their continued efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their properties. According to the police, joint teams comprising Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and personnel from the Indian Army and Assam Rifles conducted simultaneous raids across multiple locations on the outskirts of five valley districts, acting on specific intelligence inputs. Briefing mediapersons, ADGP of Manipur Police said the search operations were launched on Friday night in the outskirts of five valley districts by joint teams of Manipur Police, CAPF, Army and Assam Rifles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100 Empieza a invertir Inscríbete ahora Undo Explosives, 151 SLR rifles, 65 Insar rifles, 73 rifles of other kinds, 5 carbine guns, 2 MP-5 guns and other warlike stores were recovered by the teams. A mortar, flare guns and an AR-15 were also seized. Along with the firearms, security forces also recovered a large quantity of assorted magazines and live ammunition of various calibres, including SLR, INSAS, AK, and .303 rounds. Explosives, including grenades, detonators and lathodes, were also part of the seizure. This operation marks one of the largest recoveries in recent times and provide a boost to the state's ongoing efforts to restore peace and normalcy amid persistent unrest. Senior police officials confirmed that the operations were conducted in a highly coordinated manner, with all security stakeholders working in close synergy. Manipur Police, while reiterating their commitment to maintaining public order and ensuring the safety of all citizens, urged the public to remain vigilant and to cooperate by reporting any suspicious activities or information related to illegal arms to the nearest police station or the Central Control Room. Officials said such intelligence-based actions will continue in a focused and sustained manner until peace is fully restored in the state. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
NDTV
14-06-2025
- NDTV
328 Arms, 9,300 Rounds Of Ammunition Recovered In Manipur By Joint Forces
Imphal: In a major development, the security forces in joint operations, have recovered 328 arms and around 9,300 different types of ammunition in restive Manipur, officials said here on Saturday. A senior police official said that in the early hours of Saturday, on the basis of specific Intelligence reports regarding the presence of a large cache of arms and ammunition stashed in different areas of five Imphal valley districts, simultaneous search operations were launched at different locations. He said that joint teams of Manipur Police, Army, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) recovered the significant number of arms and a huge cache of ammunition and war-like stores from the outskirts of five valley districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching. Of the 328 arms recovered, 151 are Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), followed by 73 rifles, 65 INSAS rifles, 12 Light Machine Guns (LMGs), six AK series rifles, five carbines, six pistols and many other different types of arms. The joint forces also recovered around 9,300 various types of ammunition in the most successful operations, the official said. A Manipur Police statement said that these Intelligence-based operations mark a major achievement for the Manipur Police, the security forces, in their continued efforts to restore normalcy, maintain public order, and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their property. The Manipur Police reiterates its commitment to a peaceful and secure Manipur, the statement said. It said that the public is urged to cooperate with the police and security forces and report any suspicious activities or information related to illegal weapons to the nearest police station or Central Control Room. "Senior police officials are in close coordination with all security stakeholders to ensure that such operations continue in a sustained and focussed manner to restore normalcy, maintain public order, and ensure the safety and security of citizens and their properties," the statement said. The recovery of 328 arms and 9,300 various types of ammunition is the first major success of the security forces in Manipur after the ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, 2023. Various official reports, political parties claimed that during the ethnic riots more than 6,020 varied types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of different types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers and militants. Till March 6, around 1,000 looted and illegally-held weapons, including many sophisticated arms, and a huge cache of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces since Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla made the appeal for the first time on February 20.
