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NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Row Over No Mention Of Kuki Militants In Answer Choices On Manipur Crisis, Assam Panel Points At Question Setters
Guwahati: The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has on its part denied any mala fide intent in including a controversial question on the Manipur violence in a paper for selecting agricultural development officer, and identified the Principal Controller of Examination as the right official who should look into allegations of "one-sided portrayal" by a top Meitei civil society organisation. "We don't set the question papers. They are given to different setters. Then they are sent to moderators. Question setters and moderators are not our people, but all from different universities and reputed colleges," APSC Chairman Debaraj Upadhaya told news agency PTI on Monday. "We cannot see the questions as these are locked by the moderators," he said, adding the APSC is a neutral body. "There is no politics involved in it." The APSC chairman's clarification has now shifted the focus to those in some colleges and universities who set the question papers and who are not part of the APSC. A meeting is likely to be held in the APSC to discuss the matter on Tuesday, sources in Guwahati told NDTV on Monday. The APSC is also expected to inform the question setters about the huge controversy, the sources said. One of the questions in the paper "selectively maligns the Meitei community by portraying Meitei groups as perpetrators of rights abuses, while ignoring the grave atrocities, killings, and displacements suffered by Meiteis at the hands of Chin-Kuki militants and their CSOs [civil society organisations]," the Meitei Heritage Society said in a letter to the APSC chairman. "Why were these militant groups and CSOs not listed as options in the question, despite being named by the country's top investigative agencies?" the Meitei Heritage Society said, and enclosed a list of cases handled by the country's top anti-terror body National Investigation Agency (NIA). Several Chin-Kuki militants have been arrested for heinous crimes, and kidnapping and killing of Meitei civilians including women and children; some arrests were made by the Assam Police, and trials are ongoing in Assam, the Meitei Heritage Society said in the letter to the APSC chairman. It said the reality - as documented in multiple public records - is that the violence in Manipur has tragically claimed lives across both Meitei and Chin-Kuki communities, displacing over 60,000 individuals. "To single out Meitei groups in an examination question - while ignoring documented atrocities committed by armed Chin-Kuki militants - reflects bias and creates a misleading narrative for aspirants preparing for public service," the Meitei Heritage Society said. It asked the APSC to issue a clarification on the matter and to declare the question "null and void, ensuring it is not used for evaluation purposes." The APSC has no grounds to clarify as it did not set the questions; however, since the paper for all practical purposes was for an APSC examination, it is expected to get in touch with the question setters and moderators in colleges and universities, sources said. Mr Upadhaya, the APSC Chairman, said it is a neutral body and has no view on any community. "We do not have any mala fide intention, everything is bona fide. We don't have any view on any community because we are a neutral body. There is no politics involved in it. I cannot comment on the particular question as I have not seen it. The principal controller of examination will be able to talk about it," he said. Ethnic clashes began in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kukis including Any Kuki Tribes (AKT), who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 260 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Death of cabin crew members blurs Kuki-Meitei divide
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: In the heart of Manipur, profound sorrow has woven its way through the fabric of a community long divided by conflict. The tragic loss of the two cabin crew members — a Kuki and a Meitei — in Thursday's Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has momentarily eclipsed the strife between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, uniting them in shared grief. Ever since the news of the crash broke on Thursday afternoon, family members began prayers for Lamnunthiem Singson, a Kuki Zo and Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailakpam, a Meitei girl, both part of the 10-member cabin crew on board the ill-fated Air India flight. A day later, civil society organisations and individuals have come forward, offering their support, while social media has become a canvas for heartfelt condolences and prayers for the young souls lost too soon. "People of Manipur are collectively heartbroken, leaving aside the narrow community lines. Our state has been divided for over two years on ethnic lines. Tragically, in their death, the angels of the sky brought together the two communities and left a grim reminder of how precious human lives are and the need for peaceful coexistence, as we have done for centuries," a spokesperson for the Delhi-based Meitei Heritage Society said. Nganthoi's relatives rushed to Ahmedabad on Friday for a DNA test after authorities asked her cousin N Khenjita to fly down. Family members of Kuki cabin crew Lamnunthiem Singson are also in Ahmedabad for similar tests. "In their passing, they have become angels of the sky, reminding us of the preciousness of human life and the urgent need for peace," he added. In a gesture of remembrance, the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) in Delhi announced a candlelight march to honour all victims of the crash. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the grieving families, particularly noting the plight of Singson, who was the sole breadwinner for her family displaced by ethnic violence. Her family, now residing in a rented house in Kangpokpi, faces an uncertain future without her. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. From politicians to everyday citizens, both within Manipur and beyond, expressions of disbelief and sorrow have flooded in. One 'X' user said, "In life, they came from communities divided by conflict, and in death, they remind us that, in the end, we all share the same fate." Manipur Congress leader Lamtinthang Haokip took to social media to honour the young women, offering his deepest condolences to their families. "May their souls rest in peace," he wrote, echoing the sentiments of a community united in mourning by the shared loss of two bright stars extinguished too soon. Former chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted late on Thursday, saying how two young girls from Manipur, a Kuki-Zo and Meitei had possibly lost their lives in the Ahmedabad air crash. "It is heartbreaking to share that two young cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among those who lost their lives in today's Air India crash in Ahmedabad," he wrote on 'X'. "Both were full of life, serving with dedication and pride. Their sudden passing is a huge loss for their families, friends, and for all of us back home," he wrote, adding: "May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain. " 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 .
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘Gun salute' in memory of victims in Manipur prompts probe, FIR lodged
GUWAHATI: The Manipur Police has registered an FIR in connection with an alleged 'gun salute' incident in Saikul area of Kangpokpi district. The gun salute was allegedly given by a group of people in memory of those killed during the ethnic violence. Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals observed the second anniversary of the conflict on Saturday by organising various programmes. The police in a statement said local leaders and elders were summoned to a police station in connection with the gun salute incident while raids had been conducted at different areas to arrest the miscreants. Stating that five single barrel guns and camouflage uniforms have been seized, the police said the raids would continue to arrest the accused and seize other weapons. 'The organisers of the programme will be dealt with as per law,' the police statement stated. Meanwhile, five organisations representing Meitei and Thadou communities collectively raised pitch for implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state. The groups – Meitei Heritage Society, Delhi Manipuri Society, and Ningol United Progressive Initiative (representing Meiteis) and Thadou Inpi Manipur and Thadou Students' Association – met recently and resolved to call upon the Centre to expedite the implementation of NRC in Manipur.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Meitei, Thadou groups back MHA efforts for free movement across Manipur
Guwahati: Five organisations of Manipur's Meitei and Thadou tribal communities have offered support for the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure free movement of all communities across Manipur. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad The five organisations, including Meitei Heritage Society and Thadou Inpi Manipur demanded firm action against any entities that block the free movement of all communities, as this is a constitutional right of all people and groups. The Manipur government recommenced had services on March 8 on four routes connecting five districts -- Imphal, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Bishnupur and Churachandpur. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo Though the buses were escorted by the CAPF, activists of the tribal organisations attacked the buses in different places, including in Kangpokpi district, leading to massive violence. On March 8, at least 43 people, including 27 security personnel, were injured, and a protester identified as Lalgouthang Singsit was killed during the clashes in Kangpokpi and a few other districts as the Kuki-Zo tribal organisations protested against the resumption of the bus services between Imphal and the hill districts to alleviate public inconvenience and as an initiative to bring back normalcy in the state. Live Events "We reaffirmed to safeguard the integrity, unity, and interests of Manipur as a multi-ethnic state. All parties also recognised the significant roles and contributions of the Thadou people for the protection of the collective interest of Manipur people and the state's integrity," the statement said. The statement said that all parties jointly resolved to appeal to the competent authorities for the deletion of the "unconstitutional and ambiguous category Any Kuki Tribes (AKT)" from the Scheduled Tribes' list of Manipur.
