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The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur Governor avoids protestors, travels 7 km in chopper
Protestors seeking an apology from Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla made him travel about 7 km in a chopper to reach the Raj Bhavan from Imphal's Tulihal Airport on Monday (May 26, 2025). Hundreds of protestors had formed a human chain from the airport's departure gate to the Keishampat Junction near the Raj Bhavan, holding placards displaying slogans such as 'Manipur's identity is non-negotiable'. Straight as an arrow, the airport road bends slightly off the main entrance to the Raj Bhavan opposite the historic Kangla Fort, the central part of Imphal. After landing at the airport during the day from New Delhi, where he attended the Rising Northeast Investors Summit, the Governor boarded an Army chopper to avoid the protestors. The chopper touched down at a helipad in the Kangla Fort complex. From the helipad, the Governor was driven about 300 metres to the Raj Bhavan amid heightened security. The Governor has been administering Manipur since the President's Rule was imposed on February 13, days after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister. Congress alluded to his short-distance chopper trip to underline the situation in the conflict-scarred State. 'President's Rule appears to have made no difference whatsoever in Manipur. Today, the Governor had to take a helicopter from the airport in Imphal to Kangla Fort in order to reach his residence,' senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. 'Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is busy giving filmi dialogues in different parts of the country and politicising Operation Sindoor while continuing to ignore Manipur. The Union Home Minister has failed most miserably and should resign for his total failure to bring a semblance of normalcy in Manipur, which he has been managing,' he added. On Sunday, the Meitei organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced mass protests, rallies, torch processions, and sit-ins against the bid to 'undermine the identity of Manipur, its name, pride, and respect'. This was in reference to security personnel allegedly making members of a media team and State officials mask 'Manipur State Transport' on a bus carrying them to the Naga-dominated Ukhrul to cover the Shirui Lily Festival on May 20. The government ordered an investigation into the incident, but the COCOMI was adamant about an apology from the Governor for the bus incident. The organisation also demanded the resignation of Chief Secretary P.K. Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh and Director-General of Police Rajiv Singh, holding them responsible for the incident which 'undermined the identity of Manipur, its name, pride and respect'. A COCOMI team is expected to attend a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs to find a way out of the crisis in Manipur.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Clash erupts after march to Manipur Raj Bhavan foiled
Even as the ethnic violence in Manipur continues after two years, Imphal – the capital of the State – saw clashes and chaos on Sunday (May 25, 2025) as people protesting the 'undermining' of the State's identity clashed with security personnel during a march to the Raj Bhavan. The clashes came after Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of Meitei organisations, gave the call for a civil disobedience campaign and boycott of Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Saturday (May 24, 2025). The Governor has been Manipur's administrator since the President's Rule was imposed on February 13 after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister. Five protesters were reportedly injured and hospitalised in the clashes. The COCOMI has been upset with Mr. Bhalla for not apologising for an incident at Gwaltabi, about 25 km from Imphal, where security personnel allegedly made a team of journalists and information officials mask 'Manipur State Transport' displayed on the bus they were in. The team was travelling on May 20 to cover the Shirui Lily Festival in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district. The incident was viewed as 'undermining the identity of Manipur, its name, pride and respect'. COCOMI demanded an apology from the Governor and the resignation of the State's Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh, Chief Secretary P.K. Singh, and Director-General of Police Rajiv Singh within 48 hours from Wednesday (May 21, 2025) midnight. The civil disobedience campaign was launched to protest against the 'failure' of the Governor to apologise and the government's 'reluctance' to remove the three top officials. Responding to COCOMI's call, many protesters marched towards the Raj Bhavan to stage a protest. They were stopped on the way by the security personnel, leading to the scuffle. 'The deployment of such aggressive crowd control measures against unarmed civilians, including women, is deeply concerning,' COCOMI said. They also said a seven-member delegation of its members will leave for New Delhi on Monday (May 26, 2025) to hold a meeting with the officials of the Union Home Ministry the following day. The Hindu's Editorials The Hindu's Daily Quiz India has adopted a reservation about the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice for the International Convention for ________, hinding potential dispute resolution efforts. Suppression of Terror Financing Suppression of Terrorist Bombings International Terrorism Suppression of Terrorism To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur marks two years of ethnic violence by remembering victims
Shutdowns marked the second anniversary of the ethnic conflict in Manipur as the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities remembered the victims of the violence in their respective areas of dominance on Saturday. Educational institutions and businesses in the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley shut down in response to a call by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomerate of social organisations, to attend a public convention at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal. People in the hills dominated by the Kuki-Zo group of tribes also observed a shutdown called by the Zomi Students Federation and the Kuki Students Organisation. At the COCOMI event, people offered floral tributes in memory of the victims. The speakers, including scholars, eminent personalities, and leaders of civil society organisations, called for peace, justice, resolution of the conflict, and the protection of Manipur's territorial integrity. The tenor of the Imphal convention contrasted with 'Separation Day', the theme of the anniversary event organised by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, which has been batting for the rights of the Kuki-Zo people. The highlight of the forum's programme was the convergence of hundreds of people at the 'Wall of Remembrance' in Churachandpur to pay their homage to the Kuki-Zo victims of the conflict. Editorial | Ending the tragedy: On the Manipur crisis, a solution The emphasis of the 'Separation Day' was on the Kuki-Zo demand for a separate administration that has been gaining momentum since the ethnic conflict broke out two years ago. Security was heightened in different parts of the State, specifically in the Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas. However, no untoward incident was reported. The ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, after tribals in the hill districts took out a solidarity rally to protest the State government's alleged move to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meiteis concentrated in the Imphal Valley, which along with the Jiribam area, comprise about 10% of Manipur's geographical area. The violence left more than 250 people dead and some 60,000 others displaced. Most of the displaced people continue to live in relief camps. Such has been the impact of the conflict that the Meiteis and Kuki-Zos are ethnically partitioned, unable to venture into each other's areas. The Centre tried to bridge the divide by opening up the highways — Manipur's lifelines connecting the Imphal Valley to the country beyond through the Kuki-Zo inhabited hills — on March 8. The attempt, a month after Nongthombam Biren Singh stepped down as Manipur's Chief Minister on February 9, backfired and claimed a life in the process. Manipur has been under President's Rule, imposed on February 13 after the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to reach a consensus on Mr. Singh's successor. A few days ago, 21 MLAs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the State wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding the immediate installation of a 'popular government' in the State. The Opposition Congress, meanwhile, demanded fresh elections as the 'double-engine government' and the President's Rule failed to bring back peace and normalcy in Manipur apart from ensuring free movement and the return of the displaced people to their homes.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur ethnic conflict: Security heightened ahead of second anniversary
Security in Manipur has been heightened amid calls for a shutdown to mark the second anniversary of the ethnic conflict between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities that broke out on May 3, 2023. Security personnel intensified patrolling in the 'buffer zone' – the foothills around the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley – and frisking of vehicles in vulnerable locations in the valley as well as in the adjoining Churachandpur and Kangpokpi hill districts dominated by the Kuki-Zo people. 'Separation Day' At least two students' organisations belonging to the Kuki-Zo group of tribes called for a shutdown of all educational institutions, shops, and commercial establishments on Saturday (May 3, 2025), which an apex tribal organisation said would be observed as 'Separation Day'. 'The event will be a day of reflection and remembrance for the victims of the ethnic conflict that has deeply impacted the Kuki-Zo communities. It will feature a series of programmes, including prayers and exhortations for the victims and their families,' the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum said. The Kuki-Zo community has been demanding a separate administration as the 'only solution' to the ethnic conflict that has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced about 60,000 people. People's convention In the Imphal Valley, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity will organise a people's convention where civil society organisation leaders, scholars, eminent personalities, and internally displaced people will deliver speeches. A candlelight tribute will be paid to the victims of the conflict. 'Peace Day' The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), an apex body of the Thadou community that resents being clubbed as Kuki, has appealed to the people of the State to collectively observe May 3 as 'Peace Day' every year, instead of creating 'antagonistic' and 'communal' vibes. 'As we observe May 3 this year and pray for peace, we honour the memory of those who have fallen victims to the tragic violence and extend our deepest empathy to the survivors and their families,' the TIM said in a statement. 'Although being the most affected yet silenced victims of the two-year-old violence, the Thadou community has shown a remarkable resilience in advocating for peace through mutual understanding and respect among all indigenous communities who call Manipur home,' the organisation said. Divided State The ethnic conflict erupted after tribals took out a solidarity march to protest the Manipur government's alleged move toward granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meiteis. The Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people have stayed apart since, unable to go into each other's areas. On March 8, the Centre tried to ensure 'free movement' on the State's two arterial highways, but opposition from the Kuki-Zos made it an exercise in futility. The highways, connecting the Imphal Valley to the country beyond, pass through Kuki-Zo areas. The attempt to open the highways came a month after Nongthombam Biren Singh stepped down as the Chief Minister on February 9, a day before his government was to face a no-trust motion and a floor test in the 60-member Assembly. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to reach a consensus on his successor, leading to the imposition of the President's Rule in the State on February 13. A few days ago, 21 MLAs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding the immediate installation of a 'popular government' in Manipur. They said there had been no visible actions to restore peace and normalcy under the President's Rule.
