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The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur Congress seeks clarity from Governor on Assembly status
The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) sought clarification from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla regarding the constitutional status of the State's 60-member Legislative Assembly, which has not convened since August 2024. President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 this year, following the resignation of Nongthombam Biren Singh as Chief Minister on February 9, amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in the State. In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, State Congress president K. Meghachandra Singh questioned whether the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly 'is still alive or already dead' or 'constitutionally deemed to be dissolved from midnight' of February 11, two days prior to the imposition of President's Rule. 'The last sitting of the 60-member House was held on August 12, 2024, and according to Article 174(1) of the Constitution of India, the next sitting ought to have been mandatorily held on or before February 11. However, Mr. Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister on February 9, and on that day, the Governor declared his January 24 order summoning the Assembly for February 11 to be null and void,' said Congress spokesperson and advocate Ningombam Bupenda Meitei. Mr. Meitei was part of a four-member delegation from the Congress's legal department that submitted the memorandum at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. The other members included Wahidur Rahman, S. Shyamacharan, and L. Brojen Singh. The delegation noted that the Assembly was not in suspension at the time of the Chief Minister's resignation, and thus Article 174(1) — which mandates that no more than six months should elapse between two sittings of a Legislative Assembly — remained applicable. The Congress said the Governor's February 9 order effectively 'circumvented the rigours of Article 174(1)' and further delayed the Assembly's sitting beyond the constitutionally permitted time frame. The party asked the Governor to clarify whether the 12th Legislative Assembly has remained 'alive', 'dead', or 'dissolved' since February 12. It also sought to know whether the Governor would now be 'constitutionally barred from summoning the sitting for the next session' of the current Assembly's remaining term. The memorandum added that any gubernatorial action or order requiring a new Chief Minister to undergo a floor test 'would tantamount to the violation of Article 174(1)'.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Arrest of Arambai Tenggol leaders triggers violence in Manipur
GUWAHATI Violence broke out across Manipur's Imphal Valley, specifically in the State's capital, Imphal, after the arrest of at least five leaders of Arambai Tenggol (AT), an armed Meitei radical group, on Saturday (June 7, 2025) evening. The AT came to prominence after the ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities broke out in the State on May 3, 2023. Officials said large groups of people spilt out onto the streets throughout the night, burning tyres and old furniture to block the roads. At many places, mobs clashed with the security personnel, including stretches on the Airport Road where some vehicles of the security forces were torched. Major incidents of violence were reported from Imphal's Kwakeithel and Uripok areas. Scores of people, including security personnel, were injured. 'The situation eased after midnight. Things have been quiet from morning,' an Imphal West district official said. Tension reigned across the five districts of Imphal Valley after the alleged disrespect of Manipur by security personnel on May 20 triggered a 'civil disobedience campaign' by a pressure group. The campaign was suspended after floods hit the Valley more than a week ago. The Valley plunged into chaos again from Saturday (June 7) evening after security forces arrested the five AT leaders, including A. Kanan Singh, a former Manipur Police head constable. Apprehending a backlash, the State Government suspended internet and mobile data services in the Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal districts for five days. An indefinite curfew was also imposed in the Bishnupur district, while the assembly of four or more people was prohibited in the other four districts. The protestors, too, retaliated by 'imposing' a 10-day shutdown across the five districts. Media and medical services were exempted from this shutdown. More than 250 people have been killed and at least 60,000 displaced in Manipur's ethnic violence. The State was placed under the President's Rule on February 13, days after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister.
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.
