Latest news with #ShiruiLilyFestival
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Beads, battles and Big breakthroughs
MANIPUR: A decade ago, Pamchuiwon Kashak, a 30-year-old woman from Ukhrul, a hill district in Manipur, began designing and crafting traditional Tangkhul Naga tribe jewellery — earrings, necklaces and other accessories using beads and glass stones. What started as a hobby soon transformed into a full-fledged business in 2019. Pamchuiwon's vision was clear: to revive the moribund tradition of Tangkhul jewellery, once popular among both men and women, but now largely confined to festivals and special occasions due to the growing influence of Western culture. Five years after beginning her business from home, Pamchuiwon opened her first retail outlet, Tangkhul_beads, in Ukhrul in 2020. The shop, located in the heart of the Tangkhul community, quickly flourished. Today, her customer base spans beyond Manipur, reaching cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, thanks to her social media presence on YouTube and Instagram, as well as her stall at the annual Shirui Lily Festival. The state-sponsored festival, dedicated to the iconic Shirui Lily flower, has played a crucial role in bringing her work to a broader audience. Pamchuiwon's journey to success has been far from easy. Born as the second of eleven siblings, she grew up in a poor family where daily survival was a struggle. When she was 9-years-old, her father died leaving behind her mother and six children to fend for themselves. As per his dying wish, her mother remarried his younger brother who too was a poor farmer. The family's financial difficulties only increased after the birth of five more children.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur BJP legislators push for government formation
The Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs in Manipur have renewed their push to end President's Rule in the State and form a popular government that can focus on peace and development. Fifteen MLAs held a meeting with State BJP president, Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, and other party leaders on Saturday (May 31, 2025) to discuss the possibility of 'meeting the expectations of the people to have a democratically elected popular government' in Manipur soon. The meeting at the State party headquarters came less than 24 hours after 28 BJP legislators converged at the official residence of former Minister Thongam Biswajit in Imphal on Friday evening. The BJP has 37 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, seven of whom belong to the Kuki-Zo community. Those seven MLAs have not set foot in Imphal since May 2023, when an ethnic conflict broke out between the Meiteis, who dominate the State capital and the valley beyond, and the Kuki-Zo tribes, claiming more than 250 lives and displacing about 60,000 people. Appeal to BJP Central leadership One of the BJP MLAs said the discussion revolved around meeting the party's Central leadership and proceeding to form the government according to the Constitution of India and the constitution of the BJP. 'We desire a government that can focus on development and sustainable peace. Everything depends on our Central leadership,' Ms. Devi told journalists after the meeting. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13, days after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister and the BJP failed to reach a consensus on his successor. 'Undermining Manipur's identity' The bid to form the government gained momentum after the May 20 bus incident plunged the Imphal Valley back into chaos. Protestors demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the resignation of the State's top three officials – the Chief Secretary, the Security Advisor, and the Director General of Police – for 'undermining the identity of Manipur, its name, pride, and respect'. Their anger was against security forces personnel for making a team of journalists travelling to the Shirui Lily Festival in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on the windscreen of the bus they were in. A team of 10 NDA legislators — including two from the National People's Party led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and an independent — met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan on May 29 to urge him to pave the way for a popular government.
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Manipur: No order issued to mask ‘state transport' sign on bus, says chief secretary
The Manipur government had not issued any instructions to cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on a state-run bus on May 20, Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh said on Thursday. Singh said that the incident was 'deeply regretted' and that the state administration had taken it with utmost seriousness. 'The State will also ensure that such an incident does not occur in future,' the official. The chief secretary said that what transpired on the ground that day will become clear only after a thorough inquiry. He added that Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had formed an inquiry committee consisting of the home department commissioner and the information technology secretary which will present its findings on the matter in a time-bound manner. On May 20, central security forces allegedly stopped a group of 20 journalists in Imphal East district and directed them to hide the 'Manipur State Transport' sign on the government bus they were travelling in. The incident occurred at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East while the group was travelling to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, a cultural event organised by the state tourism department, in the Naga-majority Ukhrul district. The route to the district passes through several Kuki villages. The team initially tried to comply with the direction. However, delays due to negotiations with the security forces forced them to cancel the trip and return to Imphal. A video of the 'Manipur State Transport' sign being covered was circulated widely on social media. On May 27, the student wing of Meitei civil society group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity locked the offices of the chief electoral officer and the Geological Survey of India in Imphal West to protest the incident. Manipur has been mired in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities that have killed at least 260 persons and displaced more than 59,000 persons since May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Amid unrest, truck driver abducted in Manipur
Amid the ongoing civil disobedience campaign across Imphal valley, the driver of a truck transporting essential goods was abducted by unidentified armed men in the State's Tamenglong district on May 28. District officials said on Thursday (May 29, 2025) that the incident happened near New Kaiphundai along National Highway 37. The truck was carrying goods from Jiribam on the border with Assam to the State's capital, Imphal. 'Personnel of the Manipur police and central security forces have been scouting the surrounding areas to locate the missing driver,' an official said. While the security forces have stepped up area domination in vulnerable areas in the hills and the valley, the abduction of the driver triggered protests in the Tamenglong district. Organisations belonging primarily to the Rongmei Naga community demanded the driver's release. The authorities have not disclosed the identity of the driver, deeming it sensitive. In the valley, members of at least eight organisations staged a protest rally against 'India's policy to obliterate Manipur'. They included the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation, All Manipur Women's Voluntary Association, and Manipuri Students' Federation. The 'obliteration' was an allusion to the May 20 incident at Gwaltabi, about 25 km from Imphal, where security forces personnel allegedly made the passengers of a State-run bus cover the word 'Manipur' on its windscreen with a white paper. Meanwhile, addressing journalists along with Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Manipur's Chief Secretary, Prashant Kumar Singh said the State government will ensure that the Gwaltabi incident is not repeated in future. Asserting the administration's commitment to the integrity of Manipur, he said people from all communities from the Imphal Valley and beyond the State travelled with families to Ukhrul to attend the Shirui Lily Festival, which recorded a footfall of 1.70 lakh. 'The Gwaltabi incident was unfortunate. There had been no instructions whatsoever or even a remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged. This has been amply clarified by the State government as well as by the responsible political leadership,' the Chief Secretary said. He said the ground reality would be revealed after a thorough inquiry into the May 20 incident. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla constituted the committee, which was asked to submit its report in a time bound manner. Protestors across the Imphal Valley have been demanding an apology from the Governor for the bus incident and the removal of the Chief Secretary, the Security Advisor, and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Manipur government takes action after controversial incident involving state transport signage
The Manipur government announced that strict action would be taken against those who are responsible for hiding the "Manipur State Transport Corporation" signage in front of the government bus on May 20. Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh said that the state administration has taken the reported untoward incident with utmost seriousness, and the incident is deeply regretted. 'In response, the Governor (Ajay Kumar Bhalla) has constituted an inquiry committee comprising the Commissioner, Home and the Secretary IT, which is to submit its report in a time-bound manner. We would like to assure all concerned that once the report is submitted and those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action will be taken,' the Chief Secretary said in a statement. He said that the state would also ensure that such an incident does not recur in future, adding that the administration is committed to the integrity of the state of Manipur and the only aim of all these efforts is to establish lasting peace in the state. The administration once again requests all to cooperate in maintaining the public order, said the statement. The Chief Secretary said that the five-day (May 20 to 24) Shirui Lily Festival was organised in Ukhrul district as part of the normalcy-restoration process, and the festival attracted about 1.70 lakh people. 'People of all communities travelled with families from valley areas and other parts of the state, as well as from outside the state to Ukhrul district to attend the festival as the state administration provided full-proof security and a safe environment for festive activities,' Singh said, however, one unfortunate incident occurred on May 20, when a Manipur State Road Transport Bus ferrying Journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival was stopped and the name of the state was reportedly covered, has drawn wide criticism. There had been no instructions whatsoever or even a remote thought of covering the name of the state, as has been alleged, he clarified. 'This has been amply clarified by the state government as well as by the responsible political leadership. What transpired on the ground would be revealed after a thorough inquiry only,' the Chief Secretary said. Various political parties, leaders and organisations protested the incident. After a 48-hour shutdown in the six Imphal valley regions on May 21-23, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the Meitei community apex body, since May 25, has been spearheading their second phase of agitation in Manipur in protest against the hide of the state's name from a government bus on May 20. The agitation includes a daily gherao at the main gate of the Governor's bungalow and holding rallies. The COCOMI also demanded a public apology from the Governor for the May 20 incident, and demanded the resignation of Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Security Advisor to the government, Kuldiep Singh and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, holding them responsible for failing to protect the dignity and integrity of the state of Manipur.
