After 120 days of economic blockade on the arterial national highways 39 and 53, Manipur on Tuesday heaved a sigh of relief. The agitating United Naga Council lifted the economic blockade from 6 am on Tuesday morning.
Thousands protest in Manipur against Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs joining the government, alleging betrayal of community demands for separate administration.
Manipur is back in the news. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah backed United Naga Council of Manipur has raised a fresh demand for 'creating a separate Union Territory or a separate state within the constitution of India,' in the just concluded tripartite talks held on December 3, in the Senapati district of Manipur.
Records stretching back to 1947 suggest a consistent strategy by Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), of using terrorism as a state policy against India.
The Centre on Monday decided to extend the ban imposed on the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang [NSCN-K)] along with all its factions, wings and front organisations for five more years due to its involvement in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.
The United Naga Council decided on Tuesday, to extend its economic blockade, which was to end today after over three weeks, by 25 more days on two vital highways of Manipur, saying its demands have not been met.
Stating that there is no nomenclature for the three groups who have come together, Akato said they will approach the Centre for political talks.
Tension in the state escalated after militants ambushed Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday.
The Centre on Friday reviewed the situation in Manipur in the wake of the crippling economic blockade of a highway, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju asking the state government to end the "worrisome" conditions that have triggered a "humanitarian crisis".
Manipur Police has registered a first information report (FIR) accusing the Assam Rifles of blocking their vehicle after an altercation between the two groups last week, while the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace Assam Rifles 'by any other paramilitary force permanently' from the state.
Truckers in Manipur are not willing to hit the troubled NH 39 that connects border town of Moreh and Imphal to Assam valley through Dimapur in Nagaland, even after agitating Naga groups in Manipur the All Naga Students' Association of Manipur and the United Naga Council -- have lifted the 67-days-long blockade of the highway from Friday evening.
The United Naga Council on Monday lifted its 100-day economic blockade on the Manipur side of two national highways without any condition but with a caveat that agitation would be re-launched if the government did not make an 'alternative arrangement' for Nagas in the state.
Only one petrol pump has stock but it will supply petrol and diesel only to school buses and school vans, official sources said.
Appealing to the United Naga Council to call off its 74-day economic blockade on two national highways in Manipur, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said all issues could be sorted out through dialogue.
The Manipur government's plan to carve out seven new districts in the hill areas has ignited old resentments between Naga and non-Naga ethnic groups, leading to clashes and a month-long economic blockade.
Ban is the bane of life in the frontier state of Manipur that is plagued by myriad troubles ranging from insurgency, ethnicity to underdevelopment.
'Chief Minister Rio is holding the Naga Peace Accord hostage with his tacit support to the NSCN-IM, egging them to refuse to accept a solution within the Constitution.'
In a significant step towards restoring peace in Manipur, representatives of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities met face-to-face for the first time since ethnic violence erupted nearly two years ago. The meeting, facilitated by the Union Home Ministry, aimed to enhance trust and cooperation between the communities and find a roadmap to restore normalcy in the state.
The blockade was imposed by the UNC since November 1, 2016.
On Thursday, he had visited relief camps in Churachandpur, one of the worst affected towns in the ethnic rioting, which has plagued the northeastern state for the last two months.
A Manipur Police commando and two police constables were killed while nine others were injured when militants ambushed road-opening parties at two different places in Chandel district of Manipur on Thursday.
The curfew was imposed this noon and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district, said an order issued by the district magistrate. It will continue till further directions.
Ahead of Sushma Swaraj's visit, Myanmarese soldiers take over Indian territory.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) on Wednesday termed as an insult the 'inclusive package' offered by the Centre and said that nothing except integration of Naga-inhabited areas in the north-east is acceptable to the Nagas.The Centre has ruled out the integration demand and offered an 'inclusive package' to the NSCN-IM. The Naga problem cannot be resolved through social, economic and cultural packages, the NSCN-IM said.
'We are not secessionists, we want to coexist with our countrymen but not on the terms that will strip us off our dignity and a right to peaceful existence.'
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi written on February 25, but kept secret so far, Thuingaleng Muivah, the general secretary of the group and chief Naga negotiator in the talks with the government, also spoke about the framework agreement (FA) signed in 2015 and its proposal that the state should be allowed to have a Constitution and national flag.
The blockade was imposed by the United Naga Council on November 1 to protest against the creation of seven new districts.
The Union home ministry said there was 'substantial progress' on the issues in the talks.
The two factions of the Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland -- NSCN-Isak Muivah and NSCN-Khaplang -- which have been in truce with government of India forces, have become a headache for the Assam government in its fight against insurgents.
To expect that these past decades of grief, inter-group killings, anxiety and fear will be brushed aside because of the Naga peace accord is being unrealistic. Memories are built on old wounds and they heal slowly. So, it is important to be cautiously optimistic, says Sanjoy Hazarika.
Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Issac-Munivah wanted to join the operations against NSCN-K militants.
The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), a militant outfit currently in a state of truce with the government, is providing help and shelter to cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Naga villages.According to police sources, the ULFA cadres have found safe haven in Mon district of Nagaland with the help of NSCN-K militants.The ULFA militants often cross the border and flee to Nagaland after carrying out operations within Assam.
According to a statement by the Eastern Command, a column of the Indian Army operating along Indo-Myanmar border was fired upon by unidentified insurgents of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang about 4.45 am.
'The issue of the larger homeland of Nagalim, the dream of the Nagas to hold sway over swathes of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, is just that, a dream.' 'The NSCN has been told categorically that the government is not going to concede on this issue.'
'In the first meeting of this new year, we took a joint new year resolution that we will complete it this year. At the time things were not very clear, but the mood was clear that yes, we must resolve it.' 'Yes, details have to come out, but there are some sensitivities, there are some stake-holders not yet on board, especially other Naga undergrounds etc, we would like them to come on board... So at a proper time it has to be revealed to the country, and to the legislature. Perhaps, we may have to wait for some more time.' 'With better understanding of the Indian system, many of them have learnt, realised, appreciated that Naga nationalist aspirations can be accommodated in the Indian system. The Indian system is pretty comprehensive and flexible.' 'A Naga has as much stake, claim over India as any other Indian. There is no distinction. This, Nagas have realised, that yes, Naga nationalist aspirations and Indian nationalism are not mutually exclusive.' Ravindra Narayan Ravi, the Government of India's Special Interlocutor for the Naga talks, explains how the Naga Peace Accord was reached in an exclusive interview to Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress saying they had made the state their political battle ground, pitting one community against the other.
Apart from Aboh's son, the deceased included some other family members of the MLA.
"We are actually shocked. The prime minister did not even take into confidence chief ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, who are directly affected. Here is another show of arrogance of this government," Gandhi told media persons.
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