Insurgency / Manipur

Imphal, Jan. 17: The abducted relative of Manipur food and civil supplies minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh returned home late last night, police said today. Pheiroijam Sanajit Singh, son of the minister?s elder brother, was abducted by unidentified persons from Imphal East on Wednesday. He works as the ?personal public relations officer? of the minister. Singh was kidnapped by gunmen while he was on the way to a hospital with his family.

They took him away in his Santro, after letting off all other occupants, including his mother, wife and two children.

While the car was recovered...

Imphal, January 17: Unlike the ceasefire extension imbroglio episodes of June 2001 and other past social unrests with regard to the question of the state's territorial integrity, the Naga hoi-polloi dwelling in Imphal view the present renew Manipur territorial integrity slogans in different ways, at least this time. In a random survey conducted by Newmai News Network in the last two days indicates that Nagas in the valley are not going to the repeat the 2001 anti-ceasefire agitation days when they had fled to the hill districts. Miss Awon of Dewlahland, a school teacher by profession told this...

Imphal, January 16: With the Nagaland Assembly election round the corner, political parties of the State have exploited the ongoing NSCN(IM)-GOI peace talk to the maximum as a poll plank, through interpreting the issue from different angles. While Chief Minister SC Jamir seems to pursue the flip flop stand about the ongoing parleys between the NSCN-IM leaders and Central Leaders in New Delhi, the Opposition Front, NPF headed by former CM Hokishe Sema has gone with the full backing to the ongoing peace talk considering that the issue could be the best bet and bait for the forthcoming election...

Imphal, January 16: The torch rally called by the United Committee Manipur took an ugly turn when thousands of people who came out braving the January chill turned violent at different points of the capital city today. However the rally passed off peacefully without any major hitches at other places. Rallies were taken out peacefully at Pallel, Moirang, Kumbi, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur. An enraged mob turned their wrath towards some UCM volunteers and tried to burn the vehicle in which the volunteers were travelling at Uripok today. Timely action by the police saved the vehicle. Cops on...

Imphal, January 15: Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh while assuring that the violence of June 18, 2001 will not recur this time, has warned that the territorial integrity of Manipur should not be compromised by the Centre to appease the Naga rebel group, NSCN (I-M). In an exclusive interview with The Sangai Express, the Chief Minister said despite the assurances given by various Central leaders to preserve the territorial integrity of Manipur, if the ongoing Centre-NSCN (I-M) peace talks take up any move that might alter the existing territorial boundary of the State, Government of India should be...

Imphal, January 14: MPLF today said in a press statement that in the aftermath of observation of Black Day on October 15 last year. The success over the three battalions of BSF at Sajik Tampak in the battle heralds a new beginning the Permanent Body of MPLF today said. It showed the united strength of MPLF it said. The people now believe the struggle after seeing the success of the MPLF cadres it pointed out. The BSF planned to flush out the MPLF camp at Sajik Tampak under Operation Jawala. It was planned by DIG, BSF PK Misra it added. The 125 Bn, 64 Bn and 2nd Bn of BSF were involved and they...

Imphal, January 12: After four days of intense gun fight with cadres of the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), the umbrella organisation of the RPF, PREPAK and UNLF, near Pardai village at Sajik Tampak, troops of the BSF have started pulling out from the site of the encounter. Disclosing this to The Sangai Express at his office chamber straight after his arrival from Sajik Tampak today, BSF DIG PK Misra said that the two BSF personnel who went missing during the encounter are yet to be traced. During the gun fight which started from January 8 and stretched on till January 11, the BSF...

Imphal, Jan. 12: NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah’s statement that Ukhrul in Manipur does not belong to Meiteis has evoked sharp reactions from student organisations and political parties in the state. In a grim reminder of the many thorny issues that lay strewn on the path to peace, they have termed the statement as “communal”, saying such utterances indicated that “Muivah’s fight is against the Meiteis”.

President of the Democratic People’s Party Khaidem Mani today said the statement reeked of “communal hatred” and Muivah could be arrested under Section 153 of the IPC for a...

Imphal, January 11: The proscribed KYKL has claimed responsibility for shooting A Debidash Sharma on the leg on January 6 while he was on exam duty at DM College of Arts and Commerce. Stating that the teacher was punished for encouraging the students to indulge in unfair means during the TDC examination, the outfit in a statement today said that the punishment was carried out by a team of the Special Task Force (STF) under the Operation New Kangleipak (ONK). KYKL said that a team of the STF went to DM College of Arts and Commerce on receiving specific information that the students were...

Imphal, Jan. 11: The BSF has pulled out of the Sajik Tampak valley of Manipur’s Chandel district. A fierce gunbattle had raged between the militants and the BSF in the area for three days. An inspector-general of the BSF flew into the state capital today to assess the situation. BSF sources confirmed the pull-out, but said the troops were regrouping at the Sugnu post in Thoubal. They did not assign any reason for the withdrawal.

The Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF), however, claimed the troops had “fled” using villagers as a human shield. The pull-out that began yesterday was...