Insurgency / Manipur

IMPHAL, February 27: Close on the heels of the declaration of 15-day ceasefire offer by the Army, the seven-party coalition government led by Radhabinod Koijam has declared a unilateral ceasefire against the State insurgents for one month with effect from March 1 in view of Yaoshang, the biggest festival of Manipur. Announcing the newly formed People's Front Ministry's stance on the declaration of ceasefire with all the underground outfits operating in Manipur during a press conference held at MR complex today, the Chief Minister said newly inducted Council of Ministers also took a resolution...

IMPHAL, February 26: In an unprecedented move, the Army has announced that it would observe a 15-day unilateral Yaosang Peace Period from March 1 onwards with respect to all underground groups operating in Manipur. In a repeat of the Bihu 'safe passage' experiment in Assam, the general officer commanding, 57th Mountain Division, Mj. Gen. Iqbal Singh announced at a press conference held at the Kangla fort that the Army and the Assam Rifles would cease all counterinsurgency operations against the underground groups of Manipur during the period from March 1 to 15. Asserting that neither the Army...

IMPHAL, February 25: The Gauhati High Court (Imphal Bench) has ordered the State authority to pay a sum of Rs 1 lakh each as ex gratia of two widows, whose husbands were shot dead by 8 Assam Rifles during counter-insurgency operations at Laishoim lake in Bishnupur district in March last year. Justice N Surjamani asked the Government to hand over the amount directly to the widows within one week, failing which legal action would be followed, a legal source said. The court passed the order on Thursday following the Government's failure to take up any steps on the ruling issued by the court on...

IMPHAL, February 23: Two prestigious girls' Catholic schools in Manipur have been forced to close down indefinitely by armed militants, official sources said today, reports PTI. The sources said militants forced the closure of Little Flower High School and Nirmalabas School in the heart of Imphal town following the 'failure to pay the money demanded by the militants." The sources said investigation was on to find out identities of the militants. Authorities in the schools told PTI that they received calls from unidentified persons yesterday and asked them to close down the schools. The school...

IMPHAL, February 22: The Manipur Human Rights Commission has sought a detailed report from the DGP, Manipur police over the reported conduct of the IG (law and order), in connection with the rape of a minor girl by her uncle, a case pertaining to which is currently before the commission. According to commission sources, the IG is reported to have summoned the mother of the victim, T Pishakmacha, to his Office yesterday and told her to inform the commission that nothing had happened to her daughter so that the case could be closed. He is also said to have questioned the jurisdiction of the...

NEW DELHI, February 21 (PTI): New Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today asked the centre to announce a total ceasefire in the Northeast on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir saying a partial initiative with only NSCN (IM) would not work. There has to be a total ceasefire like the one in J&K involving all the groups. The Centre should spell out whether the ongoing ceasefire (with NSCN-IM) has a geographical limit. The concept of this ceasefire has to be made clear, Koijam told reporters after his meeting here today with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Koijam, who also had meetings...

IMPHAL, February 18: Unidentified gunmen shot dead the ADC of Moreh this evening at about 6.45 at Moreh bazar, said police sources. According to reports received here the slain Moreh ADC, M Chaoba (50) was a resident of Keishamthong Hodam Leirak. He was posted as Moreh ADC only about 4/5 months back, said sources. Prior to the assassination the ADC had received a telephone call at his quarters, said sources and added that he left after receiving the call in his Gypsy along with the driver. The assailants who were apparently waiting for the ADC walked up to the Gypsy at Moreh bazar and pumped...

IMPHAL, February 18: In a major development in this insurgency-prone region, the newly-sworn-in Chief Minister of the People's Front Ministry, Radhabinod Koijam has said that his Cabinet will examine the feasibility of giving "safe passage" to the underground insurgents during the Yaoshang, the biggest festival in Manipur so as to enable them to take part in the great festival this time. Yaoshang festival will start from March 9 and it will continue for five days. While this special gesture of the new People's Front Ministry lasts, the various security forces and Manipur Police would likely be...

IMPHAL, February 16: The newly, sworn-in Chief Minister, Radhabinod Koijam, in his first message to the people of Manipur, has declared that his government's first priorities would be to tackle the deteriorating law and order situation and the ongoing financial crisis, and to wipe out corruption. The new Chief Minister, in the first place, reiterated his government's commitment to bringing back peace in the state, acknowledging that the decades long problem of insurgency that the state had faced had retarded development, and frequent acts of violence had seriously disturbed public life. In...

GUWAHATI, February 15: The growing links of the militant outfits of the Northeast region with foreign countries is causing concern among the security forces engaged in the counter-insurgency operations. Police sources said that at present almost all the major militant outfits operating in the region have foreign links and their leaders very often take shelter in foreign countries to escape the security net. Sources revealed that the first recorded links between NE militants with foreign countries dated back to 1960s when the Naga militants established contacts in China. In fact, the Isak...