Page 13 - Northeast India

Manipur tribal organisations oppose convening of assembly session on Aug 29

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) have denounced the convening of the Manipur Assembly session on August 29 saying the present situation is not conducive for Kuki-Zo MLAs to attend. In a joint statement on Sunday, both the organisations said considering the complete breakdown of law and order and the failure of the state government in protecting the lives of the common people and officials, convening the session "is devoid of logic and rationality." The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Manipur Legislative Assembly on Saturday had decided to hold a one-day session on Tuesday. "Since the outbreak of the current ethnic violence in May, Imphal valley has witnessed the lynching of more than a hundred innocent people and destruction of thousands of houses. Even the lives and properties of ministers and MLAs were not spared," the joint statement said. "If the state government is really concerned about bringing back normalcy, it should

Flood situation in Assam turns grim again, 53,000 marooned in six districts

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), incessant rainfall led to an increase in the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, inundating surrounding areas

Mudslide blocks tunnel in Meghalaya, traffic in NE states affected: Police

A mudslide caused by incessant rainfall blocked the Sonapur tunnel on NH 6 in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Saturday blocking traffic movement to Tripura, Mizoram and Assam's Barak valley, police said. The mudslide was caused by incessant rainfall in the state in the past 24 hours. Two vehicles were stuck in the mudslide, Superintendent of Police, Jagpal S Dhanoa told PTI. He said the NHAI was informed for necessary clearance and to make sure traffic on the important NH 6 connecting to three other north eastern states flow normally. Earthmovers and personnel were put to work to clear the debris and the stuck vehicles, an NHAI official said.

Manipur CM, cabinet minister leave for Delhi; likely to meet Amit Shah

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with a few of his cabinet colleagues went to New Delhi on Thursday, officials said. During the visit to the national capital, Singh is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in his state, where ethnic clashes broke out in May, they said. Singh and his colleagues went to Delhi in a chartered flight, and are likely to return to the state at night, they added. Among those accompanying the CM are state ministers Govindas Konthoujam and Sapam Ranjan, officials said.

Mizoram bridge collapse: 23 from Bengal feared dead, 21 bodies found

Of the 26 workers present on the under-construction railway bridge that collapsed in Mizoram's Aizawl district, 23 people are believed to be dead, though the police have recovered 21 bodies, officials said on Thursday. Two people are still missing. Among the three people injured, two were discharged after being provided first aid, while the other person was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Aizawl with a fracture in the right hand. All the 26 people working there were from the Malda district of West Bengal. The railways said the accident that took place on Wednesday was due to the collapse of a gantry, which was being launched on the under-construction bridge over the Kurung river. A high-level committee has been constituted to probe the incident involving the under-construction bridge, one of the 130 bridges in the Bhairavi-Sairang new railway line project. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that arrangements have been made to bring the bodies to the state. State ..

Distressed over loss of lives in Mizoram bridge collapse: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said she was distressed to know about the loss of lives in the tragic bridge mishap in Mizoram and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. At least 17 workers were killed and several others feared trapped after an under-construction railway bridge collapsed near Sairang area of the north eastern state on Wednesday, police said. "Distressed to know that a tragic bridge mishap in Mizoram caused loss of lives. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Murmu said on microblogging site X.

Pre-fabricated houses for violence-hit people temporary measure: Manipur CM

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said that the pre-fabricated houses built for those affected by violence are not a permanent arrangement and were constructed to ease the hardship faced by those living in relief camps. He also said that the situation in the northeastern state is gradually improving. Singh was speaking at a programme where temporary shelter homes were handed over to over 300 families at Sajiwa Jail Complex in Imphal East district. They have been staying in various relief camps in the same area. These are temporary measures. Our first priority is to rehabilitate the affected people in both hills and the valley. Pre-fabricated houses are being built at eight sites, the chief minister said. Prefabricated houses are ready-made structures that are constructed off-site and assembled at the place where the homes will be set up. Singh said that 320 houses have been built at Kwakta in Bishnupur district, 400 at Sajiwa and 200 at Sawombung in Imphal East, wh

Disarmament pre-condition for talks: Sitaram Yechury on Manipur crisis

The government must ensure disarmament to start the talks with the warring Kuki and Meitei communities for resolving the crisis in Manipur, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters at the Manipur Press Club, Yechury said the 'double engine' government of the BJP should double its efforts in resolving the conflict, which has been going on for over three months. "There has to be some sort of dialogue and discussion, and that is where the governments -- both Centre and state -- have the primary responsibility. If it's a double-engine government, then please make double-energy efforts to try and bring everybody together to a table. We have done this in the past. It is the only way all problems that India has faced in last 75 years have been resolved," he said. "Disarmament should be a pre-condition for the talks. Talks have to begin with ceasefire, and then it should proceed on the issues," he added. Yechury also urged the Centre to send a ...

Three killed in renewed violence following heavy gunfire at Kuki village

In a fresh round of violence in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, mutilated bodies of three youths were found following heavy gunfire at Kuki Thowai village in Ukhrul district on Friday, officials said. This is the first time that an attack in the recent bout of violence has occurred in Ukhrul district, which is dominated by Tangkhul Nagas. Sounds of heavy gunfire were heard from the village, which falls in Litan police station area, early in the morning, they said. Officials said the bodies of the three youths aged between 24 years and 35 years were found after police carried out a thorough search in the surrounding villages and forest areas. Bodies of the three persons bore injury marks apparently made using sharp knives and their limbs were also chopped off, officials said. Ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) ...

Assam Forest Minister hands over appointment letters to 6 appointees

Assam Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Thursday handed over appointment letters to six candidates at his conference hall at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati. The candidates have been given appointments on compassionate grounds in Environment and Forest Department."The six appointees who received their appointment letters today are Helen Aman as Forest Guard, Rajen Sinha as Forest Guard, Sowaiba Sultana as Forest Guard, Manas Jyoti Gogoi as Constable AFPF Bn, Mohan Basfor as Constable AFPF Bn and Debraj Sarma as Constable AFPF Bn," the Environment and Forest Department said.Minister of Environment & Forest Patowary extended his congratulations to the new appointees and said, "The present state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been striving to fulfil its commitment of providing employment."He urged the new recruits to dedicatedly work in the department and contribute to the process of making Assam one of the top states in .

Mizoram moving ahead with responsible tourism policy: State sports minister

Mizoram is making headway with a responsible tourism policy that came into force from August 2020, state sports minister Robert Romawia Royte said. The policy, which was one of the political planks of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in 2018, envisages a sustainable development strategy, coordination, strengthening institutional framework and skill development, he said. The policy also focuses on making tourism a tool for development of villages and local communities, eradicating poverty and providing livelihood for the local population while upholding the principles of economic, social and environmental responsibilities, he said. The Mizoram Registration of Tourist Trade Act 2020 was also enacted to introduce proper regulatory framework for suitable development of the tourism sector, he said. The Act provides for registration of tourism service providers within the state. At present there are 70 registered hotels, 63 homestays, 10 tour operators, 40 travel agents, 657 register

ADB approves $40.5 mn loan for Meghalaya early childhood development scheme

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a USD 40.5-million loan for integrated early childhood development (ECD) and maternal mental health programme in Meghalaya. The state government is contributing USD 15.27 million to the project, the multilateral funding agency said in a statement. The project will strengthen home-based childcare (children 01.5 years) and centre-based childcare (1.56 years) through daycare (Anganwadi) centres in Meghalaya, it said. The project aims to improve access to nurturing care, including a component of maternal mental healthcare and group-based parenting programmes to enable the inclusion of fathers in caregiving, it said. ADB's assistance will also improve nutrient adequacy by adding eggs to the diet of pregnant and lactating women and children aged 0.56 years, it said. As one of several climate-resilient features, the project will also help establish nutrition gardens at Anganwadi centres (AWC) for improved diet diversity and .

In contrast to UPA years, NER's economy has seen gradual growth in NDA rule

Shifting focus to population, the NER housed 45.5 million individuals, accounting for 3.7 per cent of the country's total population of 1.21 billion, according to the 2011 Census

Modi twisted decisions taken by his predecessors to score points: Cong

The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his criticism of then PM Indira Gandhi's decision to use the Indian Air Force in Mizoram in 1966, saying he "twisted decisions" taken by his predecessors out of their political and historical context to score "petty debating points". Responding to the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Modi referred to incidents such as the use of the Air Force to "attack the people in Mizoram", a radio transmission of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 leaving the people of the northeast to fend for themselves during the Chinese invasion as cases in point of Congress' "neglect" of the region. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that on Thursday, the prime minister's speech revealed the influence of "mischievous distorians on his thinking". "He twisted decisions taken by his predecessors out of their political and historical context. He did it only to score petty debating points. This is perhaps only to b

NDA partner Mizoram's MNF to back oppn's no-confidence motion in Parliament

The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, a partner of the NDA, will back the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the BJP-led government at the Centre, Lok Sabha MP C Lalrosanga said on Thursday. Lalrosanga told PTI that he will vote in favour of the no-confidence motion over the Manipur government and the Centre's "failure to handle" the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state. "I will back the opposition's no-confidence motion. It is not because I support the Congress or (want to) go against the BJP, but to show our outright distress and opposition to the complete failure of the governments, especially the Manipur government, in handling the situation," he said. The MNF is deeply hurt over the condition of the Zo ethnic people in strife-torn Manipur, he said. Lalrosanga said he discussed the issue with party president Zoramthanga, the chief minister of Mizoram, and other leaders and they agreed to back the no-confidence motion. The MNF is a constituent

Manipur MLAs urge PM for disarmament to foster environment of peace

Forty MLAs from violence-hit Manipur have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the state requires complete disarmament to foster an environment of peace and security. The MLAs, most of whom are ethnic Meiteis, also demanded the withdrawal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement with Kuki militant groups, implementation of NRC in the state and strengthening of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). In the memorandum, these MLAs opposed the demand for a 'separate administration' by Kuki groups. "For the immediate establishment of security, simple deployment of forces is inadequate. Although it is imperative to halt the violence in the peripheral areas, a complete disarmament is the key to achieve this goal. The entire state requires a complete disarmament to foster an environment of peace and security," said the memorandum that was submitted to PM Modi on Wednesday. "The confiscation of all weapons belonging to insurgent groups and illegal armed foreign forc

Torch rally in Imphal Valley demands special session of Manipur assembly

Hundreds of women took out torch rallies across the Imphal valley, demanding that a special session of the Manipur assembly be convened before the monsoon session of Parliament ends. The rallies were held around 9.30 pm on Wednesday at Keisampat, Keisamthong and Kwakeithel in Imphal West district, and Wangkhei and Kongba in Imphal East district. "In the assembly session, the government should pass a resolution to protect the state's territorial integrity and send it to Parliament while it is still in session," Ingudam Babita, one of the participants of the rally, told reporters at Wangkhei. The women also raised slogans against the demand for separate administration by Kuki groups, and for the implementation of NRC to identify "illegal" immigrants in the state and deport them. The Manipur cabinet last week recommended Governor Anusuiya Uikey to convene a session of the assembly from August 21. The previous assembly session was held in March, and violence broke out in the state in

3 killed, 3 injured in fresh violence in Manipur, curfew relaxation hrs cut

Three persons including a father-son duo were killed by militants in Manipur's Bishnupur district late night on Friday, police said. The three were gunned down while they were sleeping and later slashed with swords at Kwakta in the district, police said on Saturday morning, adding that the assailants came from Churachandpur. "The three used to stay in a relief camp but had returned to their residences at Kwakta on Friday after the situation had improved, police said. Soon after the incident, an irate mob gathered at Kwakta and wanted to head towards Churachandpur but was stopped by security personnel, police said. "Three persons including one policeman were injured following heavy exchange of fire between state forces and militants near Kwakta on Saturday morning. The policeman sustained splinter injuries on his face. All the three have been brought to Raj Medicity in Imphal for treatment. They are out of danger," police said. Meanwhile, the district administration has shortened .

Assam govt outreach drive: CM, ministers to visit over 25,000 villages

The Assam Chief Minister, ministers, senior government officers, and other staff will visit 25,501 villages across the state over a period of 15 days

General strike called by assembly committee cripples regular life in Imphal

The 24-hour general strike called by the co-ordinating committee of 27 assembly constituencies in Manipur on Saturday paralysed normal life in Imphal Valley, with markets and business establishments remaining shut in almost all localities. Public transport stayed off the road and only a few private vehicles were seen plying on the streets. Schools also remained closed due to the strike from midnight. The hill districts, however, have largely been unaffected by the strike, which was called by the committee to demand an emergency assembly session to discuss various issues. The committee's convenor L Binod had earlier said that the strike is not to add to the hardships of the people, but to pressure the government. Meanwhile, the Manipur Cabinet on Friday recommended Governor Anusuiya Uikey to convene a session of the assembly from August 21. The previous assembly session was held in March. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence that broke out in May, and sporadically continue