Imphal:

Even as the whispers about a possible leadership change in Manipur continue to get louder, Chief Minister Biren Singh has admitted that some MLAs from his party and its allies are in Delhi, but rubbished talk of their visit having anything to do with his resignation.

Over the past few days, there have been reports that a section of MLAs from the BJP and its allies, Naga People’s Front (NPF), National People’s Party (NPP) and JDU, are pushing for the chief minister to step down. 

Sources said that efforts to convince the BJP leadership to replace Mr Singh have been mounted several times since he became the chief minister in 2017 and gathered steam after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 last year, but yielded no results. 

What’s different this time, however, is that the BJP has had to pay an electoral cost, having lost both of Manipur’s Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in the just-concluded polls.

On Friday, the chief minister said there had been a meeting with NDA allies – who have 53 of the state’s 60 Assembly seats between them, with the BJP alone accounting for 37 – the previous night, and it was decided that a memorandum for lasting peace in Manipur would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We also discussed going to Delhi for a courtesy call with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The MLAs entrusted me with getting the appointment, but since the Parliament is on and things are so hectic, I thought why should I disturb? When the meeting happens, I will also go. But some people have gone ahead. This has nothing to do with a resignation. Around 35 MLAs were present yesterday and we signed the memorandum,” Mr Singh said.

“We are also grateful to the PM and Mr Shah that they have put Manipur on their list of priorities for the first 100 days (of the new NDA term). Mr Shah has also held meetings with various agencies and our gratitude was part of the resolution,” he added. 

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293. 

The ‘Almost’ Resignation 

Last June, when the pressure on his government was near its peak, the chief minister had almost quit. A minister had claimed he has left for the governor’s house with his resignation, but had turned back because of a human chain formed by hundreds of women in his support outside his residence in Imphal. It had also been claimed that his resignation letter was snatched from two ministers and torn up by people who wanted Mr Singh to remain the chief minister.

The opposition had dubbed the entire sequence of events a carefully orchestrated drama. 

Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester. 

Imphal:

When the clock struck 4 am in Manipur’s capital Imphal, a team of five people took one last look at the boxes they had loaded the night before in their SUV, and drove out towards a medicine collection point.

The boxes contained hundreds of packets of oral rehydration solution (ORS), cartons of multivitamin syrup, and common over-the-counter medicines that people in relief camps would need.

The members of the Delhi Meitei Forum (DMF), an independent civil society group of Manipur’s Meitei community living in the national capital, donated the medicines to be sent to Heirok in Thoubal district, and Jiribam district, bordering Assam, where violence broke out in the last two weeks.

Jiribam had been peaceful for more than a year until the recent flare-up, despite ethnic tensions between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes in other parts of the state.

After giving the medicines, the DMF members headed out to a designated distribution spot, where they took out cartons of school bags that they had bought with funds donated by DMF members, who are from all walks of life and professions, many of whom have been recognised for public service.

Many students and their parents who are living in different relief camps came to the spot and met the DMF members, who handed over the school bags and notebooks.

All the students are residents of Khumujamba Meitei Leikai in Churachandpur district, from where they fled when the violence began. They are now staying at relief camps in areas including Mekola, Moirang, and the Imphal-based non-profit TAKDO.

“Some of the students are in government schools, some in private schools in Imphal and Hiyangthang,” a key DMF member told NDTV.

The member said in the spirit of the ‘Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat’ theme, they bought the bags from the local company Romi Bag Industries, and notebooks from Sucheta Book Store in Imphal.

The DMF members had contributed whatever they could, from Rs 100, Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, to buy the items and medicines.

Despite the hardships, 93 per cent students in Manipur passed the class 10 board exams in May – the highest in the last 10 years. The Manipur Board of Secondary Education had announced that over 37,000 students gave the test, and many living in relief camps passed. The pass percentage in 2022 was 76 per cent, and in 2023 it was 82 per cent.

On its social media pages, the DMF says it is a group of “law-abiding Meitei citizens of India living in Delhi. The group is not affiliated to any other organisation or body. It’s a completely independent group working for the well-being of the Meitei community.”

DMF members say they have been carrying out activities frequently to help internally displaced people in Manipur.

New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will talk to both Meitei and Kuki communities at the earliest so as to bridge the ethnic divide in Manipur.

Reviewing the security situation in Manipur here, Mr Shah directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence in the northeastern state.

The home minister said the central forces deployment will be increased, if required, and that they should be deployed strategically to restore peace and tranquillity in the state, according to an official statement.

Mr Shah also directed to ensure that no further incident of violence take place in the state which has been witnessing ethnic violence for over a year.

The MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide at the earliest, Mr Shah was quoted as saying in the statement.

He also instructed the chief secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation.

The home minister said that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is fully committed to ensure safety and security of all citizens of the northeastern state.

Mr Shah also reviewed the situation in relief camps, especially in respect of proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities.

He underscored the importance of coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict.

The Centre has been actively supporting the Manipur government in strengthening the security situation in the state, the statement said.

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Since then, over 220 people belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singhsaid talks between India and China are going smoothly and India will never bow down.
| Photo Credit: X/@BJP4Gujarat

Talks with China going on smoothly, India will never bow down: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said talks between India and China are going smoothly and in a good environment, and India will never bow down. “India is no longer a weak India. India has also become a powerful country from a military point of view. We want to maintain good relations with our neighbouring countries,” the Defence Minister said when asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s accusation against the Narendra Modi government over Chinese aggression.

After nod for Gujarat onion exports, Centre seeks to soothe Maharashtra farmers

After its move to permit exports of 2,000 tonnes of white onions from Gujarat, amid an extended ban on onion shipments, drew criticism from Opposition leaders and Maharashtra’s onion farmers, the Centre seemed to have stepped into damage control mode with the Consumer Affairs Ministry stating that 99,150 tonnes of exports have been allowed.

Killing of CRPF personnel to draw attention of the Central government for a political solution in Manipur, say officials 

A day after two CRPF personnel were killed in Manipur by unidentified militants, a senior government official said on Sunday that the target seemed to be Meitei members of the State police. The CRPF unit stationed at the camp had withdrawn few days ago while a platoon stayed back. The militants mistook the personnel at the camp for State police forces, officials said, adding that such attacks and violence are expected to continue if a political solution is not arrived at.

One killed, three injured in fresh gunbattles along the Kangpokpi-Imphal West border in Manipur

At least one person has been killed and three others injured in fresh gunfights that occurred in the early hours of Sunday along the border between the Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts in Manipur, where the ethnic conflict between the valley-based Meitei and the hills-based Kuki-Zo communities continues.

RSS never opposed reservation, says Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh had never opposed reservation given to certain groups, and maintained that the video making the rounds on social media, in which he is seen speaking against quotas in a meeting, is fake.

14 Pakistan nationals arrested with 86 kg narcotics off Gujarat coast

In a joint mid-sea operation, the Gujarat’s Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday seized a Pakistani boat with 14 crew members and 86 kg of drugs valued at ₹602 crore off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat. The authorities arrested all 14 persons, who are Pakistan nationals, after their boat was seized in the sea.

Geneva-based UN-related body to review India’s human rights accreditation status this week

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is preparing to defend the government’s human rights processes at a meeting in Geneva this week, where a decision on whether India’s human rights body will retain its “A status” is expected to be made. The NHRC’s ratings were put on hold in 2023 over concerns on its composition procedure, the presence of police personnel in human rights investigations, and the lack of gender and minority representation, and the decision over whether the NHRC is given an A rating or a B rating would affect its ability to vote at the UN Human Rights Council and some UNGA bodies. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declines to rule out July election amid MP defection

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on April 28 refused to categorically rule out a July general election amid a damaging defection by one of his Conservative Party MPs to the Opposition Labour Party, just days before local and mayoral elections in the country on May 2.

Aerial photos show wide devastation left by tornado in China’s Guangzhou

Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on April 28 showed the wide devastation of a part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging over a hundred buildings. 

Hamas official says delegation to respond to Gaza truce plan in Egypt Monday

A senior Hamas official told AFP on April 28 that the group would deliver its response to Israel’s latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire on April 29 in Egypt. “A Hamas delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya will arrive in Egypt tomorrow… and deliver the movement’s response” to the Israeli proposal during a meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials, said the official who declined to be named.

IPL-17: CSK vs SRH | Ruturaj, Mitchell and Deshpande sizzle as CSK trounces SRH

Ruturaj Gaikwad might have missed out on a well-deserved second consecutive ton, but the Chennai Super Kings skipper regaled the sell-out crowd with a scintillating 98 (54b, 10×4, 3×6) to set up a commanding 78-run win for his side over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. 

Around 700 armed miscreants attempted to storm a police camp, and snatched eight sophisticated weapons, over 600 rounds of ammunition, and over half a dozen vehicles from multiple police locations in Imphal on Wednesday evening, according to details accessed by The Hindu.

Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured as they tried to stop the miscreants from looting weapons at the 1^st Manipur Reserve Battalion camp. A police source said that three of the eight looted weapons, including AK-47 rifles, have been recovered and that raids are continuing to arrest the accused persons.

Mob attack

Security forces fired tear gas shells and live rounds in the air to disperse the mob, which came mounted on SUVs, according to an internal report prepared by one of the security agencies and accessed by The Hindu.

The mob destroyed computers at the police control room and ransacked several other offices of the police, including those of the Narcotics Affairs Bureau, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), Inspector General of Police (Prisons), and the Superintendent of Police (Prisons). They also fired at the office of the Criminal Investigation Department. The vandalism continued from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

“A numbers of perpetrators have been arrested and the law will take its own course. Yesterday’s attempt to loot arms and ammunitions at 1st MR (Manipur Reserve) Battalion by armed miscreants was repulsed by combined Security Forces effectively,” the Manipur police posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. “In case they attempted such misadventure in future, they may have to pay heavy price,” it added.

Weapons, equipment looted

The police source said that though there were other incidents of weapons and vehicles being snatched from other locations, the main armoury could not be breached. The report said that bullet proof plates, tear gas guns and wireless sets used by the police were also looted.

More than 5,000 weapons and lakhs of rounds of ammunition have been looted from police armouries in Manipur since the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted on May 3. Despite multiple warnings by the State government, only a little over 1,400 weapons have been recovered so far.

Another police source said that Aarambai Tengol, a vigilante group, had been posting provocative messages on social media in the past few days.

Seeking army protection

Meanwhile in Moreh, hundreds of Kuki-Zo women and children huddled outside the camps of the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force, fearing violence after a 15-year-old girl was allegedly physically assaulted by Manipur police commandos on Wednesday night. The girl’s family filed a police complaint against the unidentified commandos on Thursday.

“After the news spread that the police commandos had hit the girl, women and children rushed to the army camps fearing for their safety. In the combing operations in the past two days, men in police uniforms have ransacked homes and even looted church donation boxes. We want an assurance from the army that the combing operation will be done as per law,” a local resident said.

After a lull of a few weeks, tensions have erupted in Manipur again after Chingtham Anand Kumar, a sub-divisional police officer was killed in Moreh on October 30 in “unprovoked firing by armed Kuki militants while he was on duty overseeing the cleaning of the grounds of Eastern Shine School for construction of a helipad, jointly by State force and BSF”, the State government said.

Rising tensions

The border town of Moreh has seen the displacement of its Meitei community. Fearing bias, Kuki-Zo residents have opposed the deployment of Manipur police commandos, stating that only Central security forces or the Army should be posted there. However, the State government has been sending additional teams of Manipur police to the border town for combing operations.

The police source said: “Moreh is part of Manipur and it is the mandate of the State government to deploy the State Police wherever it wants.”

After the officer was killed, additional police teams were rushed to Moreh. A few homes and vehicles belonging to the Kuki-Zo community were burnt down, the source added.

In another post on X, Manipur police said that on November 1, “during the search operations by security forces at Moreh, Tengnoupal district, 44 persons were detained by the security forces at Moreh, Tengnoupal district out of which 32 persons were found to be Myanmarese/Burmese. Further, 10 Myanmarese citizens from Moreh were taken to Foreigner Detention Centre, Sajiwa.”

The ten Kuki-Zo-Hmar legislators of Manipur appealed to the Union Home Ministry to intervene into the matter at once and ensure withdrawal of all the commandos deployed in Moreh and replace them with neutral Central forces.

The legislators said in a statement that while they condoled the loss of life of the police officer in line of duty and understand that the State police may be hard pressed to nab the culprits responsible, they cannot condone the unrestrained illegal and barbaric activities of the commando and State police personnel.

“In the operations that are under way at Moreh, the State Forces resorted to arson, indiscriminate firing, looting of civilian properties, vehicles, household items including valuable ornaments/documents/gold/cash, and unprovoked brutality forcing common people, including women and children to flee into the nearby jungle,” the statement said.

They said the lack of faith in the State forces stemmed from the innumerable instances of their direct involvement in attacking Kuki-Zomi-Hmar villages during the current conflict.

India and Myanmar have a free movement regime (FMR) upto 16 kilometres on either side of the border. Though Manipur government suspended the FMR post the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, people on either side who have shared ethnicity move freely across the porous and unfenced border.

Imphal:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday asserted that his government will never accept illegal immigrants in the state and said indigenous communities must continue to maintain their historical ties.

Mr Singh also said that the arrest of two cadres of Myanmar-based outfit Chin Kuki Liberation Army (CKLA) in Churachandpur district on Monday revealed the involvement of outside groups in the ethnic strife in the state which began in early May leaving more than 180 people dead.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for three projects at Andro in Imphal East district, he said, “I seek your support to maintain the old bond that exists among the traditional and government-recognised 34 communities. However, I will never allow and accept illegal immigrants.”

The ethnic park at Moirang where traditional houses of 34 indigenous communities of the state are on display bears testimony to the emotional bonds that exist within people, Mr Singh said.

“Our issue has been taken up by the Central government. The NIA (National Investigation Agency) has made it clear that the issue in Manipur is between neither minority and majority nor Hindus and Christians. It is of waging war against the Indian union by terror groups from Myanmar and Bangladesh in collaboration with Manipur-based outfits,” he said.

“The arrest of two cadres of Chin Kuki Liberation Army yesterday showed the involvement of outside groups in the violence in the state,” the chief minister added.

The CKLA cadres were apprehended from Chaijang area along the India-Myanmar border and arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Mr Singh said, “The central and Manipur governments have and will continue to face the external aggression in the state. Security forces have been deployed at all vulnerable areas.” The ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Operations are on to dismantle illegally constructed bunkers, arrest miscreants and seize illegal arms, he said adding that there has been much progress in these moves.

The projects for which foundation stones were laid included construction of a football stadium and setting up of a market.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gaganyaan’s Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) will take place between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on October 21, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Hamas releases two U.S. hostages as Israel readies Gaza invasion

Gaza’s Hamas rulers released two Americans on Friday among some 200 hostages they abducted in October 7 attacks in Israel and indicated that more could follow.

Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan were back in Israel late Friday, the Israeli government said.

Gaganyaan Mission | ISRO is set for first test flight

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on October 21 will conduct the Gaganyaan’s first Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which will demonstrate the performance of the Crew Escape System.

Calcutta High Court says every ‘female adolescent should control sexual urge’

Calling for decriminalisation of consensual sexual acts involving adolescents above 16 years, the Calcutta High Court, in a recent order, suggested that every female adolescent should “control sexual urge/urges” and “protect her right to integrity of her body”.

Hearing a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the court set aside the conviction of the appellant, who is the maternal uncle of the prosecutrix, stating that this is a case of “non-exploitative consensual sexual relationship between two consenting adolescents though consent in view of the age of the victim is immaterial”.

Mahua Moitra questions media leak of Hiranandani statement

A day after Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of the Hiranandani Group, claimed in an affidavit to the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra provided him her Parliament login credentials so that he could “post the questions” directly “on her behalf when required”, Ms. Moitra questioned the media leak of his affidavit. She also alleged that the BJP’s primary agenda is to expel her from Lok Sabha to stop her from questioning industrialist Gautam Adani. 

Law Commission to share its ‘one nation one election’ plan with Kovind-led panel next week

A panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind has invited the Law Commission to discuss its proposal on holding simultaneous elections. The Commission, headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, is working on a plan that will allow State Assembly elections to be held along with the Parliamentary poll in 2029.

Aus vs Pak | Warner and Marsh pummel Pakistan before the bowlers keep their nerve

Pakistan’s despair after the defeat to India was further deepened as it was beaten by a ruthless Australia by 62 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday.

Chasing a mammoth 368, the classy opening pair of Abdullah Shafique (64, 61b, 7×4, 2×6) and Imam-ul-Haq (70, 71b, 10×4) put on 134. Australia didn’t help themselves by some below-par fielding; Shafique was let off by Sean Abott at deep mid-wicket on 27 while Imam by Pat Cummins on 48.

Manipur High Court allows tribal bodies to appeal against order on ST status for Meiteis

The Manipur High Court has allowed the tribal bodies in the State to appeal against the controversial March 27 order which had directed the State government to send a recommendation on Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Meiteis.

Once again, Friday prayers ‘disallowed’ at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid

Amid heightened security, the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s administration closed the historic Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers in the wake of fears of street protests over the civilian deaths in Palestine.

A spokesman said the Anjuman-i-Auqaf, a caretaker body of the Jamia Masjid, said police officials closed the gates of the mosque and warned against opening the premises for Friday prayers.

Who will ally with Congress if it behaves like this, asks SP chief

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday attacked the Congress by questioning the credibility of the grand old party. Mr. Yadav said that soon after the Madhya Pradesh seat sharing negotiations failed, he came to realise that the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Opposition bloc is only intended for the 2024 general election.

BJP eyes deeper inroads among Dalits, women in U.P. through outreach conferences

With Lok Sabha elections due next year, the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP is renewing its efforts to reach out to Dalits, women, and other marginalised sections of society, at a time when the Dalit-centric Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is losing its relevance among the Scheduled Castes (SC).

Modi government’s policies denying rights to people, says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Launching a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said the Centre’s policies were denying the people their rights and making their life difficult with the increasing unemployment and price rise. Ms. Vadra said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was resorting to “all possible tactics” for clinging to power at the Centre and in several States.

Meta, Google quit tech summit over organizer’s Israel remarks

Meta and Google have pulled out of the Web Summit, one of the tech sector’s biggest annual events, after the organizer criticized Israel’s actions following the Hamas attacks, the companies said on Friday.

Cricket World Cup 2023 ENG vs SA | We’re fully focused on the South Africa game, says Jos Buttler

England and South Africa, following losses to Afghanistan and The Netherlands respectively, will look to get their World Cup campaign back on track when they face off at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

New Delhi:

The CBI on Monday filed a charge sheet against six people and a juvenile in connection with two tribal women being paraded naked in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district in May this year.

A video of the incident, which surfaced in July this year, led to widespread condemnation across the country and globally, prompting the Supreme Court to step in and hand over the case to the CBI.

The agency filed the charge sheet against six people and a report against a child in conflict with the law before a special CBI court in Guwahati.

It was alleged that, on May 4, a mob of approximately 900-1000 individuals, armed with sophisticated weapons, entered B Phainom village in Kangpokpi District of Manipur, vandalised and set houses ablaze, looted properties, assaulted villagers, committed murders, and sexually assaulted women.

It was further alleged that two family members of one of the women paraded naked were also killed in the incident.

The CBI investigation indicated that the accused arrested by Manipur Police were involved in the incident, following which the charge sheet was filed on Monday.

Further investigation is continuing including the identification of other accused involved in the offences beside other aspects of the case.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those pertaining to gang rape, murder, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal conspiracy, the CBI said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Women take part in a candlelight vigil against the “killing” of two missing students by unknown miscreants and demand peace in Manipur, Imphal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Four arrested in Manipur for abduction, killing of two Meitei students

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested four people, including two women, for their alleged role in the abduction and killing of two Meitei students in Manipur in July. They were arrested from the hill district of Churachandpur. The suspects were identified as Paominlun Haokip, S. Malsawm Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite, and Tinneilhing Henthang. They were flown to Guwahati from Imphal by a joint team of the CBI and Manipur Police.

No shortage of TB drugs in India: Union Health Ministry

There is no shortage of anti-tuberculosis medicines in India, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, slamming media reports claiming that such a shortage exists as “false, motivated and misleading”. In a sharp statement, the Ministry asserted that there is a sufficient stock of all anti-TB drugs in the country. The Centre proactively undertakes regular assessments to evaluate the stock positions at various levels, from central warehouses to peripheral health institutes, it said.

Over 9.2 lakh sites host cleanliness drive; PM appeals for swachhata

More than 9.2 lakh sites across the country hosted a mega cleanliness drive on Sunday in which people from across the spectrum, including politicians, celebrities, and students participated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took part in this cleanliness drive along with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria.

AFSPA extended in four districts of Assam, withdrawn from four others

The Assam Police on October 1 said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA has been extended in four districts of the State for six more months. At the Assam Police Day 2023 celebrations in Guwahati, DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh said the ‘disturbed area’ tag, which allows enforcement of the AFSPA, has, however, been withdrawn from four other districts.

Congress, AAP back protest seeking restoration of old pension scheme

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that he has requested the Union government to implement the old pension scheme (OPS) for Delhi government employees. He voiced his support on a day when thousands of protesters gathered at Ramlila Maidan in the capital for an agitation against the new pension scheme (NPS). Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely also participated in the rally and offered his support to the protesters.

Students make 154 sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi

To observe the 154th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Chembrakanam Chitra Shilpakala Academy and Thrikaripur St. Paul’s School are jointly conducting a four-day Chitra Shilpakala Camp, which began on Saturday. The camp saw the creation of 154 sculptures of Gandhi, each meticulously crafted from 1 kg to 5 kg of clay by students. As many as 154 students from over 17 schools participated in the camp.

Demand for inquest into Khalistan activist’s death in Birmingham likely on October 2

The Sikh Federation UK (SFUK) plans to make a formal demand, likely on Monday, for a coroner’s inquest into the death of Khalistani activist Avtar Singh Khanda in Birmingham last June, according to sources aware of the plan. Pro-Khalistani Sikhs also plan to hold a demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in London on October 2, accusing the Indian government of involvement in the death of a pro-Khalistan activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada. The protest is part of a coordinated strategy by Sikh separatists in various countries.

Biden says there’s ‘not much time’ to keep aid flowing to Ukraine and Congress must ‘stop the games’

President Joe Biden said Sunday that American aid to Ukraine will keep flowing for now as he sought to reassure allies of continued U.S. financial support for the war effort. But time is running out, the President said in a warning to Congress. “We cannot under any circumstances allow American for Ukraine to be interrupted,” Mr. Biden said in remarks from the Roosevelt Room after Congress averted a government shutdown by passing a short-term funding package late Saturday that dropped assistance for Ukraine in the battle against Russia.

Turkiye strikes suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq after suicide attack in Ankara

The Turkish Defence Ministry says its warplanes have carried out raids on suspected Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Sunday following a suicide attack on a government building in the Turkish capital. A Ministry statement said some 20 targets of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were “destroyed” in the aerial operation, including caves, shelters, and depots. Earlier, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near an entrance of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, injuring two police officers. A second assailant was killed in a shootout with police on Sunday, the interior minister said.

Indonesia to launch China-funded high-speed rail, first in Southeast Asia

Indonesia is set to launch Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday, a delayed multibillion-dollar project backed by China that will cut travel between capital Jakarta and another major city by hours. The Chinese-made bullet train named “Whoosh” is built to take more than 600 people to and from Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung in 45 minutes and is part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

GST revenue growth slowed to 10.2% in September

Growth in India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues slowed to a 27-month low of 10.2% in September, from around 10.8% in the previous two months. However, collections improved 2.3% over August revenues to touch ₹1,62,712 crore. Revenues from domestic transactions, including services imports, were 14% higher than the tax collected from these sources during September 2022. This is the fourth time that the gross GST kitty has crossed the ₹1.60 lakh crore mark in 2023-24, the Finance Ministry said. 

Hangzhou Asian Games | Abhay’s performance in the final is one for the history books

Abhay Singh is a proud product of the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. The 23-year-old made his alma mater proud by rising from the ashes to help India regain the men’s team gold medal in Hangzhou with a dazzling performance in the third and final rubber against Pakistan in the summit clash. It was an outstanding performance that will go down in history books as one of India’s finest wins in the Asian Games.

Teams deal with warm-up games conundrum

Not much to gain for us. Priority is to look after the players. Just a formality.” That was the crux of India captain Rohit Sharma’s brief chat with the host broadcaster after winning the toss against England in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match. No wonder then that India would not have been too disappointed when a thunderstorm that started minutes before the start of play washed the game out. As a result, India left for Thiruvananthapuram for its last warm-up game with only four players training on the pre-match day.

The total income loss for the State in the farm sector during the violence was estimated at ₹226.5 crore. File image for representation.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

GUWAHATI: Manipur’s Agriculture Department has come up with a crop compensation package of ₹38.06 crore as relief for the farmers affected by the ethnic conflict that broke out on May 3. 

The ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki and the non-tribal Meitei communities has claimed more than 200 lives and displaced about 60,000 people. The turmoil also prevented farmers in the violence-prone areas from tending to their fields, resulting in crop loss. 

Officials said the package was estimated on the basis of an independent survey conducted by Loumee Shinmee Apunba Lup, a farmers’ body which estimated that paddy crop on a total of 9,719 hectares of land on the periphery of Imphal Valley could fail as farmers are afraid to go to the fields because of sporadic firing by armed miscreants from higher grounds. 

The total income loss for the State in the farm sector during the violence was estimated at ₹226.5 crore, with rice accounting for 93.36% of the total agriculture and allied activities followed by livestock farming. 

Worst affected

“Of the five crisis-hit valley districts [Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, and Thoubal], Bishnupur is the worst affected in terms of agricultural land area comprising 5,288 hectares, constituting 54.4% of the total land area of 9,718 hectares followed by Imphal East with 1,770 hectares and Imphal West,” the report said. 

Bishnupur, which shares its boundary with Churachandpur district, has been one of the most vulnerable districts. Farmers of Phubala, Sunusiphai, Naranseina, Khoirentak, Kumbi, Sagang, Torbung, Wangoo, and Khoijuman Khunou villages have been the worst hit, some of them having sustained bullet injuries. 

“The current situation is such that our farmers are back to square one. Despite the security arrangements, they fear to venture out to the fields to take care of the paddy plants,” president of the farmers’ body Mutum Churamani said. 

He said the farmers were scared to go to their fields located mostly near the foothills, from where intermittent firing had been taking place over the past five months. 

“With security arrangements, we somehow managed to send our farmers in July to initiate tilling and prepare for sowing. A State-level monitoring committee was later formed for this purpose,” Mr. Churamani said. 

Apart from the commissioner and director of the Agriculture Department, the committee comprised members of five farmers’ organisations. Following the advice of the committee, the Manipur government started providing security cover for the farmers during the kharif season for working in the fields. 

About 2,000 security personnel had been diverted for this purpose by downgrading VIP security cover with district commissioners of affected districts appealing to the peasants not to venture out for farming activities without security arrangements considering the volatile situation. 

State Agriculture Commissioner R.K. Dinesh Singh said that in order to mitigate the current crisis, the department approached the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for funding a crop compensation package as relief for the farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by the ethnic violence. 

“The MHA accepted the proposal of the department for a crop compensation package of ₹38.06 crore. We want to speed up the process of releasing the relief package to the affected farmers by November,” he said.