Okram Ibobi Singh government extends AFSPA for a year in Manipur

Imphal: Amid continuing protests against the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the Okram Ibobi Singh government has extended its enforcement across the state by another year, with effect from Tuesday baring the Imphal municipal areas.

Activist from the state, Irom Sharmila Chanu, has been on a fast for the past 14 years to seek the withdrawal of the military act, which gives security forces unbridled powers, including the right to shoot people on suspicion.

Notably Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not mention AFSPA in his speech during the closing ceremony of the Sangai Festival on Sunday. BJP had promised to withdraw the act in its poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha election.

The state cabinet, which met on Monday evening, extended the 'disturbed area' status in the state which is necessitated for the imposition of AFSPA. According to Section 3 of the act, the state government can extend the 'disturbed area' status over the whole state or selected areas.

In the aftermath of the brutal murder and rape of Thangjam Manorama Devi by Assam Rifles personnel in July 2004, the state government lifted the tag from the seven assembly segments in Imphal.

Chaired by chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, the cabinet made note of the continuing violence, including bomb blasts, in different parts of the state, official sources said.

The cabinet decided to request the state governor to convene the winter session of the 10th state legislative assembly. The winter session is likely to begin from December 18.

A Supreme Court order said the state government should review the decision to apply the 'disturbed area' tag over a state or some areas of it, with due permission of the chief minister, after every six months depending on the prevailing law and order situation, the sources added.

~TimesofIndia

Kuki Organisations disturbing tripartite talks, Submits memorandum to PM

The proposed next round of talks among the representatives of the Union and State governments and the United Naga Council (UNC) on Thursday at the district headquarters of Senapati in Manipur are facing rough weather. After an inordinate delay the Union government is arranging the next round of talks. The UNC has been demanding “alternative arrangement” for the Nagas in Manipur contending that the Nagas in Manipur no longer want to stay under the “communal government led by Okram Ibobi Singh”. The earlier talks were inconclusive and infructuous.

Ahead of the next round of talks two Kuki tribal organisations, the Kuki Impi Manipur and the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights, have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohon Singh saying that the outcome of the talks will not be acceptable to the Kukis in Manipur. Manipur has been the home of the Nagas, the Kuki and the Meiteis for generations. The Naga and the Kuki tribals inhabit the mountains while the non-tribal Meiteis have been settling in the valley districts.

In the backdrop of this memorandum the next round of talks is likely to be perfunctory and lukewarm and may not result even in an interim agreement. But in the past the UNC and other Naga organisations had launched agitations, including shutdowns of the national highways  that are the lifelines of Manipur.

One must know that the Nagas have never claimed the lands which rightfully belongs to the kukis. The alternative arrangement is for the Nagas in the Naga inhabited areas and as such never intervene in the affairs of the Kukis. In contrary to this, one may recall that the Kukis has been claiming the lands which rightfully belongs to the Tangkhul Nagas in Ukhrul District in the form of Sadar Hills.