News Analysis India

Tag: Manipur Government

  • ‘Let democracy return, we will throw you out’: Myanmar group to Manipur insurgents

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: A pro-democracy organisation in coup-hit Myanmar said it would evict the insurgents from Manipur, operating out of the country’s soil, following the return of democracy.

    In a “warning statement”, the People’s Defence Force, which is based in Myanmar’s Tamu and Sagaing region, asked the insurgents to immediately stop fighting against the Myanmar nationals in league with the military.

    “We strongly believe that we will win shortly. This is to let them know that when democracy is restored, they shall not be allowed to live in Myanmar. So, we warn them to immediately stop supporting and working with the military forces,” the statement said.

    The organisation said instead of living in democratic Manipur and India, the extremists were operating out of Tamu and Sagaing region and fighting against people of the country.

    ​ALSO READ | Rights panel directs Manipur govt to protect lives of RTI activists threatened by insurgent group

    “We warn them to immediately stop supporting and working with the military and stop fighting us. If they don’t care about this warning, they will be listed, in generation(s) to come, as the people who don’t like democracy in Myanmar,” the statement said.

    “Democracy for us, the people of Myanmar, went away when the military took over the country on February 1, 2021. Since then, we have been making every effort to fight against the forces to get a federal democratic system in our country,” the statement further said.

    The organisation is optimistic that democracy in the country will return soon.

    Some militant organisations from the Northeast, including United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and People’s Liberation Army of Manipur, have their bases in Myanmar.

    Ever since their coming together a few years ago under the banner of Western South East Asia or WESEA, they have carried out several coordinated attacks on the security forces in Northeast.

  • Rights panel directs Manipur govt to protect lives of RTI activists threatened by insurgent group

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has directed the state government to protect the lives of four RTI activists who have gone into hiding fearing “reprisal” from insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

    Based on a complaint filed by rights activist, Wahengbam Joykumar Singh, the MHRC directed the state’s Director-General of Police and Special Secretary (Home) to arrange a secure place for sheltering the four activists and look into the matter of alleged threats to their lives.

    Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) transferred three petitions to the MHRC for disposal in connection with the case.

    K Enoch, P Johnson, SP Benjamin and PR Amose, all of them from the state’s Senapati district, annoyed the NSCN-IM by filing RTI applications pertaining to some development work initiated by the government.

    According to the complaint, some NSCN-IM rebels had abducted Enoch on January 20 last year, tortured him and pressured him to withdraw his RTI application. On learning about the incident, 31 locals of Taphou Phyamai village in Senapati had filed 31 RTI applications in a show of solidarity with the activists.

    Singh, who had filed the petition with the NHRC, wrote: “…It is the bounden duty of the respondents to protect and secure the life and limb of the citizens and (as) such, the Authority concerned may provide dwelling rooms/houses to the victims/RTI users at some secure place like 1st Manipur Rifles/2nd Manipur Rifles complex, guesthouse or some other secured places along with foodgrains till the amicable settlement of the case.”

    Viewing the matter with all seriousness, the MHRC directed the DGP and the Special Secretary to find out a safe location to lodge the activists and secure their right to life as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

  • SC raps Manipur government over COVID preparedness, says will not give character certificate

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Manipur government for the “pathetic” conditions in COVID-19 quarantine Centres in the state and said “we are not going to give you character certificate”.

    The top court said that High Courts were the bastion of ensuring justice during the COVID-19 period and it is not going to interfere with the orders passed against the state government.

    A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli, dismissed an appeal of Manipur government against the two orders of the High Court passed last year on a PIL with regard to ensuring facilities at hospitals and COVID-19 quarantine centres.

    “We are not going to give you a character certificate. High Courts were bastions of ensuring justice during the COVID-19 period. Sorry, we are not going to interfere with the orders,” the bench said.

    Advocate Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, appearing for the state government, said that orders were passed by the High Court on a PIL and certain directions were passed, which were not feasible.

    “Your facilities at the COVID-19 centres were pathetic. You did not have separate bathrooms for men and women. Even bed rolls were changed after 15 days. There were no doctors’ visits to the quarantine centres. The High Court has passed a very much calibrated and restrained orders, we are not going to interfere with them,” the bench said.

    The High Court on July 16, 2020 had said that the State Government shall consider to constitute various committees consisting of experts only, probably, in all major Departments which shall collect information, relevant data, discuss with the stakeholders including farmers, entrepreneurs, workers and assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and submit their reports with suggested remedial measures to the State Government, so that an effective action plan can be made well in advance.

    It had directed that the State Government shall share all the information, without any discrimination except those which are exempted under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, with the general public relating to any action taken by it towards combating COVID-19 crisis including the one relating to spending public money, infrastructure, manpower, facilities in the quarantine centres and in particular, the institutional quarantine centres for combating COVID-19 crisis.

    The High Court has also directed the State Government to frame exhaustive rules and regulations to regulate the functioning of the State Government towards combating COVID-19 crisis or modify suitably the existing SOP, depending upon the change of circumstances.

    It had asked the Manipur Human Rights Commission to submit its bill to the State Government towards the expenditure incurred by it while conducting the spot inquiry.

  • Manipur government calls for muting ambulance sirens amid Covid-19 anxiety

    By PTI
    IMPHAL: The Manipur government has called for muting sirens of ambulances in the state in a bid to reduce anxiety and panic amid the COVID-19 gloom, officials said.

    The state’s medical directorate, in a memorandum, urged chief medical officers, medical superintendents, staff of private hospitals and ambulance operators to “silence sirens as they are panicking people and causing social anxiety”.

    “Only if roads are blocked, sirens should be activated,” it added.

    The state government had earlier imposed curfew in the districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Churachandpur on May 8, which has been extended till May 28.

    Manipur on Tuesday reported 624 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 40,683.

    The death toll climbed to 612 with 20 more fatalities.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Incidents of Myanmarese influx into Manipur not reported so far: CM Biren Singh

    By ANI
    IMPHAL: Amid ongoing violence in Myanmar after the military coup last month, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday said that incidents of the influx of people from Myanmar into Manipur has not been reported so far.

    He further said that security forces are put on alert at the borders. “Till now, there is no information about the influx (of Myanmarese) into the state. We have deployed and alerted the security at the border. The matter is a bilateral issue between India and Myanmar. The state cannot take any action on this issue,” said Singh.

    The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday asked four northeastern states- Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh- to take appropriate action as per law to prevent a possible influx of people from Myanmar into India.

    The MHA also said that it has been reported that illegal influx from Myanmar has started and agencies have been asked to identify migrants and initiate the deportation processes without delay.

    The Home Ministry reiterated that state governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations have no power to grant “refugee” status to any foreigner as India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol.

    The military toppled Myanmar’s elected government on February 1 and launched a massive crackdown on anti-coup protesters, shutting down the internet and arresting hundreds of people, including the state counsellor, de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the figurehead president.

    Violence against protesters has so far left over 60 people dead and more than 1,800 people arrested.

  • Delhi HC issues notice to NHRC, Manipur govt in alleged 2009 extrajudicial killing case

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on a plea challenging an order passed by it in September 2020 in a matter related to the alleged extrajudicial killing of two people by a combined force of Manipur Police commandos and 16th Assam Rifles in Imphal, Manipur on January 21, 2009.

    The bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh on Friday while seeking a response from NHRC and State of Manipur also directed them to file detail affidavit in this regard and slated the matter for April 22 for further hearing.

    The plea stated that in February 2020, an order passed by the NHRC after considering all the submissions/reports including Magisterial Inquiry Report held that deceased Ningthoujam Ananda Singh and Palungbam Kunabihar were killed by the combined force of Manipur Police Commandos and 16th Assam Rifles in an extra-judicial manner and their right to life was violated by the police. In March 2020, NHRC also rejected the contention of the State of Manipur that the encounter was real and directed the State of Manipur to submit the compliance report with respect to the recommendation for payment of relief along with proof of payment of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakh only) each.

    The plea states that instead of ensuring compliance of its own order passed in March 2020, NHRC on 08/09/2020 unreasonably and unjustifiably closed the case by stating that it will be open to the next of kin of the deceased to approach the competent court of law for claiming the relief of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakh only) each as recommended by it, if the Manipur government does not provide the relief within four weeks.

    The petitioner who has knocked the doors of Delhi HC is Suhas Chakma, Director of the National Campaign for Prevention of Torture, a non-governmental organisation, which regularly takes up cases of torture for effective redressal by the authorities including the NHRC and others commissions, established to address human rights violations in and around the country.

    The petition also sought a direction to the NHRC to approach the concerned High Court or the Supreme Court exercising its power under Section 18(b) of the Protection of Human Rights Act if its recommendations for grant of relief or the initiation of proceedings for prosecution are not complied with by the concerned authorities.  

  • Manipur government cannot afford further engagement of contractual COVID-19 health workers: CM Biren Singh

    Agitating workers had in a failed attempt even tried to storm the chief minister #39;s bungalow earlier this week.