Kuki-Zo student organisations urge people to observe shutdown on May 3 in parts of Manipur
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Two Kuki -Zomi student organisations have urged people to observe a shutdown of all educational institutions and business establishments in parts of Manipur on May 3 to mark the second anniversary of the beginning of ethnic violence in the state. Zomi Students Federation ( ZSF) and Kuki Students Organisation ( KSO) said May 3, 2025, marks the completion of two years of the outbreak of the ethnic strife and urged all "to observe the day in silence by closing all educational institutions and all business establishments".More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.The imposition of the President's rule came after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.The student bodies also called for "hoisting black flags at the respective residences of all".These organisations also said a "mass prayer would be observed at Martyrs' cemetery and a public gathering at the wall of remembrance in Churachandpur district headquarters", and asked the public to attend the programme.Earlier, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said May 3 would be observed as a "Separation Day".In a statement, the ITLF said, "There will be a day of reflection and remembrance for the victims of the ethnic conflict that has deeply impacted the Kuki-Zo communities".There will be a series of programmes, including prayers and exhortations for the victims and their families, a keynote address, organisational reports, and speeches by various tribal leaders, it said in a statement.Imphal valley-based COCOMI, a Meitei organisation, had on Tuesday appealed to the people to halt all activities on May 3 and attend a public convention being organised on the day at Khuman Lampak stadium to discuss the future of the state.Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) also announced that May 3 this year would be observed as a "solemn day of remembrance and solidarity under the theme Bridging Divides for Shared Future".
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Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Libraries thrive in violence-hit Manipur offering job-seekers quiet places to read, surf internet
Imphal, With unreliable mobile internet connection and no suitable place at home to study for competitive exams, many job aspirants in Manipur are visiting private libraries, which offer them both facilities at a low cost. Libraries thrive in violence-hit Manipur offering job-seekers quiet places to read, surf internet {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Amid the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities, which killed over 260 people and rendered thousands homeless in the state, these libraries have been flourishing in the last two to three years, serving the needs of job-seekers, readers and owners of these facilities said. {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} Unlike traditional libraries stocked with extensive academic collections, these private spaces offer magazines, study materials for competitive examinations and wi-fi internet connections and provide a calm, comfortable environment where visitors can focus on reading books they bring themselves. Th Abemma, a government job aspirant in Imphal, was found reading books and surfing the internet at a private library to prepare herself for state civil service exams, while Laishram Victor, a graduate, was busy studying for CDS tests at such a facility here. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} Like Abemma and Victor, there are many job aspirants who are preparing for competitive exams at 40 such private libraries in Imphal area and Kakching district, as they have a "poor environment for reading" at their homes, with many suffering from frequent internet shutdowns amid ethnic violence in the state, the stakeholders said. {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} Like Abemma and Victor, there are many job aspirants who are preparing for competitive exams at 40 such private libraries in Imphal area and Kakching district, as they have a "poor environment for reading" at their homes, with many suffering from frequent internet shutdowns amid ethnic violence in the state, the stakeholders said. {{/usCountry}} Read More {{^usCountry}} The new culture of reading books and accessing the internet at a common space has taken shape in the past two years with the emergence of private libraries, catering to the needs of those who do not have separate rooms for study at their residence, said Victor who completed his graduation from West Bengal's Darjeeling in 2023 and visits a library on a daily basis from 7 am to 5 pm to prepare for SSC and CDS exams. {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} The new culture of reading books and accessing the internet at a common space has taken shape in the past two years with the emergence of private libraries, catering to the needs of those who do not have separate rooms for study at their residence, said Victor who completed his graduation from West Bengal's Darjeeling in 2023 and visits a library on a daily basis from 7 am to 5 pm to prepare for SSC and CDS exams. {{/usCountry}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} "Three years ago, there were just fewer than five private libraries or reading spaces in Imphal. Many of my friends and I could not book a seat at these facilities as seats were limited. That's how a friend of mine and I came up with the idea of setting up a library to cater to the needs of readers, especially those who have completed their studies and are preparing for different national-level exams," Books and Brain Co-founder A Mayanglambam told PTI. A majority of the visitors in their library in Imphal's Keisampat area, with a seating capacity of 92, are those preparing for NEET exams and other national-level competitive tests, he said. "Many of them do not have the leisure time to read novels. And hence, I concentrated mostly on providing a comfortable reading space and didn't think of stocking too many books," Mayanglambam, who himself is preparing for banking exams, added. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Charging monthly fees ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹1,300, more than 40 private libraries have sprouted in the last two or three years in the Imphal area and Kakching district, all catering to the needs of readers, said Johnson Yumnam, who runs My Reading Room at Ghari. "The private library boom in Imphal stems from a poor reading environment at home. The libraries are mostly frequented by job aspirants who find it difficult to concentrate on their studies at home. Since most of them have completed their education, they find a level of competitiveness when they visit the libraries," Yumnam told PTI. A library culture has existed in Manipur for decades but seats are very limited. After the COVID pandemic and the ethnic conflict, there has been a sudden surge of interest in private libraries, the owners said. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} The interest in these libraries is also linked to an increasing number of Manipuri youths taking a keen interest in national exams, including SSC, banking and UPSC, they said. "Many of the families in Imphal live in congested areas and youths often have to share rooms with their siblings and elders. The private libraries provide an atmosphere to connect with other aspirants and discuss on the strategies to prepare for national-level exams. Studying at home can make one feel isolated as well and so they come here to connect with their peers who share similar objectives," Yumnam added. The facilities provided by the private libraries, such as reliable internet, are another factor that has attracted many readers. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Abemma, a state civil service aspirant who recently cleared prelims and will appear for the mains exam, said, "The state has often witnessed internet shutdowns and regular power cut-offs. Private libraries provide free wi-fi facilities by obtaining permits from government authorities in times of internet ban and the rooms are fully air-conditioned. This also makes the aspirants enroll at the private libraries as well." "At some libraries, cafes are also attached to provide brief recreation for the readers, and this makes these facilities more attractive for readers," she added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. imphal See Less SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Indian Express
In Manipur, extending President's Rule is not a solution
In February this year, the N Biren Singh-led government's failure to stanch ethnic violence since May 2023 prompted the Centre to intervene and impose President's Rule in Manipur. The provision is intended as a temporary mechanism to ensure the governance of a state in which there has been a 'failure of [the] constitutional machinery'. It is not designed to be a permanent solution or a substitute for a popular government. President's Rule is a means to an end, not the end by itself. In this context, the government's move to extend President's Rule by another six months, scheduled in this Parliament session, raises questions about whether the Centre's efforts so far have significantly advanced the objective of restoring normalcy in the state. While it is reassuring that no major episode of violence has occurred since last November — when 22 people were killed over 11 days, most of them in Jiribam district — it is also true that there has been little progress in the dialogue between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Three key issues require urgent resolution: Free movement, the relocation of internally displaced persons, and the circulation of weapons. In early March, Home Minister Amit Shah had called for unrestricted movement across Manipur in an effort to reverse the segregation of the two communities. However, that initiative collapsed on its very first day. According to this newspaper, fresh negotiations are now underway between the government and Kuki militant groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement to reach a deal that would allow free movement of people and goods. On relocation, former Manipur Chief Secretary P K Singh announced earlier this month that efforts are being made to resettle those displaced by the conflict in three phases, with the goal of completing the process by the end of the year. As per estimates from the Manipur Home Department, around 57,000 people continue to struggle in over 280 relief camps across the valley and the hills. Finally, despite the Governor's efforts to curb the circulation of illegal weapons, roughly 3,000 looted arms are still unaccounted for. It is only natural for the people of Manipur to feel increasingly restless over the continued absence of a popular government. This is why the NDA's Meitei and Naga MLAs have also been campaigning for months to push for its restoration, while Kuki-Zo groups are wary of the prospect of another partisan leader at the helm. The Centre may believe that extending President's Rule is in the state's best interest for now, but it needs to move with urgency to restart the political process. Simultaneously, it must take steps to curb the influence of militant groups on both sides that could derail attempts at reconciliation. Peace — and the return of the mediating role of politics — must no more be held hostage to entrenched ethnic rivalries.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Myanmar refugees to face deportation if convicted of drug offences: Mizo group
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