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The Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
The Meitei Voices From Manipur Who Paid the Price For Criticising Biren Singh
New Delhi: This June 22, a low intensity bomb exploded near the residence of the former Manipur deputy chief minister Y. Joykumar. Police search unearthed another bomb, 'a battery-fitted' one, hidden at a meira shang (a public shed) near his house. Local news reports stated that the bomb was suspected to have been planted at the location by 'militants'. The explosive might have been triggered remotely, according to the police. Though no one was injured, the fact that the bombs were planted on the busy DC Road of Imphal in an afternoon has angered the residents of the area. Local women carried out a sit-in protest urging 'all groups' to 'avoid actions that could put the lives of innocent civilian in danger.' For over two years now, Manipur has been under the cloud of an ethnic conflict. It also means that the two communities directly identified with, and affected by, that conflict – the Kukis and the Meiteis – don't usually step into areas (districts) where they are not in a majority for the fear of coming under communal attack. Even though President's Rule has been clamped in February, that 'buffer zone' between the hill and the valley districts of the border state – a byproduct of that conflict – has not been lifted. Incidents of violence, like the bomb blast on June 22 at Imphal, and one in Churachandpur in April, continue. With none criss-crossing through each other's 'territories', the sit-in protesters in Imphal were essentially urging 'all groups' (read militants/armed militia) belonging only to the valley districts – areas where the Meitei community is in a majority. They were urging the armed groups within their own community not to target them, and other civilians. As such, the conflict has been between the Kukis and the Meities, but it would be ingenuous of anyone to look at it merely as a black and white case where the division has been firmed up only on ethnic lines. Voices questioning N. Biren Singh face threats and physical attacks Many political and civil society voices within the Meitei community who have questioned the chief minister (now former) N. Biren Singh about the conflict that had unfolded under his watch; some expressing concern at the unchallenged power enjoyed by an armed militia like the Arambai Tenggol formed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP L. Sanajaoba, and seen to be backed by Singh as the chief minister, have faced continuous threats and physical attacks – so much so that some such voices have to leave their home state, lest their houses would be burnt; their safety not guaranteed by Manipur Police. Till recently, Biren Singh was also the state's home minister. By now, it is well-known that noted Imphal-based human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam had to leave home for speaking up after he gave an interview to a Newsclick journalist in Imphal during the ethnic conflict in 2023. In the interview, Loitongbam had pointed fingers at Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun for the violence unleashed on the Kuki residents in the valley areas. After the interview, he was accused of bringing a bad name to the Meitei community; his house was vandalised and he was forced to issue an apology. Even after he had left Imphal, in September 2024, at least 50 people from Meitei Leepun had landed up at his office-cum-house and threatened his family. His ageing father was at the house then. It has been two years now that Loitongbam, an important civil society voice from Manipur who also was the force behind the Supreme Court taking note of 1,528 'fake' encounters in that north-eastern state, has to stay in self exile in Delhi and elsewhere. Those 'fake' encounters carried out by security forces in Manipur over a period of time under the cover of Armed Forces (Special Powers ) Act, were mostly on men from the Meitei community. It was an important intervention for the conflict-ridden state, and for the community in general which has been bearing the brunt of the enduring conflict in that state. And yet, Loitongbam has to stay away from his family at Imphal now because of the direct threats to him and his family by radical groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, with state police unable to give him protection. Yet another example of such a self-exile from the Meitei community during the ethnic conflict is 68-year-old Nabashyam Heigrujan, chairman of the Meitei World Council. The website of the Imphal-based Council describes itself as a 'movement' that 'envisages the re-awakening and rejuvenation of the Meetei people through conscious collective efforts for social advancement, the pursuit of happiness and reclaiming our instruments of humanity to achieve our cause for a dignified life.' The Council bats for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. Though Nabashyam, who also taught at the Imphal College, is now a civil society activist, in 2017, he had contested the state elections, unsuccessfully, as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress. After he moved to Delhi in mid-2024, Nabashyam, in an interview to The Wire, had categorically stated that the Biren Singh government 'could have controlled' the situation on May 3, 2023, but it didn't. Also Read: Manipur Tapes: CM's Brother, Arambai Tenggol Founder's Threats To 'Traitors' Who Leaked Tapes to 'Enemy' Contradict Biren's 'Doctored' Claim He had also said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had wanted to restore order and peace in Manipur, he could have done it 'in 24 hours buts has failed to do so'. On asked why he had to leave Imphal for good last year, Nabashyam told this correspondent, 'My only mistake seemed to be that I took to social media platform X last year to say that the then chief minister Biren Singh was responsible for what is happening in Manipur. As the CM, it was his duty to maintain law and order in my state. I spoke up. And since that day, my life has not remained the same." "Twice, armed thugs came to my house in Imphal to threaten me. An FIR was also filed against me on false charges. I finally had to seek bail from the court. I realised I will have to self-exile myself. So, in July 2024, I shifted base to Delhi while my wife has remained in Imphal. Because of that tweet, I am separated from my family,' Nabashyam had added. Nabashyam said, 'Even in Delhi, the address was somehow found and three thugs were sent to threaten me so that I don't speak against Biren Singh.' 'It is only money power. In Manipur, if you give money today, it is not difficult to take one's life.' On reminding him that there is President's Rule in the state, he replied, 'There is no popular government in Manipur yet; the situation is still fluid. Singh may not be the chief minister anymore, but he is still very powerful. He has money power. It is not safe for me to return home as yet.' When armed group 'close to Singh' picked up veteran journalist This correspondent reached out to veteran journalist Laba Yambem who was picked up from his residence in Imphal by militants belonging to the United National Liberation Front (Pambei) just a day after Biren Singh had to step down as the chief minister this past February. His offence was, speaking up against a militant group from the Meitei community which had, in November 2023, signed a peace agreement with the Modi government, facilitated by Biren Singh. The group is seen 'close to Singh' in the state. Laba had stated on a local television channel in Imphal then the need for the government to control the outfit, which is overground with arms even after having signed the peace deal. Laba had to eventually upload a video, taking back his words as the price for his freedom. Considered a vocal critic of Biren Singh, the journalist who contributes to The Statesman, was also arrested in October 2024 in a case which he had categorically called 'fake'. Some months ago, he had also filed a petition on phone tapping with the National Human Rights Commission. Laba recounted, 'A lot of things have happened before that abduction in February. Just days after the ethnic conflict broke out, I had alleged that the victory of Biren Singh's second wife from the Chandel assembly seat in 2022 was done with help of Kuki militants. It was confirmed to me by one of their top leaders. I had alleged that it was the reason why Biren Singh did not act against Kuki boys forming part of the May 3 2023 rally with M-16 rifles which eventually led to the violence." "The news was published in Sangai Express, which under the pressure of the chief minister, also carried an apology for that story. In September 2024, at around 3.30 am, my house in Imphal came under heavy gun fire just because I had issued a statement that day to the effect that Biren is not Manipur and that Manipur is not Biren and the choice is before the people of Manipur," said Laba. "Then, in November, 2024, at least 30 armed men barged into my residence and at gunpoint directed me to remove a Facebook post which I had uploaded that day. I had immediately informed the police but it took them one month to take up the investigation. The point is, the room for a free and fair discussion on any topic relating to the state and society no longer exists in Manipur,' Laba added. He then repeated what Nabashyam had told The Wire, 'Biren Singh is no longer in power but the disruption done to the body polity of the state remains.' Prior to joining politics, Biren Singh was a fellow journalist. In Imphal, a well-known story goes that once, Singh, as a journalist, was 'summoned' by the Meitei militant group, UNLF, along with some others, a practice long endured by many in that state. Singh was asked to stay back by the banned armed group while all others were allowed to leave. 'It was all thanks to Pradip Panjhoubham (then the editor of the Imphal Free Press) who insisted that since they came together, they should leave together. He was allowed to return but the newspaper he headed then was banned from publishing (by the militants),' Laba recalled. He also added, 'Finally, it was me who did the negotiations to ensure that the publication of that paper was resumed. I cooked lunch and invited everyone home to ensure that the compromise between UNLF, Biren Singh who was its editor, and the publisher David went through.' Inspite of such threats, Laba, though, has stayed put in Imphal. On asked about it, he quoted Shakespeare, 'I returned from Delhi in 1983 because it's my homeland, my country. I intend to stay here because as William Shakespeare had famously said in Macbeth, 'Come what may, time and hour runs through the roughest day.'' Yet another person who has chosen to continue staying in Imphal, even though she has been relentlessly threatened by armed militias allegedly close to powers be, is former decorated police officer Thonoujam Brinda. During the conflict, she came across as a powerful voice in the valley areas to have questioned the chief minister about his claim about drug peddling only by the Kuki community. That she particularly chose to speak up about Singh as the chief minister 'asking' her to not go after a drug 'king pin' from the Kuki community in 2020 even though he was caught with contraband by her team, made her a target for groups like Meitei Leepun. 'Singh is using brute force as a means to silence his critics' Though not all can endure the pressure from the near and dear ones to either remain quiet, or leave Manipur, for the fear of being harmed. Erendro Leichombam is one such name from the Meitei community. An alumni of Harvard University, Erendro had returned home around 2016 and co-formed a political party, People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance, with noted Manipuri anti-AFSPA activist Irom Sharmila. They contested assembly elections in 2017, unsuccessfully. Sharmila, thereafter, left Manipur and Erendro continued in Imphal as a political activist. In 2018, he was charged under the National Security Act (NSA) for commenting on a video clip where some men from Bihar were seen threatening to eliminate Manipuris. State police asked him to remove the video with the comments from Facebook which he refused; called it a hate video and said that 'while the state cyber crime branch had arrested a person in no time for threatening to kill the son of the chief minister N. Biren Singh, those threatening to kill Manipuris were not being arrested by the police.' Alongside Erendro, an Imphal-based young journalist Wangkhem Kishorechandra was also arrested under the NSA. That was Kishore's third arrest in the Biren era. All those arrests were triggered by his scathing criticism of the chief minister, PM Modi and the BJP-RSS. He continues to reside in Imphal. Just recently, Erendro was granted political asylum by the United States, and has since left the country. This June 19, he wrote a long post on Facebook about his self exile. 'I did not choose exile. It arrived like a severance – swift, political, intimate…I was an outspoken political activist. I spoke my mind, loudly and clearly – and for that, I was imprisoned. More than once, Eventually, I was forced to leave not because I was wrong, but because I would not stop. I left Manipur in 2022," Erendro said. "In 2025, I was granted political asylum by the United States government. America has gracefully given me political asylum. It was a moment of profound relief – and sorrow. Relief, because I was safe. Sorrow because exile is never a celebration. It is a confirmation that something deeply unjust has taken root in one's homeland,' Erendro added in the post. Yet another civil rights activist from Imphal, Binalakshmi Nepram, has also been in the United States in political asylum after facing threats to her life for supporting a family whose son was allegedly gunned down by Biren Singh's son in broad daylight in Imphal in 2017. 'While Bina has not come home, as per a Supreme Court order, her parents' house in Sagolband area of Imphal is still being guarded by a team of the Central Reserve Police Force,' related Laba. Even though threats to Bina took place during the first term of Biren Singh as the BJP chief minister, Laba said it was 'good and Manipur was poised to return to normalcy'. But what happened in the second term? 'If you ask me, Singh has no experience in handling crisis of such magnitude, and therefore, began using brute force as a means to silence his critics, both in politics, civil society and media.'
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Meet the Nightingales: From providing palliative care in remote villages to caring for colleagues during the pandemic, cancer patients
Leimapokpam Ranjita Devi and her husband used to routinely hop on a scooter at odd hours to provide palliative care to patients in remote Manipur villages. Banu M R cared for her sick colleagues in the NIMHANS hostel and guest house in Bengaluru to free up beds for patients with severe Covid-19 infection. As an oncology nurse, when the concept of palliative care was relatively unknown, Major-General Sheena P D has counselled numerous cancer patients and their families on accepting the diagnosis and getting treatment. The trio was among the 15 nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives and women health workers from across India who were conferred the Florence Nightingale Award by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. Of these awardees, four each are from the North-East and union territories, and two from the national capital. Ranjita tells The Indian Express, 'One of my seniors asked me to apply for the award, but I barely had any photographs or videos that I was required to upload as part of my nomination. However, I got this award for training other nurses at the hospital.' Having spent most of her nearly 20-year career at the Imphal-based Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranjita has many feathers in her cap over the years — from providing palliative care and training nurses in the red zone (areas in the hospital with severely ill Covid-19 patients) to setting up the protocol for the kidney transplant team at the institute and being a part of the rapid action team established after violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023. 'Since I live on campus, I frequently cover shifts for nurses who are unable to report for duty. I still remember being asked to come to the hospital on May 3 (2023). I ended up staying all night. People kept coming in with injuries the whole time,' she recalls. Before all this, Ranjita was a part of a four-member team that provided door-to-door palliative care. 'I would receive a call if a patient removed their Ryle's tube (used for feeding through the nose) by mistake or if they were in too much pain. One by one, the others moved to different teams, but they would keep referring their patients to me,' she says, adding that though the programme has been discontinued, 'this is what I am most proud of'. While Ranjita says she has never hesitated in taking care of her patients, she recalls a scare she got while seven months pregnant with her second child. 'I remember rushing to a hospital corridor at the end of my night shift to help a woman, who had started delivering her baby there. In the afternoon, I received a call and was informed that the woman was HIV positive. I had to take medicines to protect myself and my baby,' she says. Like Ranjita, Banu too has never shied away from her duties as a nurse at NIMHANS, one of the country's foremost mental health hospitals. Taking care of nearly 170 doctors, nurses, health workers and medical students during the pandemic, she says, 'earned me this award'. Banu, who specialises in taking care of patients with psychiatric and neurological conditions, manages a rehabilitation centre at NIMHANS. 'There are several patients who do not have an acute condition, but their mental ailments don't quite not allow them to integrate into society. So our centre gives them structure. They work at the centre daily, from 8 am to 4 pm, making cakes, paper, printing things, etc. They also receive some remuneration for their work,' she says. Banu is also the lead author of a study related to the pandemic, which found that the lockdown and unavailability of alcohol had resulted in fewer road accidents, though cases of domestic violence had gone up. For the study, Banu, who also worked at the hospital's neuro-emergency department during the pandemic, collected data on walk-ins with head injuries. As part of her PhD thesis, she has created a protocol to reduce and stop the use of tobacco among people with schizophrenia. 'Though we were able to get only 25% of these people to stop using tobacco for a week, the use did dip significantly,' she says. In her message to future nurses, she says, 'You don't have to be Mother Teresa, but if you become a nurse, you have to work hard with honesty and with humanity.' Major-General Sheena, who has worked 10 years as a critical care nurse and as an oncology nurse for nearly two decades, agrees with Banu's message. 'It is a job that requires a lot of dedication, devotion and diligence,' she says. Having trained as an oncology nurse at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital and worked with cancer patients on multiple Army bases across the country, she says, 'When I started as an oncology nurse, not many were trained in the field. There was no concept of palliative care. I am happy that nurses have now started specialising in different fields, including cancer care.' Before retiring from service in April, Major-General Sheena worked at the Army headquarters for 12 years, where her duties included inducting younger nurses to the service. One of the biggest challenges for her over the years, she says, has been giving 'realistic' hope to her patients and their families. Other 'challenges', she says, included preparing her patients to deal with their therapies, and counselling families on how to support and care for cancer patients. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Home Secretary likely to visit Manipur next week
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan is likely to visit Manipur next week, on June 2 and June 3, in the wake of fresh protests and a 'civil disobedience' call by Meitei groups in the northeastern State over the May 20 incident in Gwaltabi. On that day, security forces allegedly tried to cover the word 'Manipur' on a State transport bus that was ferrying journalists to the hill district of Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival. After arriving in Imphal, the Home Secretary is likely to visit the Kuki-Zo areas in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi to review relief and rehabilitation work and the overall security scenario in the State, officials said. In an unprecedented turn of events, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, upon his arrival from Delhi on May 29, had to take a helicopter for the seven-kilometre journey from Imphal Airport to Raj Bhavan as protestors swarmed the roads seeking his apology for the Gwaltabi incident. The Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based Meitei civil society group, has called for the removal of all top government officials in the State, including the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Chief Secretary. This week, civilians also locked Government of India offices. The civil disobedience call given by COCOMI continues, with journalists boycotting all government functions and events. After President's Rule was imposed in the State on February 13, there has been a sharp drop in the number of violent incidents, and more than 350 people have been arrested for extortion, abductions, and threatening civilians. However, around 60,000 people who were displaced from their homes when ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people started in May 2023 are yet to be resettled and continue to live in relief camps. Around 250 people have been killed in the ethnic violence so far. Several civil society groups and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded the restoration of the democratic set-up, and 10 Manipur legislators met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on May 28 at the Raj Bhavan to seek the formation of a 'popular' government. Earlier, on May 5, BJP's North East in-charge Sambit Patra met former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, BJP legislators in the valley and hills, and Kuki-Zo and Zomi civil society organisations. After the Gwaltabi incident, representatives of two different Meitei civil society organisations were called to Delhi to meet A.K. Mishra, the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) North-East Adviser. On April 4, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament that both communities in Manipur 'should understand that dialogue is the only way forward,' and that the Union government is not in favour of continuing President's Rule in the State 'even for a single day.' He reiterated that a Manipur High Court order had triggered the violence in the State in May 2023, adding that the interpretation of the order led to insecurities among the tribal community about losing reservation status and it became a 'tribals versus non-tribal' issue.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Free movement, resettlement will take time, Home Ministry officials tell Meitei civil society groups
The resumption of free movement for all communities along the National Highways in Manipur, and the resettlement of internally displaced people are 'going to take some time', Home Ministry officials told a delegation of Meitei civil society groups at a meeting in the National Capital. The officials 'clearly stated' that this is 'not achievable in a few months or a few weeks', the Meitei groups said in a press conference on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), a day after the meeting. The Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), an Imphal-based coalition of civil society groups from Manipur's valley regions, met with an MHA team led by North-East Adviser A.K. Mishra on Tuesday afternoon, even as protests broke out in Imphal again related to an alleged cover-up of the word 'Manipur' on a State bus. 'There was a fruitful and constructive discussion on a range of issues with officials of MHA on Tuesday. It was clearly stated by MHA that the issues of opening National Highways, resettlement of the internally displaced persons, these are going to take some time. This is not achievable in a few months or a few weeks.' FOCS consultative member Puyam Rakesh said at the press conference. 'No specific timeline' At a security review meeting on March 1 this year, Home Minister Amit Shah had directed that from March 8, there would be free movement along the highways, which have been blocked since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023. However, on March 8, amidst attempts to enforce this direction, a 19-year-old man was killed and more than 40 people were injured in Kangpokpi district as Kuki-Zo people clashed with Central armed police forces. Speaking on behalf of the FOCS delegation, Mr. Rakesh alleged that 'the Union government is reluctant to use excessive force to reopen the highway', adding that the MHA officials did not give any 'specific timeline' for when these issues, such as free movement on the highways and resettlement of displaced persons, could be addressed. 'We understand that these issues take time, but we urged for addressing immediate concerns of displaced persons, taking care of their financial needs, taking care of medical needs, and ensuring education for the children,' he said. 'That was the message given to us by the Government of India. We look forward to having more rounds of talks and also intercommunity dialogue with the Kuki-Zo community, which will be very important for restoring normalcy and peace i Manipur,' Mr. Rakesh said. While FOCS has agreed to engage with Kuki-Zo community associations, the delegation from Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), another Meitei group which met separately with MHA officials clarified that it will engage 'exclusively with Government of India'. Also read | Bus incident: Manipur group announces civil disobedience 'State is burning again' The FOCS made it a point to note that there have been 'some concrete steps' taken by the administration since the imposition of President's Rule, with a 'successful de-escalation' in the last few months. However, Mr. Rakesh indicated that the situation has been deteriorating again since last week's incident in Gwaltabi, when security forces tried to cover up the word 'Manipur' on a State transport bus that was ferrying journalists to the hill district of Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival. The incident has 'hurt the sentiments of the people of Manipur, and the State is now burning again, and women and children are on the streets protesting,' Mr. Rakesh said. 'This [incident] has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as an attempt to dismember the State of Manipur.' With reports emerging from Imphal that a group of MLAs were meeting with Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to stake their claim to form a government in the State, Mr. Rakesh said, 'We welcome a popular government if it has the political will to act in coordination with the Centre to do the needful which can positively change the situation on the ground. But we are not demanding it for the moment.' Gwaltabi incident 'deeply regretted' The ongoing protests in Imphal, which were part of a 'civil disobedience' call given by the COCOMI, displayed banners that said, 'President's Rule must stop insulting Manipur's integrity.' On Wednesday, the Office of the Chief Secretary of Manipur issued a press release, clarifying that there have been 'no instructions whatsoever or even remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged'. It added that the 'reported untoward incident' is being treated with 'utmost seriousness' and is 'deeply regretted', adding that once the Commission formed by the Governor submits its report, and 'those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action would be taken'. 'Evading responsibility' Mr. Rakesh added that the FOCS delegation also raised concerns about 'seasoned politicians' — including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kiren Rijiju — making comments about Manipur having a 'history or tradition' of ethnic conflicts. This was 'sending a message that is normalising the violence' in the State, the FOCS delegate said. 'We see this as getting away from responsibility rather than taking accountability for the problems of the people of Manipur. These narratives are not doing anything good for the people of the State. Such insensitive statements should be avoided,' he said.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Free movement, resettlement will take time, MHA officials tell Meitei civil society groups
The resumption of free movement for all communities along the National Highways in Manipur, and the resettlement of internally displaced people are 'going to take some time', Home Ministry officials told a delegation of Meitei civil society groups at a meeting in the National Capital. The officials 'clearly stated' that this is 'not achievable in a few months or a few weeks', the Meitei groups said in a press conference on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), a day after the meeting. The Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), an Imphal-based coalition of civil society groups from Manipur's valley regions, met with an MHA team led by North-East Adviser A.K. Mishra on Tuesday afternoon, even as protests broke out in Imphal again related to an alleged cover-up of the word 'Manipur' on a State bus. 'There was a fruitful and constructive discussion on a range of issues with officials of MHA on Tuesday. It was clearly stated by MHA that the issues of opening National Highways, resettlement of the internally displaced persons, these are going to take some time. This is not achievable in a few months or a few weeks.' FOCS consultative member Puyam Rakesh said at the press conference. 'No specific timeline' At a security review meeting on March 1 this year, Home Minister Amit Shah had directed that from March 8, there would be free movement along the highways, which have been blocked since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023. However, on March 8, amidst attempts to enforce this direction, a 19-year-old man was killed and more than 40 people were injured in Kangpokpi district as Kuki-Zo people clashed with Central armed police forces. Speaking on behalf of the FOCS delegation, Mr. Rakesh alleged that 'the Union government is reluctant to use excessive force to reopen the highway', adding that the MHA officials did not give any 'specific timeline' for when these issues, such as free movement on the highways and resettlement of displaced persons, could be addressed. 'We understand that these issues take time, but we urged for addressing immediate concerns of displaced persons, taking care of their financial needs, taking care of medical needs, and ensuring education for the children,' he said. 'That was the message given to us by the Government of India. We look forward to having more rounds of talks and also intercommunity dialogue with the Kuki-Zo community, which will be very important for restoring normalcy and peace i Manipur,' Mr. Rakesh said. While FOCS has agreed to engage with Kuki-Zo community associations, the delegation from Coordination Committee for Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), another Meitei group which met separately with MHA officials clarified that it will engage 'exclusively with Government of India'. Also read | Bus incident: Manipur group announces civil disobedience 'State is burning again' The FOCS made it a point to note that there have been 'some concrete steps' taken by the administration since the imposition of President's Rule, with a 'successful de-escalation' in the last few months. However, Mr. Rakesh indicated that the situation has been deteriorating again since last week's incident in Gwaltabi, when security forces tried to cover up the word 'Manipur' on a State transport bus that was ferrying journalists to the hill district of Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival. The incident has 'hurt the sentiments of the people of Manipur, and the State is now burning again, and women and children are on the streets protesting,' Mr. Rakesh said. 'This [incident] has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as an attempt to dismember the State of Manipur.' With reports emerging from Imphal that a group of MLAs were meeting with Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to stake their claim to form a government in the State, Mr. Rakesh said, 'We welcome a popular government if it has the political will to act in coordination with the Centre to do the needful which can positively change the situation on the ground. But we are not demanding it for the moment.' Gwaltabi incident 'deeply regretted' The ongoing protests in Imphal, which were part of a 'civil disobedience' call given by the COCOMI, displayed banners that said, 'President's Rule must stop insulting Manipur's integrity.' On Wednesday, the Office of the Chief Secretary of Manipur issued a press release, clarifying that there have been 'no instructions whatsoever or even remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged'. It added that the 'reported untoward incident' is being treated with 'utmost seriousness' and is 'deeply regretted', adding that once the Commission formed by the Governor submits its report, and 'those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action would be taken'. 'Evading responsibility' Mr. Rakesh added that the FOCS delegation also raised concerns about 'seasoned politicians' — including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kiren Rijiju — making comments about Manipur having a 'history or tradition' of ethnic conflicts. This was 'sending a message that is normalising the violence' in the State, the FOCS delegate said. 'We see this as getting away from responsibility rather than taking accountability for the problems of the people of Manipur. These narratives are not doing anything good for the people of the State. Such insensitive statements should be avoided,' he said.
