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News18
7 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Manipur To Remain Under President's Rule For Another Six Months
Last Updated: President's rule in Manipur extended for six months i.e. till February 13, 2026. Amit Shah moved the resolution; central control ensues. The government of Friday extended President's rule in Manipur for another six months, with effect from August 13, 2025. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday moved a statutory resolution to extend the rule till February 13, 2026. Following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, centre imposed President's rule in Manipur on February 13. 'That this House approves the continuance in force of the Proclamation dated February 13, 2025, in respect of Manipur, issued under article 356 of the Constitution by the President, for a further period of six months with effect from August 13, 2025," the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Bulletin was quoted by PTI. This comes months after 25 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs met at the residence of party MLA Thongam Biswajit Singh in Imphal to push for the formation of a popular government in Manipur. On May 28, nearly 10 MLAs, including eight from the BJP, one from the National People's Party (NPP), and one Independent MLA, met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal to stake a claim to form a government in the state. The decision, exercised under Article 356 of the Constitution, means that the president will now directly control the state's administrative functions through the Governor. The proclamation, published in the Gazette of India issued by the Union Home Ministry, states that the powers of the Manipur Legislative Assembly will be transferred to Parliament, effectively suspending the state government's authority. Under this order, the Governor's powers will now be exercised by the President; the state legislature's authority will be assumed by Parliament; and specific articles of the Constitution, including those concerning legislative procedures and governance, have been suspended to ensure smooth central administration. The President's rule is typically imposed when a state government is deemed incapable of functioning in accordance with constitutional norms. The move follows political instability and concerns about law and order in Manipur. The suspension of legislative powers means that all state laws and decisions will now be made under central authority, either by Parliament or the President. The imposition of the President's rule can last up to six months, subject to parliamentary approval. During this period, the central government will oversee governance, and fresh elections may be called to elect a new assembly. The unrest in Manipur primarily involved clashes between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zomi tribes. Tensions escalated over disputes related to economic benefits, job quotas, and land rights. The violence resulted in hundreds of fatalities and displaced approximately 60,000 individuals. view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 10:44 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tribal Ministry urged to delete 'Any Kuki Tribes' category from Manipur's ST list
Two Manipur-based organisations have urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to delete the 'Any Kuki Tribes' category from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list in the State as it allegedly allows "foreigners to claim rights" of the indigenous people and "poses a threat to their land and resources". Also read: On delisting some Kuki-Zomi tribes in Manipur | Explained In a memorandum to the Ministry, the two organisations - Thadou Inpi manipur and Meitei Alliance - stated that "the appeal aligns with the official position of the Government of Manipur, which, following cabinet decisions on October 19, 2018 and January 2, 2023, formally recommended the deletion of 'Any Kuki Tribes' category. "The vague nature of 'Any Kuki tribes' (AKT) allows foreigners to claim tribal rights in Manipur. This poses a serious threat to land, resources, and constitutional privileges of pre-existing scheduled tribes," the two organisations claimed in the memorandum. They also alleged, "AKT has no unique language, separate cultural heritage, and geographical isolation, all of which are the basic criteria for Scheduled Tribe recognition under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. It fails every benchmark and only serves to sow ethnic discord and legal confusion." The two organisations also claimed that the category 'Any Kuki tribes' was inserted into the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur in 2003 through "politically motivated and non-transparent means". "Unlike any of the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur that are linguistically and culturally distinct, AKT is an ambiguous and arbitrary insertion without a legitimate basis. AKT is not accepted or recognised by any of the Scheduled Tribes of its existence has only exacerbated ethnic tension and undermined social harmony," the memorandum said.
Scroll.in
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Manipur: Curfew imposed in Bishnupur, public gatherings banned in four other districts
An indefinite curfew was imposed on Saturday night in Manipur's Bishnupur district, and orders prohibiting five or more persons from gathering were implemented in Kakching, Thoubal, Imphal East and Imphal West, after a member of armed Meitei group Arambai Tenggol was arrested in Imphal West. Internet services were also suspended in the five districts – all of them located in the state's Meitei-dominated valley region – following the development. — Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 7, 2025 A joint team of the National Investigation Agency and the Manipur Police on Saturday evening arrested Kanan Meitei, said to be the 'army chief' of the Arambai Tenggol, in Imphal West, The Hindu reported. Hundreds of residents took to the streets in Imphal West's Kwakithel area to try to stop the police convoy and snatch him from custody. The police opened fire to force the mob to disperse. Protestors also burned tyres and blocked roads in parts of the state capital, including the Tiddim road and Uripok areas in Imphal West district, demanding that Kanan Meitei be immediately released, The Indian Express reported. The Arambai Tenggol is alleged to have orchestrated violence against the tribal Kuki-Zo community since the beginning of the ethnic violence in Manipur in May 2023. The conflict has left at least 260 dead and displaced more than 59,000. The National Investigation Agency is looking into the alleged role of the Arambai Tenggol's chief Korounganba Khuman in two cases about an attack on security personnel on November 1, 2023 and arms being looted from a Manipur Rifles battalion on the same day. On February 27, the Arambai Tenggol surrendered 246 weapons before security forces, as part of what was said to be the largest set of illegally-held weapons surrendered in Manipur since the conflict began. However, two Kuki-Zomi groups – the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum and the Committee on Tribal Unity – dismissed the surrender of weapons, calling it a move to 'garner sympathy and legitimacy'.
India Gazette
05-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Congress Chief Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi hold meeting with Manipur leadership
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met with the Manipur leadership on Thursday. The meeting was held at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi. Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and KC Venugopal, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, were present at the meeting. On its official handle posted on X, Congress said, 'Congress President Kharge today convened a meeting with the Manipur leadership, wherein LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary (Org) KC Venugopal attended.' Recently, the state has witnessed incessant rainfall that led to waterlogging at several places, prompting authorities to launch rescue operations. Torrential rains led to a massive breach of the Imphal River's embankment at four points, causing extensive flooding in Imphal East. Recently, nearly 25 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs met at the residence of party MLA Thongam Biswajit Singh in Imphal to push for the formation of a popular government in Manipur. On May 28, nearly 10 MLAs, including eight from the BJP, one from the National People's Party (NPP), and one Independent MLA, met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal to stake a claim to form a government in the state. Ten MLAs, including eight from the BJP, one from the NPP, and one Independent MLA, met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, demanding the formation of a 'popular' government in the ethnic violence-hit state. President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, days after BJP leader N. Biren Singh resigned as Chief Minister. Ethnic conflict broke out in the State on May 3, 2023, causing the loss of lives of hundreds of people. The decision, exercised under Article 356 of the Constitution, means that the state's administrative functions will now be directly controlled by the President through the Governor. The unrest in Manipur primarily involved clashes between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zomi tribes. Tensions escalated over disputes related to economic benefits, job quotas, and land rights. The violence resulted in hundreds of fatalities and displaced approximately 60,000 individuals. (ANI)
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Manipur, push for a return to popular government is understandable
Since the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur on February 13, the state assembly has remained in suspended animation, following the BJP's failure to reach a consensus on a successor to former chief minister N Biren Singh. As the assembly has not been dissolved, it retains the possibility of being revived when the prevailing conditions allow for the formation of a government. Reflecting growing discontent with the present standstill, a group of 10 NDA MLAs met Governor Ajay Bhalla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, urging the formation of a 'popular government' in the state. They claimed the support of 44 legislators in the 60-member Assembly (one seat currently lies vacant). However, the revocation of President's Rule appears unlikely in the near future — almost 25 months into the ethnic conflict, it is telling that peace remains the immediate priority, not government formation. On April 29, the same 10 MLAs, along with 11 other NDA legislators, had written to the Centre with a similar demand. Their push for a return to a popular government is understandable — after all, the BJP won a mandate in the 2022 Assembly election. The difficulty, however, lies in the nature of the proposed arrangement, which does not include representation for the Kuki-Zo communities. By their own admission, those who claim the support of 44 MLAs have not included the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs — seven of whom were elected on BJP tickets. The supposed consensus behind the push for a return of popular government, thus, reflects a consensus among the Meiteis, but not between the Meiteis and Kukis. The Centre's hesitation to revoke President's Rule acknowledges the persisting instability in the state — illustrated by the unrest in Imphal less than two weeks ago between protesters and security forces, over the alleged instructions to cover the word 'Manipur' on a state-run transport bus (Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh has expressed regret and announced an inquiry into the incident). While there is some consolation in the fact that there has been no violent standoff between the two communities in recent weeks, significant challenges remain — of rebuilding trust, addressing grievances, and tackling the structural issues that lie at the heart of the conflict. An estimated 3,000 looted weapons remain un-recovered. Thousands of displaced persons remain in relief camps. Kukis and Meiteis continue to be segregated between hill and valley. Only an inclusive political process that brings all stakeholders to the table can offer a path to lasting peace. Without such a process, even a well-intentioned return to a popular government risks another cycle of violence.
