Manipur blast: Two injured admitted to hospital, receiving treatment

IED) exploded earlier today at the Morei Lamkhai near Yaingngpokpi Bazar, along the NH-202 on Imphal- Ukhrul Road, are now undergoing treatment.

"Around 6.15 in the morning, the blast sound was heard at the nearby village. The police team rushed to the spot immediately and took the two injured people to the hospital," said Inspector Mr. W. Devkumar Singh, Officer-in-Charge, Lamlai Police Station.

One of the civilians, who was returning from the agricultural field with his day's catch of fish, was injured by the splinters and was immediately evacuated to Raj Medicity at north A.O.C.

The other injured person, who was on his morning walk along the NH-150 was rushed to the JNIMS trauma centre.

The motive for the explosion was not immediately known as no rebel group has yet claimed any responsibility.

Manipur has long been affected by insurgent violence and is also home to dozens of tribal groups along with small guerrilla armies rebelling against the government.

They often compete against each other in the turf wars for dominance in the state. According to the authorities, at least 50,000 people have lost their lives in insurgency-driven violence in six of India's seven northeastern states since the country's independence from Britain in 1947.

The militants say the northeast has been largely neglected by India's political leaders, accusing them of focusing only on the development of the country's relatively wealthier eight northern states.

Outfit vows to continue struggle

Imphal, Sept 25 : The president of the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), Irengbam Chaoren, today reaffirmed its stand of continuing the “freedom struggle” saying “freedom is our birthright.”

In his message to the people of Manipur on the occasion of 36th raising day of the RPF’s military wing — People’s Liberation Army (PLA) which falls tomorrow — Chaoren said: “Freedom is our birthright.”

The PLA is one of the major militant groups of Manipur fighting to regain Manipur’s “freedom”.

Chaoren said India “forcibly annexed” Manipur in 1949 after the British left. He opposed India’s policy of constructing mega dams like the one at Tipaimukh in Manipur, saying the projects were aimed at extracting maximum profit and not for welfare of the people of the state.

The RPF also strongly condemned the recent deployment of India Reserve Battalion and police commandos in Ukhrul terming it as “militarisation” of the district.

“It is a fact that people of both the hills and the valley have been living under the shadow of heavy militarisation — a process which started since the day Manipur was annexed to the Indian Union,” Chaoren said.

In view of tomorrow’s PLA foundation day, police today launched search operations in two places in and around Imphal city to ferret out cadres of the group.

Official sources said the police combed Thangmeiband and Yumnam Leikai areas in the city in the early hours today.

The police called out all the residents and carried out a verification process. They took 10 persons for further verification to Imphal West police station. All of them were later released.

NSCN on Myanmar mission

New Delhi, Sept. 24 : The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) has despatched a senior leader to Myanmar to explore fallback options in case of failed negotiations, ahead of its talks with the Centre.

The outfit has said its leader is on a “special mission”.

What has surprised security agencies is that the NSCN leader is camping with the Meitei outfit, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) in Myanmar. For nearly a month, “colonel” S. Nganingkhui alias Akhui of the NSCN left his area in Manipur and is camping in Myanmar, sources told The Telegraph.

There are at least 30 cadres of the NSCN (I-M), along with members of KYKL.

Former interlocutor for the talks, Ajit Lal, said this was the first time in over a decade that such a development has been heard of. Government sources said the outfit might be exploring options in case the talks with the Centre do not work out.

The NSCN (I-M) is said to be apprehensive of the new government’s resolve for a “time-bound” programme.

The new interlocutor for the Naga Peace Process, R.N. Ravi, is known to be a result-oriented former intelligence officer. With a time-bound programme of the Narendra Modi government on the anvil and its resolve to crack down on extortion, the NSCN (I-M) is believed to be looking at a worst-case scenario despite remnants of hope of a final settlement. Nevertheless, Swu and Muivah are trying to catch up with the Prime Minister before he leaves for Washington this week.

Akhui and his men are understood to have camped at a place called Kattha near Hesin, north of Tamu in Myanmar’s Sagaing Division, where the Meitei group has a camp. Naga rebels and Meitei outfits are traditional adversaries as the former claims Naga hills in Manipur as part of Nagalim.

Over the years, the divisions among rebel groups has deepened and widened to result in divisions among the communities. However, senior leaders of KYKL have apparently been in good working relationship with the senior leadership of the Naga group.

Government sources analysed the situation to see if there was a split in the NSCN but the Naga outfit seemed robust in its co-ordination.

“Col Akhui is still part of the steering committee and is on a special mission,” said an NSCN (I-M) source.

Why he has gone has not been revealed but the NSCN leaders said they enjoy a good “working relationship” leaving the question open whether the cornered Naga outfit was looking for options parallel to the talks. But Akhui’s visit has caused unease not just in Delhi but also among other Meitei outfits.

The CorCom, which is an umbrella group of Meitei outfits that includes KYKL, is believed to be livid with the KYKL for helping the NSCN (I-M).

Other CorCom members like the UNLF are said to have ticked off the KYKL leadership about the development.

Although the CorCom has been in close contact with the NSCN (I-M)’s rival NSCN (Khaplang) in Myanmar, its relationship with Muivah has been bitter.

The NSCN (I-M)’s dream of a Nagalim or Greater Nagaland directly affects Manipur — if the Naga hill districts are removed, little of Manipur would be left.

For Muivah, old relations have come handy when the outfit fears a possible crisis.

Uncertainty over future of the negotiation continued after hopes of a settlement were crashed last year during the UPA’s tenure.

Former steel and petroleum secretary R.S. Pandey quit the job of interlocutor as he joined the BJP.

Later, former joint intelligence committee chairman Ajit Lal met the NSCN leaders a few times but amid the high-decibel election campaign since last year, no political decision-making was possible.

Ravi, the joint intelligence committee chairman, is now interlocutor and has invited the NSCN leaders for re-starting the stalled talks. He recently met members of the United Naga Council who called on Union home minister Rajnath Singh to expedite the peace talks.

NSCN-IM to hold talks with Modi soon

DIMAPUR/DELHI, Sept 23 – The NSCN-IM delegation will hold dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the precise date has not been confirmed. This time it was from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which invited the NSCN-IM to hold ‘formal talks’.

“Our team will definitely meet the Prime Minister this time,” said a well placed source from the NSCN-IM.

A ten-member team of the NSCN-IM had left Dimapur on Saturday for New Delhi. NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chisi Swu and the outfit general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah are leading the team. However, a source from the outfit’s Ministry of Information and Publicity said altogether 48 NSCN-IM leaders have left for New Delhi in batches in the past few days to prepare for the talks.

Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM delegation is likely to start meeting the Government of India representatives in the next few days’ time.

2 women killed in Manipur blast

Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, Sept 19 – Two women were killed while two businessmen sustained injuries when suspected Naga militants exploded a bomb in Ukhrul town in Manipur on Wednesday evening.

The incident took place in front of a hardware store at Viewland market in the hill town around 5.30 pm.

BA student Lamsophy alias Sosonao Tangva (25) of Pettigrew College was killed on the spot while AS Dinah (42), former president of Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL), apex body of Tangkhul women organisation, succumbed to injuries on way to a hospital in Imphal.

The injured persons – Rajendra, proprietor of the hardware store and his salesman Gudu have been sent to Shija Hospital in Imphal.

Police suspect it to be an IED blast. A case has been registered in connection with the incident and investigation is on, police said. No armed group operating in the State has claimed responsibility for the incident.

The TSL and Tangkhul student’s body observed a total shut down in the hill town today from dawn to dusk in protest against the incident and killings.

The United Naga Council, Naga Women’s Union and the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur in a joint press statement have strongly condemned the incident.

Northeast outfits on Delhi talks radar

Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Sept. 19 : The Narendra Modi government has begun taking steps for a dialogue with insurgent outfits in the Northeast amid a debate within the government that talks without a broad framework of policy may not go far.

In the last two days, the Union home ministry has recommenced stalled negotiations with two organisations — one of them being a militant outfit in truce with the Centre. Today, a six-member delegation of National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) held talks with home ministry officials. The suspension of operations agreement with the outfit has been extended by three months.

A memorandum of settlement with the A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC), a Meghalaya-based outfit, will also be signed next week, sources said.

The NDFB (P) has been pushing the government for political-level negotiations for over a year. The Modi government was expected to take some bold initiatives, but in the first 100 days, little happened, leading insurgent leaders to remark that they were a shade disappointed.

As the NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary-led faction is also in the process of coming to the negotiating table and the NDFB (Songbijit) continues to appeal to the hardline elements, the Govinda Basumatary-led faction is under pressure to perform.

Former Intelligence Bureau director, P.C. Haldar, is interlocutor for talks with the Bodo outfits as well as groups in Meghalaya. “Substantial issues were discussed with the NDFB,” a government official said this evening.

Pressure is mounting on several other outfits who have signed the suspension of operations agreements or ceasefire agreements with the Centre. They too are also feeling the heat from the ground. “But there is no policy yet, no framework on what should be done or not done in the Northeast or even that the present policy of status quo be allowed to continue,” a senior home ministry official said.

The interlocutor for Naga peace process, R.N. Ravi, was present when a delegation of the United Naga Council (UNC) called on home minister Rajnath Singh yesterday. Although the UNC is a social organisation the government sees its agenda coalescing with demands of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah). The UNC is demanding autonomy for the Naga hill areas of Manipur and has recently withdrawn a call for an economic blockade in Imphal valley after assurances from New Delhi.

By next week, the NSCN (I-M) leadership is expected to be back in Delhi and there is anticipation that the first round of talks between Thuingalang Muivah and Ravi may take place.

Talks have been continuing since 1997 without any headway, but with relative peace in the backdrop.

Officials on Raisina Hill are, however, not satisfied with incremental responses of the government. They argued that a framework was needed in order to draw red lines on what is permissible in the conflict zone.

“Whether extortion should be allowed or if armed persons of outfits in ceasefire be allowed to roam around at will, should be part of the framework,” a senior government officer suggested. “Till now there is no sign of any such broad policy guidelines,” the official added.

The official says that while peace and development continue at a snail’s pace, the issues of insurgent-politician nexus, corruption and extortion should be addressed.

Home minister Singh recently said the government was in the process of drafting a comprehensive policy for all conflict areas, including the Northeast. He told the UNC representatives that while the government would try to address problems in a “time-bound” manner, there is no scope for violence.

Three UPLF cadres killed in encounter

Haflong, Sept 12 Three United Peoples Liberation Front (UPLF) militants were killed in an encounter with a joint team of police and Assam Rifles in Assam's Dima Hasao district, a senior police officer said today.

The extremists exchanged fire with the security forces in a dense jungle between Hatikhali and Mandardisa area under Langting Police Station last night, said district superintendent of police Badanta Madav Rajkhowa.