Apprehending serious law and order problems, the Manipur government has cancelled curfew relaxations in Meitei-dominated five valley districts on Wednesday and massive security measures put in place in view of the protest march called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI).
The COCOMI, an umbrella body of the Meitei community, and its women wing, called the protest march on Wednesday to remove an army barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district, a few kilometres away from tribal-dominated Churachandpur district.
Locals claim that due to the army barricade, they were not able to visit their homes at Torbung, which they had to vacate after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3.
Officials said that a full curfew was clamped in all the five valley districts -- Bishnupur, Kakching, Thoubal, Imphal West, and Imphal East and a huge contingent of security forces were deployed in different districts as a preventive measure from Tuesday evening.
For the past many weeks, curfew was relaxed in all the five valley districts from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The state government on Tuesday night has appealed to the COCOMI to withdraw the protest March.
Information and Public Relations Minister Sapam Ranjan said that COCOMI has been planning to stage a protest March at PhougakchaoIkhai and Torbung area by breaking through the army barricades on Wednesday.
The Minister, who is also the government spokesman, further said that the government has removed many of the barricades already in different parts of the state.
Moreover, around 700 displaced people of Torbung area, who were taking refuge in various relief camps, have started to come back and resettle in their original houses, which had not been damaged during the past few days.
The government has sought the general public and also the civil society organisations to support the various security provisions and steps taken up by the government, the minister said.
COCOMI media coordinator Somendro Thokchom earlier in the day said that the organisation had earlier urged the government and the authorities concerned to remove the barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai by August 30.
While urging people to storm the barricade, Thokchom said the state government should bear full responsibility if anything untoward happens.
HM Shah stresses on mapping of demographic data of people along India-Myanmar border
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the demographic data of people along the India-Myanmar border, especially in Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, should be mapped so that it can help in fencing of the border and infiltration can be stopped.
Drugs worth Rs 78 crore seized in Tripura, one held
In a major haul, the Assam Rifles in coordination with the other law enforcing agencies on Saturday seized 3.9 lakh methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 78 crore and arrested a drug peddler in Tripura, officials said on Saturday.
Manipur: Arms and ammunition recovered; two held with drugs
Manipur Police and other security forces recovered some arms and ammunition from different fringe and vulnerable areas and arrested two persons with drugs on Saturday, officials said.
New Maha Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar in charge of Finance
Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session.
Explained: Key recommendations of 55th GST Council meet
From reducing GST rate on fortified rice kernel (FRK) to fully exempt GST on gene therapy, the 55th GST Council meeting, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Saturday made some key recommendations to provide relief to individuals and businesses.
India a natural trade and commerce partner of Kuwait: PM Modi
India has been a natural trading partner of Kuwait and continues to be so in contemporary times and people-to-people linkages over centuries have fostered a special bond of friendship between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar brings peace through meditation to UN headquarters consumed by global turmoil
Eighteen minutes of tranquility descended on the world organisation’s headquarters consumed by global turmoil as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led a meditation session as a path to peace at the United Nations.
NE not just strategically important but also an epitome of nation's diversity, culture: Minister
Union Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar on Friday underscored the strategic importance of the northeastern region and said that the region is not just a geographically significant part of the country but it is also an epitome of the nation's diversity, culture, and strategic importance.