MY KOLKATA EDUGRAPH
ADVERTISEMENT
regular-article-logo Saturday, 04 January 2025

Manipur Internet ban lifted: 1st Kuki-Zo Council meet held in Kangpokpi; Assam protest today

The ongoing conflict involving the Meiteis and the Kukki-zos have left at least 258 dead and over 60000 displaced

Umanand Jaiswal Published 10.12.24, 06:55 AM
The Kuki-Zo Council’s first general body meeting in Kangpokpi on Sunday

The Kuki-Zo Council’s first general body meeting in Kangpokpi on Sunday The Telegraph

The Manipur government on Monday lifted all forms of temporary suspension of Internet and data services in nine districts of the strife-hit state.

The Internet ban lift came with a “request” to users to “refrain” from indulging in any activity that might affect law and order and lead to future suspension of Internet services in the state.

ADVERTISEMENT

The nine districts are Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Jiribam and Pherzawl districts.

Internet services, both broadband and mobile, were temporarily suspended on November 16 fearing the misuse of social media by elements seeking to disrupt law and order following widespread protests over the November 11 kidnapping and subsequent killings of six Meitei relief camp inmates.

The ban on broadband Internet services were lifted on November 18 but the suspension on mobile internet services was extended at regular intervals.

The home department order said the state government after “reviewing the prevailing law and order situation and its possible correlation with the general operation of Internet services, decided to lift all forms of temporary suspension of Internet and data services” in the nine districts with immediate effect under the “power conferred as per Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017”.

Addressing a function in Imphal on Monday, marking five years of implementation of the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur, chief minister N. Biren Singh said the government was “making continuous efforts” towards restoration of peace and normalcy in the state, which has been in turmoil since May 3, 2023.

The ongoing conflict involving the Meiteis and the Kukki-zos have left at least 258 dead and over 60000 displaced.

“Several efforts towards peace, including meeting of various leaders or representatives of different communities — Thadou, Hmar, are expressing the willingness to end the crisis. Peace agreements between communities were signed on several occasions. However, some vested interests are trying to sabotage the peace efforts,” the chief minister said, adding, “if we are united, we can end the crisis”.

Assam protest

Over 200 eminent personalities from Assam will stage a silent sit-in protest in Guwahati on Tuesday afternoon for restoration of peace in Manipur.

The protest has been organised by the Axom Nagarik Samaj and the Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, Assam, citing “Manipur has been burning for a year and a half now” and “there is no guarantee that the tension of Manipur will not spread to other states in the Northeast”.

“Till date, the Prime Minister has not visited the state even once. Manipur is an example of how our country is running. We think against the misrule of the present dispensation, the opposition political parties, civil society and the general public must get united,” said Paresh Malakar, a member of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, Assam.

Kuki-Zo Council meet

The recently constituted Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), in its first general body meeting held in Kangpokpi district, has resolved to hold nationwide rally to draw the attention of the Centre’s towards their demand for a separate administration.

The Kuki-Zo Council is a collective of Kuki-Zo tribes and Inpis (apex bodies).

Kuki-Zos, living mostly in the hill districts, are pushing for separation from Manipur on the ground that they “can not coexist with the Meiteis” after how they were driven out from Meitei-dominated Impal Valley after the conflict began on May 3 last year.

The Meiteis are, however, against any division of the state. The Kuki-Zos are demanding Union Territory with its own legislature.

The ground situation is such that Meiteis cannot venture into Kuki-Zo area and Kuki-zos cannot venture into Meitei-majority area despite the heavy deployment of Central forces in the strife-hit state.

The Kuki-Zo Council has also decided to engage with chief ministers of the Northeast, barring Manipur, to flag the issues and hopes of their communities and has also decided to resist any step of the state government to reopen the Imphal-Kangpokpi-Senapati and Imphal-Bishnupur-Churachandpur roads without addressing the ongoing crisis.

Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT