By:
PTI | New Delhi | Published:February 3, 2017 10:11 pm
The key National Highway number 2 (NH 2) is blocked since November 1 by UNC cadres leading to normal life being severely affected there. The Council is protesting against creation of seven new districts in the state.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/economic-blockade-in-manipur-likely-to-end-soon-4506563/
The over three-month-long economic blockade in Manipur is likely to end soon with the Union Home Ministry saying “substantial progress” has been made in the talks held today with the Manipur government and a Naga group spearheading the agitation in the poll-bound state. The tripartite talks, among the officials of the Centre, Manipur government and representatives of United Naga Council (UNC), were successfully organised here. The Ministry successfully brokered the talks and the economic crises will end soon in Manipur, official sources said.
They said an agreement in this regard has been reached between the agitating Naga group and the state government which is likely to be signed shortly. The key National Highway number 2 (NH 2) is blocked since November 1 by UNC cadres leading to normal life being severely affected there. The Council is protesting against creation of seven new districts in the state.
“A meeting to formally sign the accord to end the crises has been called on Tuesday and it is hoped that the blockade would end soon after that,” a source said.
A late-night statement issued by Home Ministry said there was “substantial progress” on the issues in the talks.
“The issue of creation of 7 new districts and the ongoing economic blockade was discussed in a tripartite meeting today at New Delhi between UNC, Government of Manipur and Government of India. There was substantial progress on the issue in the talks. A few points needed further discussions at their organisation level.
“Next tripartite meeting is expected on 7th Feb, 2017 on the issues,” it said.
Today’s meeting was attended by UNC president Gaidon Kamei and the Council’s information secretary Sangkhel Stephen, both of whom are lodged in Imphal central jail since January after Manipur police arrested them on November 25 last for leading the indefinite blockade.
Both the leaders were brought to the North Block in police custody for the talks which were led by Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Home Ministry. The talks continued for over five hours, the sources said.
Due to the blockade, normal life in Manipur has been badly affected and prices of essential commodities have sky rocketed.
Written by
Samudra Gupta Kashyap | Guwahati | Updated: February 3, 2017 9:45 pm
Dimapur: Security personnel patrol as bandh supporters blocked the highway during a strike call given by Joint Coordination Committee against 33% Women Reservation and killing of two person in Police firing in Dimapur, Nagaland on Friday. PTI Photo (PTI2_3_2017_000275B)
Article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution (Special provision with respect to the State of Nagaland) states, “Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, (a) no Act of Parliament in respect of (i) religious or social practices of the Nagas, (ii) Naga customary law and procedure, (iii) administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, (iv) ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the State of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides.”
While tribal bodies have always taken resort to Article 317(A) in respect to various socio-economic issues, civic elections in the state have not been held since Article 243(T) of the Constitution, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies, came into force in 1993.
Dimapur: Bandh supporters block the highway during a strike call given by Joint Coordination Committee against 33% Women Reservation and killing of two person in Police firing in Dimapur, Nagaland on Friday. PTI Photo (PTI2_3_2017_000273A)
Written by
Samudra Gupta Kashyap | Guwahati | Updated: February 3, 2017 9:24 pm
Himanshu Prasad Das Director of newly releases Assamese movie Shikira Ahibo Bakul Tolor Bihu (Shikira is coming to Bakul Tolor Bihu) being arrived in Panbazar Police station after a Police ,Suliman Ali (Crime Branch ) lodged a FIR against him for writing a letter to militant group United Liberation Front of Assom (ULFA) to help him to run the movie in different cinema hall of Assam in Guwahati on Friday 3rd February 2017.Photo-DASARATH DEKA
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...maker-who-got-ulfa-chief-to-warn-hall-owners/
Guwahati-based Himangshu Prasad Das, who had last month attracted newspaper headlines by writing to ULFA chief Paresh Barua against cinema hall owners who had allegedly removed his film despite good audience, on Friday got a call from the police which asked him to appear in the Panbazar police station here.
“We have registered a suo moto case against the filmmaker after seeing media reports that he wrote a letter to ULFA leader Paresh Barua complaining that some cinema hall owners had allegedly removed his film on January 25 even after it was drawing good audience. We summoned him to the police station and wanted to know why and how he wrote the letter to the leader of a banned militant outfit,” Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren Chandra Nath said.
The police have slammed Sections 120,B, 121, 121A and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, read with Section 66F of the IT Act, Police Commissioner Nath said. “We have not arrested him as yet, but we can arrest him in the interest of the investigations,” Nath told The Indian Express.
Film-maker Das, a 2008 alumnus of the National School of Drama said most cinema-hall owners had removed his film on January 25 deliberately to make more money from Hindi films. Das admitted he wrote an “open letter” to Paresh Barua, but said he had written such letters to leaders of various other organizations including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).
Das’s film ‘Shakira Ahibo Bakul-tolor Bihuloi’ was released on January 20, with Chinmay Sharma, owner of Anuradha cinema in Guwahati saying he had clearly told him (Das) that only five days were available because the hall was booked for ‘Raaes’ three months in advance. Das’s “open letter” on the other hand got a response from Paresh Barua with the latter issuing a statement through a local television news channel warning cinema hall owners for “conspiring” against Assamese cinema.
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