Manipur News

IMPHAL, June 3: Villagers of N Mollen village in 24-Bongbal Khullen Constituency under Saikhul Sub-Division, Sadar Hills in Senapati district have resolved to not cast vote in re-poll whenever it is to be conducted if a separate polling station for electorates of the village is not set up.

Addressing a press meet somewhere in Imphal this evening, chief of N Mollen village Ngailam Haokip said that voters of Salam Patong village, Thangza village and N Mollen village have been casting their vote for MP and MLA election only at Polling Station No 24/4 in respect of 24-Bongbal Khullen Constituency.

He elaborated that the polling station is situated at Salam Patong, making it hard for voters of N Mollen village to travel up to the polling station to exercise their franchise.

Voters of the village had to travel a distance of 18-km to cast vote at the polling station. Since most of the voters are poor people, they could not hire vehicle for travelling up to the polling station. A considerable amount of time is taken if travel by foot as the voters had to pass through hill road to reach the polling station. Due to such conditions, there have been instances where many voters of the village could not cast their valuable vote, the village chief lamented.

Claiming that when voters of the village went to cast vote at the polling station for the just concluded Autonomous District (ADC) election, it came to know that their vote had already been cast, he said that the voters were shocked by the stunning revelation.

Given such unwarranted situation, a separate polling station for N Mollen village having 164 eligible voters is much required. Therefore, the voters of the village have decided to not cast vote in re-poll at the polling station at Salam Patong whenever it is to be conducted, he made it clear.

Chairman of N Mollen village Thoumang Haokip and chairperson of village women committee Lamnam Touthang were also present during the meet.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/villagers-vow-to-not-cast-vote-in-manipur-adc-repoll-over-absence-of-polling-station/

IMPHAL June 3: The Congress would have won majority seats in the Autonomous District Council election had there been a free and fair election without the interference and intimidation from armed militant groups, claimed deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam.

Addressing media persons during a marathon press meet which lasted two hours at the Manipur Congress Bhawan, today, Gaikhangam who is also the State Home minister claimed his party has been the main victim during the recent ADC election.

He, also, denied any link up with Kuki militants during the election process.

When the Zalenbung DCC under Ukhrul ADC case was cited, where in three polling stations Kuki militants allegedly cast all the votes at gun point and later when a public mob broke the ballot box at Malom around 90 percent of the votes cast were found in favour of his party candidate, the MPCC president brushed it aside as some people trying to blackmail the Congress and said they have recommended re-polls.

`The Election Commission needs to recognize voting under duress and intimidation not just for the present case but also during Legislative and Parliamentary elections. Methodology to address such situations needs to be developed. As of now technically unless the presiding officer recommends, the other authorities can do nothing`™ he observed.

NSCN-IM and its subsidiary groups have created a lot of disturbance in the ADC election process through intimidation, he claimed.

It is an undeniable fact that armed NSCM cadres were directly involved, alleged the deputy Chief Minister.

It has been embarrassing to witness BJP`™s propaganda when they cannot even be an alternative. Such approach seems to be merely aiming at strengthening NPF with an understanding to confront Congress collectively, he asserted.

One Union Minister had explicitly hinted towards post election alliance with NPF which clearly confirms this intent, he added.

He lambasted the NPF party at length accusing it as backed and created by NSCN-IM and said that NPF will only destabilized the State with predictable provocations.

`It is unfortunate for BJP to ally with such an anti-State party`™, he said.

On a hopeful note, the deputy Chief Minister claimed, `Despite all this incidents we trust that we will be a majority in four out of the six constituents.`™

On the presence of central security forces during the election, Gaikhangam said in some areas they were mere spectators in the guise that they are meant for counter insurgency and local law and order does not require their interventions.

`We had expected them to carry out area sanitization and area domination against the presence of militant groups`™ he said.

After a repetitive discussion on encroachment at Dzukho areas, somebody pointed out that the government as a trend seems to respond only after bandh and general strikes are called by public thus encouraging such culture.

However, Gaikhangam claimed that the government has been strategizing all along.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/congress-would-have-won-majority-in-a-free-and-fair-fight-gaikhangam/

BJP claims KRA cadres assaulted 13 workers for not supporting Congress candidate

IMPHAL, June 3: Two days after the Autonomous District Council election was held in the hills of the State, political parties and their candidates continue to hurl allegations against each other.

If the run-up to the election was marked by constant mudslinging among the political parties, post the June 1 polls, there have been demands of re-poll from candidates and political parties citing allegations of UG cadres supporting a particular candidate and party, booth capture, mass proxy voting, assault of party workers and supporters among many other allegations.

BJP general secretary Administration M Asnikumar led team today visited hospitals where party supporters allegedly assaulted last night for not supporting another national party are getting treatment.

According to the BJP, 13 of its workers were allegedly assaulted by cadres of the KRA for not supporting the Congress and have to be admitted at different hospitals in the State capital.

Three of them are admitted at the RIMS, nine at the Kuki Christian Hospital, Dewlahland and one at Raj Medi-City, North AOC.

According to family members of some of the injured, the night after the ADC poll, around 30-40 cadres of the KRA many of whom were armed with AK-47s came to Lhungjang Village under 18-Lhungjang DCC, Saikul AC and called out nine youth of the village who are active workers of the BJP.

They claimed that the youth who were all aged between 18-19 years were assaulted by the KRA cadres.

At the same time, in another village of the same constituency Ankhunbung Village, some more youth were called out and mercilessly assaulted, they alleged.

Speaking on the sideline of the visit, Asnikumar said such incident is highly condemnable and we have already submitted a detailed report of the incidents to the BJP national president and the concern central ministry.

He said it is surprising that the armed cadres of the KRA which is a SoO signatory group were allowed free movement outside their camps.

Further questioning what the State government and the central para-military forces doing when the incident happened, he said such incident is a total violation of rights.

He further demanded the State government to take action against the SoO cadres for violating their ground rules and assaulting civilians and claimed the party is fully aware of who is behind the incident.

Such incident has only made it all the more clear that there is no governance in the hill areas, he claimed.

He further claimed that in four villages of Saikul area under 22 Kumuching DCC, not a single voter was allowed to cast their votes.

Asnikumar further identified the villages as Molkongbung village, L Molnom Village, Gotangkot Village and C Moljol village.

He said in this regard, he along with the party`™s candidate Th Anek Vaiphei had submitted a complaint report to the concern officials seeking re-poll in these villages, which has not been considered still by the Kangpokpi RO.

He further alleged that at 21/1 Khamenlok Polling Station under Chindaikhullen DCC, the poll was conducted in a peaceful manner, however certain officials are seeking re-poll there in favour of the non-BJP candidates.

Asni also asserted that according to the party`™s Tamei office, the NSCN (I) openly supported the NPF and conducted proxy voting openly in support of the NPF candidates.

He said there was no election in the area, but it was an open selection of NPF candidate for the ADC seat.

Whereas at 3-Khunphung DCC Piulong Polling Station under Tamei AC, the entire village was unable to reach the polling station to vote, however, the RO has reported that voting was conducted in a peaceful manner, he further claimed.

Due to proxy voting at Sagang DCC 20/2 Changpikot Polling Station and 2 Leimatak DCC 2/13 Teijang Polling Station in Churachandpur poll percentage reached 100percent, however, the DC has not included these two polling stations in the re-poll recommendation list, he asserted.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/political-parties-indulge-in-postpoll-allegations-and-counter-allegations/

CHANDEL, June 3: Following an agreement between the agitating JAC and the Assam Rifles authority in the presence of the State government, the indefinite bandh imposed by Joint Action Committee formed against killing of Aimol Satu Numei`™s Waar (meirapaibis) chairperson M Ruisoting Aimol at Pallel has been called off from today.

This was informed by the JAC this evening after the meeting which was held in the morning at the Chief Minister`™s bungalow in Imphal.

Subsequent to the understanding reached between the JAC and government, the Ruisoting Aimol`™s body kept at the JNIMS Morgue has been retrieved by the family members for her last rites.

Demanding punishment of the accused killer Majao Aditya Kapoor from 20 Assam RIfles, a large number of women blocked the section of NH-102 at Pallel today.

Passenger buses suspended normal services and movement of private vehicles were disrupted during the bandh. Shops in Pallel bazaar too remained closed. The agitating women also shouted slogans and proceeded towards main gate of the 26 Sector AR headquarters located in Pallel.

It might be mentioned that M Ruisothing Aimol (56), a mother to six children was injured by the bullets of Assam Rifles at Aimol Satu Village on mid night of May 31. Even though she was treated at Shija Hospital she succumbed to her injury at 2 am on June 1.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) has expressed serious concern over the death of the chairperson of Aimol Numei Waar Manipur, Maibam (o) Ruisoting, 55, wife of M. Babhudon of Aimol Satu village under Tengnoupal police station.

A press release of the CORE has stated that according to a information received from the area, three other women from the same village were also allegedly tortured by the same Assam Rifles personnel during the incident who are currently undergoing medical treatment at Jivan Hospital, Kakching.

CORE has urgently urged the State government to look into the incident and institute an impartial, independent judicial inquiry to book and punish those found guilty according to the rule of law for the end of justice, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/06/pallel-bandh-called-off-as-jac-reaches-agreement/