| Manipur |
2008: In Manipur it was all guns and few roses!
For Manipur, 2008 was no different with militants running amok with guns and aggrieved civilians demanding weapons to defend themselves.
On the positive side, pugilist Mary Kom returned from China with her fourth consecutive title of the AIBA world women boxing championship.
Kom, who returned to the ring after a two-year hibernation of taking care of her twins, however, lamented saying the Centre had denied her the Khel Ratna award.
The sporting state also could not overcome another hurdle when lifter Monika Devi was denied a berth in the Beijing-bound Indian Olympics team.
In the home-front, demands for revoke of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act gained momentum with activist Irom Sharmila`s fast entering the ninth year.
As the surge in militant activities continued, about 300 special police officers were recruited and trained to protect Heirok village in interior Thoubal district after the people
demanded weapons to protect themselves from rebels following the killing of three villagers in March.
Frequent hurling of explosives and firing on houses of ministers and officials by militant groups, shootouts between militants and security personnel and ambush on outlying security or police posts hogged newspaper headlines almost every day during the year.
The high-security official residence of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh came under militant attack on September 1 while a blast on October 21 here snuffed out the lives of 17 people and injured 34 others.
While militant group, People`s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) said they carried out the blast inside Singh`s residential complex to "teach a lesson", a faction of
Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) owned responsibility for bombing at Ragailong on October 21 saying their action was to prevent Diwali festival in Manipur.
PREPAK had earlier exploded a bomb inside Singh`s residential complex in 2006.
According to official data, at least 426 people, including six security personnel and 159 civilians, were killed in militancy-related incidents as against a total figure of 132 people last year.
Among the civilians killed were 16 non-Manipuris in four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishenpur.
The state government stepped up security measures to deal effectively with militants by raising one more India Reserve Battalion (IRB) forces, equipping police with sophisticated weapons and deployment of more forces at vulnerable places.
They said about 300 special police officers (SPOs) were also recruited and trained to protect Heirok village in interior Thoubal district after the villagers demanded weapons
to protect themselves from militants following the killing of three of its villagers by the latter in March this year.
The appointment of SPOs came after PREPAK said they killed the three villagers by mistake while trying to attack members of a rival faction.
Other insurgent groups like United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL) opposed the appointment of SPOs, saying it would lead to more bloodshed within a particular community in the state.
The two militant groups restricted the movement of villagers in Heirok and demanded that they should not accept the SPOs. The ban on movement of Heirok villagers by UNLF and KYKL still exists.
Former IPS officer Gurbachan Jagat was sworn in as the state`s 12th Governor on July 23 replacing S S Sidhu, who took charge of Goa.
On the political front, ruling Congress-led Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry did not face any problem as Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee chief Gaikhangam, who had revolted against Singh in 2007, reconciled with the Chief Minister.
However, the strength of the Congress reduced to 30 following the death of one of its members, M Manindra (Moirang Assembly constituency in Bishenpur district).
Bureau Report |
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