Civil leaders' arrest protested at Delhi

New Delhi, September 25 : Showing their solidarity and support to the people of Manipur in their demand for justice, civil society groups, social activists and other eminent individuals staged a protest demonstration in front of Manipur Bhavan here today.

In the wake of the arrest of environmentalist Jiten Yumnam, who was allegedly tortured by the state police, the demonstrators demanded immediate and unconditional release of all social activists arrested along with him.

Civil society members and human right activists staging a protest at Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi

They also demanded befitting punishment of all police personnel who were responsible for the BT Road killings as well as scrapping of AFSPA.

A memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi was also submitted to Resident Commissioner Shambhu Singh.

The same memorandum would be sent to the Prime Minister with endorsement from civil organisations and other eminent individuals in the day.

The organisations that took part in the demonstration today included National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW), All India Students Association (AISA), SAHELI, All India Progressive Women's Association, Peoples' Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), Campaign for Peace and Democracy (Manipur), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG).

The memorandum signed by more than 30 organisations and several other eminent individuals from all over India was also sent to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Referring to the July 23 Khwairamband killings, the memorandum observed that instead of responding to the democratic and legitimate demands of its people for justice and action against guilty police personnel, the State Government led by Okram Ibobi has replied with brute force and imposed curfew in the state, and tried to cover up the story in the State Legislative Assembly.

To the democratic protests of the people for resignation of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and punishment of the guilty police personnel, the Government of Manipur responded with repressive measures like imposition of curfew, violent attacks on the protesters and the arrest of the civil society organisation leaders.

It cited the arrest of several members of the Apunba Lup, the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and environmental activist Jiten Yumnam who has been allegedly subjected to third degree torture in police custody.

"The severity of the current crisis in Manipur can be judged by the fact that it is almost impossible to find legal assistance for those arrested in the state today.

The situation is absolutely unacceptable.

There is an urgent need to intervene against the undemocratic and autocratic nature of the Government in Manipur", it pointed out.

Public property defacement in Delhi as poll campaign picks up

Mar 29As the poll campaign hots up all over the country, more than 300 cases of defacement of public property have been lodged in Delhi with 50 such cases being registered last week against various political parties and leaders. Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said the anti-defacement drive, which is entering the fourth week, also saw the removal of 1,673 posters, 1,124 banners, 676 hoardings besides erasing 154 wall writings.

The city police had filed 1,127 cases of defacement during the Assembly elections last November. It was 408 in 2003 Assembly elections and 366 in 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

All cases were filed under Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act (2007) which came into effect this month. Those booked under this act can attract a jail term of up to one year or a fine of Rs 50,000, or both.

Pleasant morning for Delhi, mercury goes up

Jan 23Another pleasant morning greeted Delhiites on Friday with the minimum temperature remaining four notches above normal at 12 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office said Friday's minimum was higher than Thursday's 11.3 degrees.

January this year has been warmer so far as compared to last year when the minimum dropped below five degrees a number of times. The season's lowest temperature was recorded on January 2 when the minimum dipped to four degrees.

The record for January's minimum temperature is on 16th of 1935 when the temperature fell to -0.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum in 2006 had slumped to 0.2 degrees Celsius.