Manipur Guv reviews fencing work along India-Myanmar border

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Imphal, May 2 (IANS) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday reviewed the progress of the ongoing border fencing work along the India-Myanmar frontiers, officials said.

A Raj Bhavan official said that the Governor at a high level meeting reviewed the progress of the ongoing India-Myanmar border fencing work along Manipur including issues pertaining to the execution of the fencing work all along the India-Myanmar border with other northeastern states.

During the meeting, held at Raj Bhavan, officials of Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) briefed the Governor on the progress and highlighted matters related to land acquisition, approach roads, fencing, security, manpower and other related issues.

The BRTF is a unit under the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar,Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Secretary to Governor, officials from Assam Rifles attended the meeting among others.

Deputy Commissioner of five border districts also attended the review meeting via video conference.

Another official said that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has stepped up India-Myanmar border fencing work near Moreh town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district last year. The fencing work would be done in a phase-wise, he said.

The border fencing work was undertaken by ‘Project Sewak’ which is looking after road construction in Nagaland and Manipur. The ‘Project Sewak’ headquarters is in Nagaland’s Dimapur, the officer said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has earlier decided that the entire 1,643 km porous India-Myanmar border, known for the smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics, would be fenced at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore.

Manipur shares 398 km border with Myanmar while Arunachal Pradesh shares 520 km, Nagaland 215 km and Mizoram 510 km. Various Naga, Mizo, Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal organisations, some local political parties along with Nagaland and Mizoram governments are against the India-Myanmar border fencing.

The two northeastern state governments and other organisations claimed that border movement restrictions through the fencing and scraping of Free Movement Regime (FMR) across the India-Myanmar border would severely affect the long-standing historical, ethnic, social, cultural, traditional and economic ties of Nagas, Mizos, Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribals living on both sides of the India-Myanmar border.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last year announced that the FMR, which allows people residing along the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa, would be scrapped soon. Instead, the MHA decided to replace the FMR to adopt a new scheme to issue a pass to the border residents of both India and Myanmar living within 10 km on either side of the frontier to regulate cross-border movements.

–IANS

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Punjab govt busy serving Kejriwal, state witnessing blasts in areas bordering Pak: Akali Dal

Chandigarh, Dec 18 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, was busy serving his boss Arvind Kejriwal even as the state was witnessing a series of blasts in police stations, particularly bordering Pakistan.

Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia questioned the AAP government as to what alertness was being practised by the Punjab Police that had miserably failed to curb the series of bomb blasts at police stations in the border belt.

He said the fact of the matter was that the police, which was once considered the number one police force in the country, was unable to take action against the anti-national elements because the government had tied its hands.

He said besides failing to take action against the anti-national elements, the AAP government had also failed to rein in gangsters who were indulging in extortions, killings and snatchings.

Giving details of the attack on police stations, the SAD leader said on November 24, RDX was planted at the police station in Ajnala, on November 27, a grenade blast took place at Gurbaksh Nagar in Amritsar, on December 2, a grenade blast took place at the police station at Kathgarh in SBS Nagar district, on December 4, a grenade blast took place at the police station in Majitha in Amritsar, on December 13, a grenade blast shook the police station in Aliwal in Batala and on December 17, a grenade blast occurred at the Islamabad police station in Amritsar.

He said shockingly all these incidents had taken place in the border belt of the state, causing a serious risk to national security.

Former minister Majithia said during the AAP regime, Punjab had witnessed the sensational murders of famous singer Sidhu Moosewala as well as kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian.

He said the rocket launcher attack on the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran and the intelligence office in Mohali were also a glaring example of how gangsters and terrorists were working fearlessly in the state.

He said Chief Minister Mann was solely responsible for this sorry state of affairs. He said either the Chief Minister take decisive steps to correct the situation or tender his resignation for failing to run the administration of the state.

–IANS

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Palestine being subjected to injustice: Robert Vadra

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Robert Vadra on Thursday said that the bombing of hospitals and civilian areas in Palestine amounts to a grave “injustice” – a stand which aligns with his wife and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s earlier decision to show solidarity for the country.

Sharing his views on the bombings in Palestine, Vadra told IANS, “Undoubtedly, what is happening amounts to injustice.”

“People on both sides are being put in distress, and politics plays a major role in escalating the situation… Bombs being dropped on hospitals and the loss of innocent lives, including women and children, is extremely wrong,” he said, complaining about other unconnected nations joining the issue.

Vadra’s concern for the Palestinian people aligns with his wife and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, causing a flutter on Parliament premises by carrying a handbag displaying a bold ‘Palestine’ tag.

Her decision to carry the bag in December last year was seen as a statement of solidarity for Palestine on humanitarian grounds.

However, BJP MPs hit out at her step as appeasement politics.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “She wants to prove that Congress does politics of appeasement. They do not see the suffering of the victims in Bangladesh, they only see Palestine.”

She tweets about Gaza more than 20 times but does not talk about Bangladeshi Hindus. The Congress party is a party of Muslim appeasement, he said

Reacting to the development, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Gulam Ali Khatana said,

“People do such things for news. When they have been rejected by the people, they resort to such actions.”

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla defended Priyanka Gandhi’s action, saying, “Children are being killed in Palestine, hospitals are being bombed, and she is protesting all of this on the grounds of humanity.”

AIMIM Spokesperson Waris Pathan also reacted to Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Palestine’ Bag. He said, “Mahatma Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also supported Palestine. We have always supported Palestine.”

–IANS

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President Murmu witnesses inaugural show of Change of Guard Ceremony

New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday witnessed the inaugural show of the Change of Guard Ceremony in a new format at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The ceremony will be open to the public from February 22, 2025.

The new format of the ceremony offers a dynamic visual and musical performance, with the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Military drills by troops and horses of the President’s Bodyguard, and the troops of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion, along with the Ceremonial Military Brass Band, spread over a larger area, also participate in the new format.

According to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Change of Guard ceremony is a time-honoured military tradition with roots in military antiquity, involving the periodic replacement of guards and sentries at palaces, forts, and defence establishments.

This ritual goes beyond mere security, it symbolises vigilance, discipline, tradition, and continuity. At Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President’s Bodyguard and the Ceremonial Army Guard Battalion jointly undertake the Ceremonial Change of Guard held every week, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan’s website.

The grand event, held weekly at Gate No. 1 of Rashtrapati Bhavan, embodies the rich military heritage of India, showcasing the discipline and precision of the Armed Forces.

The ceremony is visually captivating against the backdrop of this historic edifice. The 30-minute event commences with the President’s Bodyguard troops, mounted on their caparisoned and impeccably groomed steeds, advancing from behind the Jaipur Column to the stirring music of the Army Brass Band.

The President’s Bodyguard and the Army Guard, clad in immaculate uniforms, stand at attention, exemplifying the highest standards of military decorum. The formal procession features soldiers marching in perfect formation, with the President’s Bodyguard flanking the Army Guard contingent on their towering steeds, all accompanied by the resonant sound of military music. The precision of their movements reflects the rigorous training and dedication of these soldiers.

The ceremony concludes with an impressive equestrian display by the President’s Bodyguard, which is the highlight of the ceremony, followed by the National Anthem.

The backdrop of Rashtrapati Bhavan, with its stunning architecture and lush gardens, adds to the grandeur of the ceremony. Visitors are often struck by the serene beauty of the surroundings, making the Change of Guard not just a military ritual but a vibrant cultural spectacle, said Rashtrapati Bhavan’s website.

–IANS

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