Northeast Platform

IMPHAL, Jun 3: Pharmaceuticals shop owners near the Thoubal district hospital today urged the Manipur chief minister to protect them from atrocities meted out on them by PREPAK militants for not shelling out their extortion demand of Rs. 2 lakhs.In the meantime, labourers of the brick fields in Imphal west also commenced an indefinite sit-in protest today against closure of the brick fields due to heavy monetary demands on the proprietors.Another sit-in protest was also staged in front of the Lamlong High School at Khurai Lamlong by students of the school against serving of monetary demands on the teachers of the school.Pharmacies in Thoubal district, mention may be made, have been closed since yesterday owing to the threats given to them for not meeting the monetary demands served on a letterhead of the PREPAK dated May 17, 2008 signed by its finance co-ordinator for party funds.Today, the proprietors of the pharmacies called on the chief minister at his bungalow and submitted a repr

IMPHAL, Jun 3: A shopkeeper was severely wounded by splinters and six shops, including two on the opposite side, were badly damaged when a powerful blast at Chingmeirong Mamang Leikai, on the side of the NH-39, shattered the silent night at around 10 pm tonight.The bomb was so powerful that a pit of around five feet diameter with a depth of around three feet appeared at the site where the bomb was planted. It also destroyed four shops located adjacent to the site totally and also caused to the shutters of two shops located on the opposite side.However, only one shopkeeper who was inside his shop named Vim Doshnet, 30, son of Prem Bahadur sustained injuries by the splinters from the bomb. Police could not immediately confirm what kind of bomb was exploded.The severely wounded Vim was immediately evacuated to the RIMS hospital by the personnel of 39 Assam Rifles posted at Chingmeirong, not far from the blast site.He received injuries all over his body.According to the Assam Rifles who r

IMPHAL, June 3: A major difference of opinion has occurred among the public of Heirok village on the issue of establishing SPOs in the village with two separate groups taking up opposing and confrontationist stands on the matter.A group of people belonging to the families of those who have already joined the recruitment process for SPOs recently conducted by the state government at Heirok, with support from representatives and volunteers of local clubs and women`s organisations of Heirok villages convened a public meeting this evening.The meeting was totally against the resolutions taken during the public meeting held under the aegis of JAC Heirok at the residence of local MLA M Oken on June 1 at Heirok village, during which it was resolved to oppose the establishment of SPOs at the village.The public meeting this evening at the Ibudhou Ikop Ningkthou Umang Lai in Heirok Part-II was chaired by Elangbam Thethe, a village elder. After deliberations by the villagers including representat