Two women NSCN-IM supporters die in stampede

Two women died in a stampede after police burst tear gas shells to disperse hundreds of T Muivah supporters who became restive following hours of wait to receive the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Miuvah general secretary, who postponed his visit to his native village in Manipur on Thursday.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Mao gate check post on the Manipur-Nagaland border to receive Muivah who was across the border at Viswema village in Nagaland, officials said.

When the people turned restive and burnt a vehicle belonging to India Reserve Battalion, police burst teargas shells which led to a stampede in which the two women were killed in Senapati district, sources said.

Prohibitory orders were still in force at Senapati and Mao areas.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, who flew to Delhi in the morning and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram to brief them on the attempt by Muivah to enter the state, returned to Imphal in the afternoon, official sources said.

Several organisations opposed Muivah's entry to the state saying it was an attempt to divide Manipur.

The All Manipur United Clubs' organisation have called for a 48-hour general strike from midnight opposing Muivah's attempt to enter Manipur.

In a statement, major social organisation United Committee Manipur said it had imposed a ban on the movement of vehicles between Imphal and the hill district headquarters from today.

It said people from the hills should understand the situation in Manipur and must not try to divide the state which was facing many problems because of the 'mistrust' between those living in the hills and the valley.

NSCN-IM, one of the oldest and powerful rebel groups in the northeast, is demanding a 'greater Nagaland' to be formed by merging Naga-populated areas of adjoining states but the idea has been rejected by Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.