Agitationists reject Patil?s offer of talks

Manipur Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh's headache just got bigger with protestors against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) rejecting the Centre's offer for a negotiated settlement. The offer was made by Union home minister Shivraj Patil earlier this week.

The Apunba Lup, a core body of 32 organizations that is leading the stir, seemed agreeable to a dialogue but changed tack after the state government cremated the body of P. Chittaranjan Singh, a student leader who died after a self-immolation bid, on Wednesday night. As a show of opposition to the government's 'diktat' on the cremation, his family members refused to claim the body.

Maintaining that Apunba Lup would organize Chittaranjan's symbolic cremation on Saturday at an undisclosed location, the organization's spokesman Jagat Thoudam said the agitation would continue until AFSPA was lifted from the whole of Manipur.