Two Manipur separatists announce 'Manipur government in exile' in UK
London: Two dissident leaders from Manipur claiming to represent King Leishemba Sanajaoba on Tuesday announced the launch of the "Manipur Government in exile" here in the UK.
Addressing a press conference, Yamben Biren, claiming to be the "Chief Minister of Manipur State Council" and Narengbam Samarjit, claiming to be the "Minister of External Affairs and Defence of Manipur State Council" said they were speaking on behalf of the 'Maharaja of Manipur' to formally launch the government-in-exile -- "The Manipur State Council".
There was no immediate comment from the High Commission of India here. Biren and Samarjit produced documents to show they have been granted political asylum in the UK in August this year. They said after getting their asylum status in the UK, "the de jure government is shifted from Manipur to London".
"We believe that now is the right time to make public the Independent Government of Manipur before the international community and seek recognition. We call on all the Governments of the sovereign states of the members of the United Nations for their recognition of the de jure and exile Government of the Manipur from today onwards.
"The three million Manipuri people want recognition as one of the Precious Native Nations. Our attempts to engage with the Indian government were met with hate and hostilities," they claimed.
They claimed there are "more than 1,528 cases of the extra judicial killing which are pending before the Supreme Court of India".
The duo claimed the "State of Manipur is a de jure Government formed in Manipur under the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947. It received independence from the British Raj on August 14, 1947. They claimed the sovereign State of Manipur was excluded from India by the Order in Council by his Majesty on 27 December 1946 and the Indian Government annexed Manipur State of India by violation of the Act 1949".
The two leaders said that they would make an appeal to Queen Elizabeth II and after getting an order from the Privy Council they would move the United Nations for recognition.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
