Day: March 27, 2012

IMPHAL, March 27: Several organizations of the state have continued to send in their condemnation of the March 22 gang rape of a woman by four persons including two IRB personnel.

The Kabui Mothers’ Association, KAMA while condemning the act has submitted a memorandum to the chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, govt of India informing that the state government has failed to initiate any action against the four accused even though they are kept in the custody of the police.

It has further added that the involvement of security personnel, coupled with the failure of the government to take action against the four, has cast a great doubt of whether the government is trying to come out with a different version so as to cover such inhumane actions.

It has further alleged that the Santro car used in the act belongs to one of the accused while the pistol was given to the perpetrators by one Tiken Singh, Sub Inspector of the Bishnupur Police station, who is a resident of Kongba Laishram Leikai.

Further citing that the government’s ineffective dealing and slow investigation process, it has demanded from the National commission to conduct an investigation into the matter and award befitting and exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the Naga Peoples’ Union Imphal, has also condemned the act in a separate press release.

The Zeliangrong Baudi Manipur has also strongly condemned the incident where an innocent woman was allegedly raped by a gang of four persons on March 22 near Keinou Awang Leikai along the Tiddim Road.

It has further added that when some women of the Kabui Mothers’ Association interrogated the alleged rapists who are at police custody, about a pistol which they had during the incident, they told the women’s association that the pistol was provided to them by one Jiten, a Sub-Inspector at Bishnupur district police, the statement added.

The Zeliangrong body has also urged the concerned authorities not to cover up or defend the four culprits and that they should be punished in a befitting manner.

It further urged upon the government of Manipur to pay compensation to the victim and her family under the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes Atrocities Act.

The tribal body has also pledged to put pressure on the state government in collaboration with other like-minded civil bodies in the state and the general public until justice is delivered to the victim, the statement added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/kama-wants-natl-commission-for-st-to-investigate-mar-22-rape/

IMPHAL, March 27: Amidst the beginning of the new administration of the Congress government in the state, police personnel protecting the law and order committed a ‘heinous crime’ by raping a housewife from Nungleiband village in Leimatak, who sells U-morok (chilli), on March 22 and that just shouting and keeping mum on the incident will not be the right step of the people, the militant outfit United Revolutionary front (URF) said in a release on Tuesday.

The hill people have the responsibility to make the Manipur police, who have proselytized and devoted to the Indian Army, a police force of the public, URF asserted that IRB Havildar, Chungkham Ibocha, IRB rifleman Kshetrimayum Kennedy, Laikhuram Rojit and Salam Bijen, who were involved in the heinous crime must be taken as the ‘enemy of the society.’

They (the four culprits) should be punished by ‘hanging until dead’ by parading in front of the general public and that their parents should also face the harsh treatments of the people, the outfit added.

Cautioning the people against their mandate in the last general elections in which the Congress obtained an overwhelming majority, URF sarcastically questioned the people of Manipur whether it was the fruit of their verdict and what will be the next hope.

The government should abstain from practicing such acts like staging fake encounters, torturing of innocent family members of militants in the state and assisting commitment of terror acts by UG imposters, and that it will be the right step of the government to maintain proper development, transparency, accountability and good governance, it added.

Stating that the URF is all prepared to engage in a political fight with the ruling state government, it challenged the government while suggesting the latter to jointly work out a political strategy.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/urf-condemns-alleged-rape/

IMPHAL, March 27: Out of a total population of 20 lakh (approx.) in the valley districts of the state, there are only 1.5 lakh (approx.) of electricity consumers, while Mizoram with a total population of 9 lakh (approx.) has 1.7 lakh (approx.) consumers, stated addl chief engineer, electricity dept, L Priyokumar during a meeting of the State Advisory Committee for Manipur of the Joint electricity Regulatory Commission for Manipur and Mizoram.

The meeting was held this morning at the State guest house, Sanjengthong.

The addl chief engineer also added that the fact shows that there are many unauthorized consumers in the state.

By August 2012 Pallantana power, Tripura will be commission, from which Manipur’s allotted share will be increased by 20 Megawatts, the addl CE added.

He also added that the state government has added an additional Rs 20 crore to the Rs 15 crore which is normally spent to buy electricity for the state consumption in a month.

Today’s meeting was attended by H. Bihari Singh, chairman, JERC (M&M) and other members including C Hmingthanzuala, IAS (rtd), Ng Chittranjan Singh, scientific officer, Director MANIREDA, Dr. Ch. Ibohal Meitei, associate professor, Manipur Institude of Mangement Studies, MU, Dr. L. Sadananda Singh, general secretary, Senior Citizens Society, Manipur, Elanagbam Dolendra Singh, Advisor, All Manipur Power Consumer’s Association, Irengbam Arun, resident editor, IFP, S Chaothi Singh, president, Manipur Industries Union, A. Chhawnmawia, IDES (retd.), Secretary, JERC (M&M), Richard Zothankima, Assistant Secretary, JERC (M&M) and Shyamsunder Singh, Chief Engineering, JERC (M&M).

The state official department was represented by L Priyokumar, addl CE (power II).

During the meeting, different aspects were discussed to improve the power supply in the state.

The meeting started with the confirmation of the minutes of the 7th SAC Meeting held on November, 2011. While discussing the second agenda “Present Power Supply position and Initiatives of the Department to tide over the situation” during its 2nd SAC meeting on October 30, 2009, the SAC emphasized the need for increasing the number of hours of power supply in the state to at least 8 hours in the day time in the interest of industrial and commercial consumers and six hours in the night in the interest of students, media, and security personnel.

Accordingly, both the government and department were informed to take requisite initiatives without further delay.

As it is seen today, the effort has apparently been yielding a negative impact on the situation rather than improving it. Therefore it has become clear that the matter has not been taken very seriously by the Licensee.

Other agendas including Transmission system Improvement and Improvement of Commercial Efficiency were also discussed.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/only-15-lakh-electricity-consumers-out-of-20-lakh-population/

IMPHAL, March 27: Delhi police today prevented the CPI (Marxist Leninist) from organizing a protest rally on Parliament Street in the national capital. The protest rally was supposed to urge the government to repeal AFSPA from Manipur and Kashmir.

However, a public meeting was held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi which was attended by CPI (Marxist Leninist) members from across the country besides other organizations including Manipur Students’ Association, Delhi, Manbi Leima Democratic Women’s Front and many others.

At the meeting, many leaders like Sharistha Choudhury, general secretary, All India Revolutionary Women Organization, comrade Benij Bihari, UP state secretary, CPI-ML, KK Das, general secretary, Assam state CPI-ML, Gopal Macha, president, Manipur Intellectual forum, Sairem Modhubala from Democratic Women Front, Manipur and KN Ramcharan, National secretary CPI-ML spoke on AFSPA and various atrocities being committed by Indian Army under the controversial Act.

Addressing the gathering, KN Ramcharan accused the government of torturing people in the name of hunting the Maoists who are against it and said, “It is unfortunate.”

Maoist is spearheading a political movement, the CPI-ML National secretary added.

Maintaining that it is totally unreasonable and unacceptable to enforce Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the states of Manipur and Kashmir, Ramcharan said, “The military Act was promulgated by the British to subjugate the Indians and now it is hitting back on us.”

The CPI-ML was a harbinger of the naxalite movement in India.

Ramcharan himself joined and made contribution in the movement and languished in jail for a long time.

The people of Manipur are in a state of trouble as enforcement of AFSPA in the state signifies that Manipur is a colonial land of India, Sapam Shyamsundar, Manipur state CPI-ML secretary asserted, saying that the AFSPA was reformed into an Act from an ordinance made by the British.

India has lost the meaning of being a democratic country because it has taken its stance to remain as a mute spectator over the voice of the people of Manipur, including Irom Chanu Sharmila who is on a fast for 11 years demanding repeal of AFSPA, Sairem Modhubala, a member of Democratic Women Front, Manipur lamented.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/delhi-police-bar-cpi-mls-afspa-rally-plan/

IMPHAL, March 27: The Senapati District Women Association, SDWA in collaboration with the Rural Development Association, Senapati organized a mass rally cum sit in protest against the Tipaimukh dam construction at Senapati bazar.

The people later on handed a memorandum to the Senapati Deputy Commissioner to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India.

The rally was attended by around 400 people carrying placards that read “No Mega project without people’s concern”, Nothing can compensate the loss of 78 lakhs of trees”, “Scrap Tipaimukh Dam”, “Save Environment, Save People”, We don’t want big dams”, “No privatisation of rivers in the name of development”, “No big dams in North east” etc.

Speaking to media persons on the sideline of the public protest, president SDWA Lolia lamented that the construction of Tipaimukh dam will harm to the environment due to the loss of trees and we can only apprehend the kind of destruction it will bring to the people, in case on any damage to the dam after its construction as the dam lies inside a high seismic zone, which is prone to earthquakes.

She further appealed to the people of the state to jointly raise voice against the construction of the dam.

Meanwhile, the memorandum has urged upon the government to save and protect the environment, natural heritage and culture of the people of Manipur, to take free, fair, prior and informed consent specifically on Tipaimukh dam as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.

It has further appealed the government to revoke the MoU signed between the state government, National Hydroelectric project and the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited for the construction of Tipaimukh dam.

Instead of the Tipaimukh dam, the memorandum has further appealed to the government to build micro-hydel projects at different locations that can generate sufficient electricity for the state and bring equal area development.

The memorandum has also urged the government to stop the proposed Khongnem Chakha HE-project at Maram, Senapati.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/senapati-women-take-out-rally-against-tipaimukh-dam/

IMPHAL, Mar 27: Internationally acclaimed American hard rock band `FireHouse` will rock Manipur’s capital for the first time and Nagaland’s commercial capital Dimapur next month.

Khuman Lampak main stadium would be the performing ground in Imphal on April 10 after the performance at Dimapur on April 7.

The Firehouse Imphal concert has been sponsored by Airtel and part of the proceeds will go in association with Manipur State AIDS Control Society and enhanced AIDS awareness programme for the youths of the region.

“Our objective is to give quality band performance to our music loving audience and I think bands like Firehouse will certainly fulfil the desire of the people,” said Sunny Shimrah of Delhi based 7

Sisters Entertainment Group, an event management group while speaking to media persons here today. The tickets are priced at Rs 1500 and Rs 500.

Such events will also go a long way in promoting local talents as two local bands  will be the days opening act, added the young event manager who had also bought Higher on Maiden, the sister band of the legendary Iron Maiden all the way from UK in December last year.

The band’s forthcoming Imphal show is being billed as the mother of all concerts in the traditionally cultured Manipur after their record setting first Indian concert date in Shillong about four years ago.

Their last performance with White Lion in Shillong was on December 13, 2008.

Firehouse is well-known among the North-eastern population mainly for their hits like Sleeping with You, I Live My Life for You, When I looked into your eyes and Love of a lifetime and the band also gets regular airtime on the Radio in the region.

Originally composed of band members vocalist C. J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster, and bassist Perry Richardson, the band has maintained its original members with the exception of Richardson, who departed in 2000.

Richardson was replaced three times before current bassist Allen McKenzie was given the position in 2004.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/rock-band-firehouse-to-sway-imphal-rockers/