Day: October 4, 2012

DIMAPUR, Oct 4 NNN: Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Delhi has strongly condemned the violence perpetrated on the North Cachar Hills Indigenous Peoples Front (NCHIPF) activists and other peaceful demonstrators by Dimasa “hoodlums” under the patronage of the local authority on September 28. “The NCHIPF rally was a peaceful and democratic protest against the move of Assam State Government to convert Dimasa Hasao to ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council.’ These are not isolated criminal physical assaults and intimidation perpetrated by the Dimasa goons hobnobbing with the State apparatus. These are calculated and premeditated politics of violence unleashed by Dimasa militants and the State to suppress the rightful aspirations of the other indigenous communities living in N.C Hills,” the Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi alleged.
Dr M Gairiangmei, president of ZSUD alleged that the Assam State Government and the Centre have certain vested interests in appeasing the Dimasas in NC Hills. According to the 2011 Census, Dimasas constitute only 35 percent while the other indigenous communities constitute 65 percent of the NC Hills population, Dr Gairiangmei added. “But the people who constitute only 35 percent of the district has been given free hand to serve the interests of the State. Recently, Assam Government changed the official name of NC Hills District to Dimasa Haso District in order to appease the Dimasas despite strong opposition from the other communities who constitute 65 percent population of the District. The NCHIPF’s genuine demand to roll back the undemocratic decision of the State Government or create another district for the 65 percent population of the district by bifurcating the district has been ignored by the State. Today, as if to mock the democratic aspirations of the 65 percent majority communities, the Centre and the State Government are further considering to appease the minority Dimasas by declaring ‘Dimasa Hasao District’ as a ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council,” Dr M Gairiangmei said.
Terming as short sighted policy of the Central and Assam governments, Dr M Gairiangmei said it was purely to create a ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council’ (DHTC) by carving out large areas of territories belonging to other ethnic communities in NC Hills (Dimasa Hasao District). “If the Centre and Assam State Government wish to create a Territorial Council for the Dimasas let it be on their own territory but not on our territory. We will not hesitate to launch all forms of agitations and exploit all measures possible to expose and scuttle such diabolic and undemocratic politics of Assam State Government and the Centre to pit one community against another in the hope of clinging on to power and suppressing the rightful aspirations of the marginalized tribals in Assam,” he added.
Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi fully endorses the stand of Zeliangrong Baudi to protect and defend the ancestral land of Zeliangrong people in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland from being used as a pawned in others’ interests. “We fully extend our unstinting support and solidarity to the Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN) and the IPF in their struggle to overcome the challenges of divisive and exploitative policies adopted by Assam State Government and the Centre,” the Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi pledged.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zeliangrong-students-condemn-violence/

MNS:- Gujarat will have a polling booth for a single voter to enable him to cast his vote in the forthcoming State Assembly election. The Election Commission will set up One Voter polling station in a single room building of forest department at Banej in Gir Forest. This will be 20 Kms from nearest habitation, a village Sapnesh Biliyat in 93 Una Assembly Constituency in Junagarh district. In the above Polling Station, Guru Bharat Das, aged 59, a temple priest by profession will cast his franchise during the first phase of Polling on 13.12.2012.
The Election Commission has identified Sh. Shyam Saran Negi as oldest voter in Himachal Pradesh (HP). Sh. Negi, aged 95, lives in Kalpa Tehsil, District Kinnaur. H.P. Sh. Negi retired from Government Primary School in 1975 and his family includes wife, four sons and five daughters.
Sh. Negi was among the first to cast his vote in independent India’s first Election in October 1951, of H.P. State Legislative Assembly from 10- Chini Assembly Constituency later renamed as Kinnaur. At that time, election in snow-bound 10- Chini (now Kinnaur) was held ahead of other places in the State.
Interestingly, the world’s highest Polling booth will also be located in H.P. at the height of 15000 ft above sea level. This Polling Station will be at Hikkam in Lahaul & Spiti Assembly Constituency located on motorable road. The Hikkam Polling Station will serve 333 voters, comprising 180 male & 153 female voters.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/single-voter-polling-station-in-gujarat/

MNS:- Shri Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment inaugurated the event “ANTARCHAKSHU – The Eye Within” here today. Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that the event highlights areas of education, financial access and equal employment opportunities. This event will provide the participants insights into the intricacies of the daily lives of the visually impaired. The Minister further added that the Government is taking several steps to see that the life of the Person with Disabilities are in such a manner that they are able to enjoy equal opportunities and equal right with all others. Last year in August we inaugurated the Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC) at Indira Gandhi National Open University. We are also going to make our National Institutes in to centers of excellence. We are also in process of setting up of a National Center for barrier free environment and universal design. Such an initiative on similar lines have been taken in the recent past. I look forward for active cooperation from all those who have been working in this sector and I would like to appeal to younger people especially the student community to join hands with us, so that we are able to sensitize the society at large and help in the process of creating an inclusive society. After the inauguration the Minister was the first participant in the activity zone of Antarchaksu and went through the experience being blindfolded. He experienced the challenges of walking on an uneven and obstacle-ridden simulated footpath, finding cities of India on a tactical map, typing with a screen reading software, and the fun of a penalty shootout with an accessible football. The three day event has been organized by the Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged, Mumbai, Equal Opportunity Office of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi, National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun, Saksham Trust, New Delhi and Sightsavers. Present on the occasion were Secretary, Department of Disability Affairs, Smt. Stuti Kacker, Joint Secretary, Shri Pankaj Joshi and other dignitaries.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/antarchakshu-providing-insights-into-the-intricacies-of-the-daily-lives-of-the-visually-impaired/

MNS:- The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, inaugurated the Directorate of Air Veterans today. The Directorate would be committed to looking after the pensionary and welfare aspects of all retired Air Force personnel. Inaugurating the Directorate, the Air Chief said “It gives me great pleasure to dedicate the new Directorate to the Air Warriors, who have contributed so much to the growth of the IAF. The Directorate would provide value added services to both our retiring as well as retired air warriors and coordinate all aspects, hitherto being handled by different directorates”
The institution of Directorate of Air Veterans is an effort towards bringing under one roof, the various departments dealing with different aspects of Air Veterans, so that, the IAF veterans do not have to approach different agencies for their welfare and pensionary problems. This directorate will function under the Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA), that would be headed by an Air Vice Marshal who looks after the responsibility of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Accounts) and would be re-designated as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Accounts and Air Veterans) henceforth.
To give focused attention to the needs of Air Veterans, this single window to approach IAF for assistance with respect to pensionary and welfare issues, will deal with various Civil Government departments on matters pertaining to Veterans of the IAF, so that issues affecting them are taken up in a consolidated manner effectively.
The Directorate will also operate through a website called ‘http://iafpensioners.gov.in’ for grievances related to pensionary aspects.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/iaf-inaugurates-directorate-of-air-veterans-for-retired-iaf-personnel/