Day: September 18, 2017

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 18

In tandem with the celebrations across the globe, the 9th World Bamboo day was celebrated today in the state at Singjamei community hall, Imphal. The theme of the event was E3 – environment, energy and employment.  

While addressing the programme, chief architect of Buddhabir and Association, Th. Buddhabir Singh, speaking as the guest of honour said that bamboo products are taking an important role to promote arts and crafts of the state.

He said that instead of waiting for government jobs, the youths of Manipur should start their own small scale industry of bamboo crafts to make their living. Nowadays bamboo products are replacing other furniture in most of the countries, and the demands are more than the wooden products, he added.    

Member of Bamboo Forum of India, Sukumar Haobam who also spoke on the occasion said that the day is celebrated globally in order to increase awareness of the usefulness of bamboo. The aim of world bamboo organisation is to promote and protect bamboo and to ensure sustainable utilisation of bamboo products throughout the world.

He also said the celebration was first started in 2011 at Singjamei, organised by Bamboo Forum of India under the sponsorship of several department of the state. The main function was plantation of bamboos at different sites, painting competition on the theme of bamboo, bamboo exhibition which included different bamboo cuisines.

Sukumar further said that bamboo is a good substitute of wood and it has carbon sequestration properties which can reduce the global warming.

Deputy director of handloom and textiles, E. Jeeten Singh said bamboo has been in use in the state in different forms since ancient times. Use of bamboo in furniture will be more profitable than wood as they grow faster and get matured in three to four years.

The directorate of textile is planning to give trainings on the uses of bamboo in order to motivate the artisans and entrepreneurs to bring out innovative ideas for the development of state, he added.

The programme was attended by Mayor of IMC, L. Lokeshore Singh as chief guest, advisor of Social Upliftment Organisation, H. Shyamkanhai as president and joint director of University and Higher Education, L. Iboyaima Singh as guest of honour.

A five day bamboo and cane allied craft exhibition was also inaugurated as part of the celebration at Singjamei Community Hall, which will be on till September 22.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 18

Condemning the alleged killing of Chanam Pravish on September 8 at Noida, and secretly cremating the body without informing the family members, locals of Uripok took out a protest rally today at Uripok Achom Leikai area.

While the locals of Uripok tried to march till the chief minister’s bungalow, police stopped them at Uripok Gopalji Leirak Machin.

Chanam Pravish (22) son of Chanam Jugindro of Uripok Achom Leikai was travelling from Hydrabad to Delhi on September 7 to witness a music concert on September 8 but went missing from the day of concert.

On the same day his brother lodged a missing case to the police. But on September 13 police informed to his brother that Pravish body was cremated as no one came to claim the body.

The locals appealed to the chief minister to let the CBI investigate the case as the dead of Pravish is highly suspected to be a murder.

It may be recalled that Pravish reached Delhi on September 7 and stayed at his friend Ashok Thounaojam’s Safdarjung residence. The following day in the evening, Pravish went to attend a musical concert at Noida.

Pravish and his friends including Ashok along with two others had gone to attend the concert.

Later, around 9.30 pm, Ashok and his friends found that Pravish was missing and accordingly his elder brother Ravikanta Chanam was notified following which a missing report was filed at Knowledge Park police station at Gautam Budh district of Uttar Pradesh on September 9.

Jiri News Network

JIRIBAM | Sept 18

The camp of UTLA/UTLF, which exist under the MoU signed between the state government and Indian government, located at the Peace Panel Camp, Liesahangphai under Tamenglong district, was attacked by heavily armed unidentified assailants. Three people including a woman were killed.    

The attack took place around 12.10 am yesterday at the mentioned location where the three people reportedly died at the spot. They were private Mangminlen (22), son of Kaimang from Buolzol village, Churachandpur, Ngamboi (21), son of Demlun, from Inbung village, Nagaland and Hatshi (25), wife of private Chochon from Buolzol village, Churachandpur.

General secretary, UTLA/UTLF, Robert Singson said in the month of July, the SP Jiribam had taken away their arms which was issued for self-protection by the government. Appeals had been made to the higher authorities regarding the matter. However, no reply was made and this may have led to the advantage of the unknown assailants and made them carry out the attack.

He further expressed that the dead bodies will not be taken unless the government does not turn the signed MoU and all the agreements into concrete actions.

When the incident took place, 37 Assam Rifles was informed though a phone call. The attackers rushed off when the Assam Rifles arrived. More people might have been killed if the AR had not arrived at the spot, he further expressed.

A team led by SDPO, R.K Charles of Jiri police came around 5 am to make a spot enquiry and the dead bodies were taken to Jiri police station for post mortem.

IMPHAL | Sept 18

Manipur is one of the few states in the country where women are highly respected, financially and economically independent, equal partners and sometimes more dominating compared to women in other parts of the country.

This was stated by governor of the state, Najma Heptulla addressing at the 2-day workshop on ‘Gender Sensitive Best Practices, Implementations and Capacity Building of Police Officials’ at Manipur Police Training College, Pangei, today.

The 2-day workshop is being organised by Manipur Police Training College in collaboration with Centre for Social Research, New Delhi, a non-governmental organisation, working on gender issues for the police personnel.

Applauding the work of the NGO, in sensitising crime against women, the governor said gender division is actually in the mindset of the people. Incidents of atrocities on women are being reported in the past 2 -3 months but the state is generally peaceful due to the police, she said, adding those in the police are quite sensitive of the issues not because of any training but because they are born in a society, where women are highly respected and such kind of training is perhaps unnecessary.

She further said the police should also increase their vigilance on drugs smuggled from across the border.

The governor continued it would be a good step to send representatives from the State to other parts of the country to train and sensitise about gender sensitisation. Apart from gender sensitisation training, sensitisation on the bad effects of drugs should also be taken up to curb violence as there is rise in consumption of drugs among the youths, she added.

The governor conveying her message to the young police officers said that there should be no discrimination based on caste, creed, religion or gender, as laid down in our Constitution. As a law-enforcing officer, police personnel should abide by the Constitution, and discharge their duties by treating those people in distress with equal respect and they should treat those people in distress with equality, she said R.K. Tutusana Devi, director, Manipur Police Training College, said that like in other parts of the country crime against women in Manipur is definitely on the rise taking a toll on law and order situation in the State.

But inhuman crime such as female foeticide, dowries killing among others are almost non-existent in the State she said, adding that it is the right time to sensitise the police forces specially the mid-level forces, as crime against women is on the rise in Manipur.

The programme will certainly sensitise them on gender issues, not only male officers vis-à-vis female officers, they have to understand themselves, understand the needs of their counterparts male or female and change their behavioural attitude accordingly so that such type of crime are kept under control in the State, said Tutusana.

She also said that there are still areas in the country that women are still apprehensive of approaching the police. In some cases, there are reports of police harassing the victims instead of helping them, she added.

She requested the CSR team to take up sensitisation programmes for these police personnel, which will be very beneficial for the police forces.

Sobita, chairperson, Manipur State Commission for Women, who also spoke on the occasion said that the programme is a very pioneering work rendered for the officials in Police Department.

In Manipur even though we are not having such serious crime that are happening in other parts of the country, of late there was an increasing trend in the crime against women, she added.

And in this regard a sensitization programme for the police personnel and surrounding communities is very much required, she said.

DGP L.M. Khaute, ADGP P. Doungel, head of Gender Training Institute Juthika Bannerjee, Project Coordinator, Centre for Social Research Priyanka Londhe and police personnel of the college attended the function.

IMPHAL | Sept 18

Considering the inconvenience being faced by the people due to scarcity of cooking gas, chief minister N. Biren inquired the CAF and PD officials about the cause of the shortage of LPG supply.

He made the inquiry while speaking at a review meeting held at CM’s secretariat to discuss the targets of the developmental projects or schemes undertaken by different government departments to be completed in the current year 2017-18.

After he was briefed on the present situation by the officials concerned, the CM directed the officials to do whatever possible to address the problem immediately.

He also instructed them to convene a meeting at CM’s secretariat if necessary on the matter.

The meeting was conducted in continuation of the earlier meetings held on September 13 and 16 last.

Further in the meeting, he directed the officials concerned to expedite works regarding opening of a police station at Behiang, under Churachandpur district.

He also directed to constitute a committee and conduct a field visit across the State to find out the exact number of condemned vehicles of sate police department. All the repairable vehicles could be auctioned while un-repairable vehicles should be disposed as scraps, he said.

Developmental activities and welfare schemes being taken up by home, finance, MAHUD, MOBC and labour and employment departments were mainly deliberated in today’s meeting.

Chief minister’s cabinet colleagues, chief secretary, DGP, additional DGP, administrative secretaries, HoDs and other top level officials were present in the meeting.