Month: January 2018

From Our Correspondent

THOUBAL | Jan 10

A mother of three children, Kshetrimayum Ongbi Rashi (41), wife of Ranjan, had allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her husband’s house at Kiyam Awang Leikai, under Thoubal police station. Her parental residence is also from near the mentioned locality.

Sources said her dead body was discovered by her husband around 11. 30 am when he returned to his house after some work. She was found being hung at hook in a room without walls by using a piece of cloth.   

The people from the surrounding locality said that Ranjan was always seen drunk and expressed their suspicion that he may have been involved in his wife’s death.   

A team of police lead by OC, Thoubal Police Station, H. Rishikesh Sharma arrived at the spot and took investigations regarding the incident. A case had been registered and Ranjan was taken in for investigations.

The dead body was collected with the assistance of forensic experts and being kept at JNIMS morgue to conduct post mortem.

Newmai News Network

KOHIMA | Jan 10

Thousands of Nagas from Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and elsewhere gathered at Kohima Local Ground in Kohima today to participate in the Naga Day observation under the banner of “Nagas Without Borders” organized by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). Naga patriotic songs and cultural programs were displayed on the occasion. 

Marking the day a declaration “On this first Naga Day, 10 January, 2018, we affirm and uphold the Naga Hills Memorandum to the Simon Commission on 10 January, 1929, on behalf of the Naga people by the Naga Club, and we celebrate that Nagas are a people and a nation without borders.”

According to the Naga Day declaration, Nagas are a people comprised of many “nations (tribes)” living in their ancestral lands spread across the present state of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Burma (Myanmar). “By coming together in solidarity under the theme ‘Nagas Without Borders’ we demonstrate our collective desire to live as one people,” stated the declaration.

It also said that, at this point in the Naga history the Nagas come together to celebrate the journey taken so far and to examine themselves so that the path to a shared future is undertaken with responsibility, accountability and a sense of belonging with each other.

“On this historic Naga Day, we the people who have gathered together in one accord adopt this declaration,” it added.

On the Naga reconciliation process, the Naga Day declaration said that, “as Nagas we say ‘Sorry’ to each other for the hurts we have caused to one another in words, attitudes and actions thus provoking the worst in each other and damaging ourselves”. It added that, “We admit our failure for always demanding others to change, without first realizing the need to change ourselves”.

According to the Naga Day declaration, the Naga reconciliation process is a basic necessity to nurture and defend the right of the Nagas as one people. “As individuals and as Naga Nations (tribes), we agree to engage in a process of self-examination and to undertake a shared journey to wholeness through love, forgiveness, mutual understanding, compassion and healing so that Naga Reconciliation becomes a reality,” it added.

According to the declaration, to overcome the trust deficit and to strengthen the journey of healing, the Naga national groups, the State, the Churches, tribe organizations and civil society groups are encouraged to admit their failures and apologize to the people for the wrongs they have committed and to conduct themselves with honor, dignity and responsibility.

“The journey to wholeness involves ‘truth-telling’ which can be initiated at the public-level throughout Naga-Land. Churches across Naga-Land are invited to create safe and non-judgmental spaces for stories to be told without any fear whatsoever so that healing will be made possible,” it added.

On the Naga political struggle, the Naga Day declaration said that Naga Sovereignty lies with the people and on the basis of the right to self-determination freely determine our political status so that we can fully develop socially, economically, culturally and spiritually as a dignified nation.

“We impress upon the Government of India to honor its commitment to engage the Naga political rights that stem from the facts of our history with honesty, sincerity and through peaceful means. The Naga political struggle being one of the oldest running conflicts in the world, must be addressed with openness, political maturity and statesmanship, for bringing about an inclusive, just and lasting resolution without borders. This must be given paramount priority above all other issues and should be reached at the earliest,” it stated.

The Naga Day declaration also said that the Naga national groups, the Governments of India and Burma must truthfully engage the Naga political rights with utmost transparency, accountability and respect for peoples’ aspirations.

“In order to build confidence with the people and address collective trauma the Governments of India and Burma now need to go beyond militarization. In this spirit the Government of India should repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (1958) and all other anti-democratic legislations not worthy of a great democratic nation like India,” it stated.

For rebuilding relationships and peaceful co-existence, we encourage the Governments of India and Burma to admit to the gross human rights violations and to apologize for their wrong doings to the Naga people, the declaration also said.

On the ‘nation building’, the Naga Day declaration said, “We affirm that every Naga has a role to contribute in the process of nation building”.

“We pledge to work day by day towards recovering values of common good, nurturing indigenous wisdom, cultivating practices of honesty and integrity, dialogue, respect, sharing and giving, so that everyone benefits and lives with dignity today and in the future,” it also said.

“We commit ourselves towards intentionally upholding gender justice and creating space for young people to lead us in this 21st century,” it added.

According to the declaration, from this day forward we commit ourselves to working together and shouldering the responsibilities to overcome social, “systematic developmental aggression” and systemic corruption that are destroying the Naga way of life and undermining the ability of our institutions to nurture and fulfil our aspirations.

“In this time of difficult challenges, Nagas need to be led by women and men who are led by God. We pray that God will provide such leaders who will inspire us to walk in the path of justice and mercy,” it added.

On the Naga Day, the declaration paper said, as part of the Naga Day celebration we resolve to explore and evolve creative ways of educating and empowering ourselves about our history, our culture, our land, our rights and our responsibilities.

“On this day we agree to strive towards rapprochement with our neighbors in building better relationships based on mutual trust and respect.  We urge all Nagas to celebrate Naga Day on the 10th day of January every year where ever Nagas may be in a manner that will deepen our relationships and enrich our understanding of each other as one people. Naga Day belongs to all Nagas and not to any organization,” the Naga Day declaration added.

Outrage over delivery sans medical staff on hospital bed rocks JNIMS

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Jan 10

The director of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) Th. Bhimo constituted an inquiry committee to probe the case of child delivery on hospital bed after alleged negligence by her doctor.

“We have constituted a committee to inquire into the incident. We asked the committee to submit its findings by 4 pm today,” the director of the institute Th. Bhimo told reporters during an interaction programme between the health minister L. Jayentakumar Singh and senior journalists at the former’s office today.

The committee is comprised of doctors from gynae, medicine and forensic departments.

“We will take the next step according to the findings of the committee,” the director said.

It is not known whether the report has been submitted by the deadline.

An Imphal based vernacular daily reported in its January 8 edition that an expecting mother delivered her child on her bed of the institute at 7 am of January 7. The report alleged that the delivery took place without the help of any medical staff, five minutes after the patient’s lady doctor had told her that the delivery would be delayed.

The 32-year-old woman, who hails from Ukhrul district, was admitted to the hospital on January 4. After the delivery on the bed the hospital staff including nurses “forced” the relatives of the patient to clean up the post delivery mess.

Responding to the issue of alleged “indifference” by doctors and nurses leading to frequent confrontations between the relatives of patients and hospital staff the JNIMS director said he has convened a meeting of all the head of departments of the institute tomorrow to discuss problems of the institute and also on measures to maintain a cordial relationship between the hospital and staff and patients’ parties.

The director said because of absence of about 20 junior doctors at the institute after they have gone for appearing examinations for post graduate studies the institute has been facing problems.

Jayentakumar interacted with the journalists on many health related issues including the functions and responsibilities of food safety department of the state.

Answering to the questions on problems of untested food items imported from outside the state, particularly fish coming from outside the minister asserted that construction of the administrative building of the food safety office at Moreh will be completed soon. The process to procure new machines for testing different food items is on the pipeline, he added.

Suggestions from media persons were also heard by the minister. He also assured that all possible steps will be taken up to curb health and food safety related issues.

From Our Correspondent

KANGPOKPI | Jan 10

The proscribed Kuki National Front (Nehlun) in a meeting held under its president, Dr. Napoleon Kremlin on January 7 discussed the activities taken up and administrative functioning of all departments under Island Sub Division of Kangpokpi District in the past 2017 while adopting two important resolutions.

The press communiqué of the outfit signed by its information and publicity secretary, Gogou Vaiphei stated that the resolutions adopted in the meeting included that felling of trees and fresh jhum cultivation will be restricted in dense forest area within Island block of Kangpokpi District for three consecutive three years with immediate effect.

He said that the forest in hilly region of the area should not be burnt down under any circumstances for any purpose and hunters should only hunt within their own respective village jurisdictions while cautioning that any violators will be treated accordingly and the organisation shall not be blamed for the same.

In order to rejuvenate and strengthen the outfit positions, the president approved the recommendations put up by the commander in chief of the outfit, James Kuki and reshuffled the responsibilities of its civil, finance and arms wings.

The press statement said that in the arms wing, Alex Kuki have been appointed as CO general head quarters while in the civil department, Kennedy Kuki have been appointed as organising secretary and Justin Kuki, David Kuki and Brandon Kuki were appointed public relation officer respectively.

It further said that in the finance department of the outfit, Nelson Kuki will look after the general headquarters, Max Kuki (Saikul and New Keithelmanbi), Amos Kuki (Kangpokpi), Ricky Kuki (Imphal), Tyson Kuki (Chandel and Tengnoupal district) and Samson (Churachandpur and Pherzawl district.