Frontier Manipur – Page 4

Demand for ST status, Chinks in Biren’s armour and Army vs Police

The BJP in Manipur had gathered more MLAs belonging to other parties to join ranks with them either by joining the party or lending support to the extent that the treasury bench today has 55 members sitting in it against the five in the opposition belonging to the Congress and as such the threat is […]

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By Yambem Laba

The movement for inclusion of the Meetei Tribe in the Scheduled List of tribes of India got a major fillip when the Manipur High Court gave a directive to the Manipur state government to give a response to the query from the Centre pending since 2013. The reply is to be given in one month’s time. The directive came after a petition by the Meetei Tribes Union, Manipur. It might be recalled that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs of the Government of India had sought the recommendation of the Manipur state government to enlist the Meitei in the ST List on 29 May 2013. In that letter, the Union Tribal Ministry had sought a report on the ethnographic and socio-economic survey of the Meitieis but had sat on it.

The Scheduled Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM), who had been in the forefront of the movement for the last 20 years or so, had welcomed the High Court’s directive which was arrived at by a single bench of the Manipur High Court of Acting Chief Justice M V Muralidharan. The STDCM had also garnered signatures of almost all the MLAs of the valley where the Meiteis reside. A Writ of Mandamus was filed by Mutum Churamani, secretary of the Meitei Tribes Union and seven others of the Union against the state of Manipur.

According to the petition, it was asserted that the Census carried by the Government of India since 2011 had been classifying Meeteis as a Tribe of the State and it was thus till Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union on 21 September 1949. Ajoy Pebam, the counsel for the petitioners, argued that the Meeteis lost the tribal tag after signing the Merger Agreement in 1949 and restoration of the status is imperative to preserve the ancestral land, traditions and culture. Various documentary references were annexed to the petition asserting that the Meeteis are still a tribe as per Articles 342(1) and 366(19), and 230(25) of the Indian Constitution and unfortunately, the Meeteis were left out while preparing the ST list under Article 342 of the Constitution, he added. He also added that the Chongthu, Khoibu and Mate tribes were classified as Scheduled Tribes of the Union as per an order of the Gauhati High Court dated 26 May 2003.

Appearing on behalf of the Government of India, the Deputy Solicitor General of India also conceded that the Meeteis lost their tribal status after the state’s merger with the Indian Union. The Court also observed that the Meitei Tribe Union had also submitted a representation to the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs on 18 April 2022 to include the Meeteis in the ST list and the Ministry had forwarded the same to Chief Secretary and again it was swept under the carpet. At this juncture, the counsel for the petitioners asserted that the continued silence of the successive state governments were tantamount to violation of the Right to Equality and Right to Life with Dignity which are enshrined under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

The Court also observed that the state had not given any satisfactory explanation for not submitting the recommendations which the Centre has been seeking for the last 10 years.

Apart from the STDCM and the Meitei Tribe Union, the World Meitei Council and the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) had been vociferously demanding for the inclusion of the Meeteis in the ST List. The KKL had gone one step further and asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to decide on the ST Status of the Meeteis before signing the final accord with the rebel Nagas viz the NSCN(I-M) and others.

It should also be on record that whilst the Constitution was being prepared, the then Constituent Assembly of India had deputed the late Gopinath Bordoloi of Assam and Stanley Nicholas Roy of the then Khasi and Jaintia Hills (now Meghalaya) to Manipur to seek the views of the Meeteis on the question of being included in the ST list. They, however, did not meet the public, but had just met three personalities, two Meitei Brahmins amongst them. They were Dwijamani Dev Sharma, Krishna Mohan Singh and another one, who were fanatical Hindus. They asserted that the Hindus, who are the descendants of the Aryans, be classified as Tribals. This is how the Meeteis had missed the bus in 1950 when India adopted the Constitution.

However, it needs to be pointed out that the then RK Ranbir government in 1991 had imposed prohibition in Manipur following a ban on sale of liquor in Manipur by the proscribed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur. Likewise, the reluctance of the successive governments of Manipur, beginning from 2013 till now, must have been reluctant to forward the recommendation of the inclusion of the Meeteis in the ST list because of the opposition of the outlawed and oldest insurgent group in Manipur, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), had been against the idea of the Meeteis being classified as a Scheduled Tribe. They first launched their tirade through their Students and Civil Society Organisations who are their fronts in the public.

Five years ago, I was summoned to the CHQ of the UNLF in Myanmar as I had been quite vocal and had written in favour of the demand of the STDCM. I was asked to explain my position on it. When asked as to whether they had openly declared their stance against it, the reply was “No”. Then the issue was settled – if one can assume that statements issued by their fronts can be assumed to be that of the UNLF. Then my interrogators remained silent. Two years later, the UNLF in their annual statement announced the UNLF’s stance against the demand of the Meeties of being classified as a Scheduled Tribe as it negates the existence of Manipur, particularly the Meeteis’ 2000 years of existence as a nation state and civilisation. The suzerainty of the Meitei Kings had once upon a time spanned from the banks of the Chindwin in Myanmar to that of the Surma in present day Bangladesh. But after joining India, the Meeteis are now confined to a mere 9 per cent of the state’s total geographical area. Their future is bleak as they cannot settle down in the remaining 90 per cent of the state’s area which are scheduled tribal lands belonging to the various scheduled tribes of Manipur while the reverse is not true. However, the question is, if the Biren Government is not afraid to defy the PLAs diktat of prohibition and had recently lifted prohibition from Manipur, why it is afraid to stand against the UNLF stance against the ST tag for the Meeteis. But now with the directive from the High Court, the reply might be coming shortly.

CHINKS IN CM BIREN’S ARMOUR

While pondering over the High Court’s directive, the Biren Ministry received a jolt. It began with former minister and now MLA from the Heirok Assembly Constituency and Advisor to the Chief Minister Th Radheshyam resigning from his post, citing lack of any responsibility being given to him. He said he did not know how to answer the questions raised by his supporters when they urged him to take up an issue with the CM. He also said that while the CM was talking about environmental protection, his own younger brother was allegedly involved in timber trade. His move was followed by former minister and MLA from Langthabal Assembly Constituency and Chairman of the Manipur Tourism Corporation Karam Shyam Singh, who also resigned from his post.

He also cited not being not only being given any responsibilities and power, and of being humiliated publicly on numerous occasions by the Chief Minister. Then the third to throw in his towel was Paonam Brojen from Wangjing Assembly Constituency and was holding the post of Chairman of the Manipur Development Society (MDS). He went public as to how the Chief Minister had dumped him after, upon his advice, his workers were made to engage in road constructions in his constituency. Then suddenly, he was informed that the work orders for the already constructed works had been cancelled. His workers, having expended about Rs 6 crore in the process, are now fuming and Brojen now says that he is not able to stay at his home as he cannot face his workers and give them an explanation.

According to sources, there are about 15 BJP MLAs reportedly camping in Delhi demanding the replacement of N Biren Singh as the Chief Minister. Although the BJP returned 32 in the House of 60 at the last hustings, only six MLAs out of the 32 when Biren Singh was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party last year. BJP Big-wig Sambit Patra had orchestrated the drama and he had reportedly/allegedly asked Govindas Konthoujam, who had joined the BJP after having resigned as the President of the Congress in Manipur, on the eve of the elections last year to propose Biren Singh’s name as the leader. Then another tribal MLA seconded the proposal and he became Chief Minister.

The BJP on the other hand had gathered more MLAs belonging to other parties to join ranks with them either by joining the BJP or lending support to the extent that the treasury bench today has 55 members sitting in it against the five in the opposition belonging to the Congress and as such the threat is not real. But the fact remains that dissent within the Party has already surfaced against the Chief Minister and it is a point to be noted.

ARMY VERSUS POLICE

In the meantime, one Manipuri army officer Major Thokchom Bhagatjit Singh belonging to 2nd Madras Regiment had posted on social media remarks critical of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. His elders back home, aware of the sensitivity of CM Biren on social media posts, had advised him to delete his post. CM Biren had earlier slapped the National Security Act on numerous occasions for such posts criticising him or his government directly or indirectly. So the young Major deleted the post from the account which was opened under another name and he returned home on leave. That was when the Sekmai Police of the Imphal West District came and picked him upon intimation from the Cyber Crime unit of the Manipur Police. This arrest was made properly as an arrest memo was issued and an FIR registered and he was produced before the Magistrate 24 hours after he was taken into custody. This was on 13 April, earlier this month. Then on the same day, one Md. Aksar Ali, president of the BJP’s Minority Morcha, filed another complaint against the Major at the Porompat Police Station in Imphal East. He was again arrested, but this time no arrest memos were issued and no FIR was lodged, yet he was kept in the lockup for 18 hours. That was when the army stepped in and they came to the Porompat Police Station and told the police that they can arrest an army man on charges of rape, murder or culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and not for any charges including posts on social media. The police then made a hasty retreat. The officer may be facing a court of inquiry from his commanding officer but not from the police or civil court.

The CM apparently has an army of cyber warriors who will troll anyone posting against him or the government on social media. But this time it had bitten off more than it could chew, it seems.

(The writer is a senior journalist at The Statesman. This article was first published by The Statesman. All opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not represent the views of TFM)

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Violence rages in Churachandpur; CM forced to cancel visit; Situation under control now, says CM

Normal life was disrupted in the district due to the 8-hour total shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF). Biren said that stern action will be taken against the perpetrators who destroyed public property. TFM Report Churachandpur has been on the boil with a civil society organisation imposing an eight-hour total shutdown in […]

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TFM Report

Churachandpur has been on the boil with a civil society organisation imposing an eight-hour total shutdown in protest against the accumulative land and forest survey carried out by the state government ahead of chief minister N Biren Singh’s scheduled visit to the district on Friday. On Saturday, the chief minister said that the situation is under control now and normalcy has been restored in Churachandpur.

The district witnessed a violent protest since Thursday night forcing the chief minister to cancel his visit after shutdown supporters clashed with the police near the venue, where the chief minister was to address a public meeting.

Normal life was disrupted in the district due to the 8-hour total shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF).

Despite the shutdown call, state machinery put in place preparations for the chief minister’s visit on Friday by deploying a large contingent of state and paramilitary forces. The chief minister was to bring new equipment for the open gym that was destroyed by a mob the previous night.

A significant number of people including government officials were preparing to roll out the red carpet for the Chief Minister at PT sports complex when a large number of shutdown supporters tried to storm the venue. Police resorted to firing tear gas to disperse the mob and in retaliation, the agitators pelted stones. At least one policeman was injured in the attack and two protestors were arrested. Considering the volatile situation, authorities had to cancel the event.

In response to the shutdown call, protestors came out in the streets and burned tyres to block roads.

All business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. Public transportation stopped plying, during the shutdown period.

The Lamka town, which is the district headquarter of Churachandpur district wore a deserted look. Heavy security deployment to prevent any untoward incidents.

The Forum had also announced non-cooperation with any government programme in the districts. The ITLF also expressed discontentment towards the government for demolishing three churches in Imphal recently.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that stern action will be taken against the perpetrators who destroyed public property. “No one can hamper any kind of developmental work, those who are involved in such anti-development and anti-social activities will not spare. It is the BJP government’s commitment,” said Biren.

He further said his planned visit to Churachandpur was cancelled at the request of the local MLA, LM Khaute citing the tense situation in the district. He was invited by the MLA to inaugurate the gym.

“The event was not organised by the government but to mark the one-year anniversary of the local MLA Khaute. The MLA invited me for the open gym inauguration”, said Biren.

It may be noted that a mob destroyed the gym and also burned chairs kept at the venue of the public rally late Thursday night.

Following this, the district authority shut down internet services in Churachandpur and its neigbouring district Pherzawl for five days. The district authority also clamped section 144 of CrPC to curb violence in Lamka town.

The mobile internet shutdown affected many people as a medium of exchange is made through the internet in many areas, particularly in the town.

However, the scenario is changing with nearly 30 per cent having broadband connection and many people are using Wi Fi.

A Curfew under section 144 of CrPC was cramped at New Lamka area of Churachandpur

The miscreants also set ablaze chairs, sound systems, banners, etc at Sadbhavna Mandap ,New Lamka where preparations for the thanksgiving programme on the 1st anniversary of the MLA of Churachandpur AC Mr LM Khaute were on.

Meanwhile, the MLA of Churachandpur AC Mr LM Khaute addressed a press conference in the afternoon at his residence saying that as a mark of respect to the people’s genuine displeasure against the government. He said he had asked the CM not to come as the situation doesn’t permit and announced the cancellation of his Thanksgiving programme.

He appealed to the people to maintain peace and expressed his trust in the peace-loving people of his constituency that normalcy will prevail.

Meanwhile, the Information and Publicity dept. of ITLF said that the total shutdown imposed by them between 8 am to 4 pm was a success and thanked the General public and the CSOs for their cooperation. The shutdown already served its purpose, it added.

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ST Demand Issue: Positive discrimination, affirmative action and the cracks within

India’s reservation policy has spawned forms of conflicting categories of the ‘exploiter’ and the ‘exploited’, the ‘dominant’ and the ‘subservient’ as if these binaries exist in a permanent cycle sans the dynamics of wresting political power at play. By Dhiren A. Sadokpam In recent times, the political elites of three primary ethnic groups in Manipur […]

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By Dhiren A. Sadokpam

In recent times, the political elites of three primary ethnic groups in Manipur are caught in a whirlpool of anxiety propelled by palpable dissonance in political objectives. This anxiety is not necessarily triggered by the differences in speculative autonomy-demands or even demands based on administrative separatism.

The main anxiety has been caused by the way how the communities have effectively understood the political ideas behind positive discrimination, affirmative action or what in the Indian subcontinent is being referred to as the reservation policy of communities that have apparently lagged behind in holistic development. The most recent play-out that has triggered the spells of anxiety and tension has been the demand of a community considered advanced in comparison to its neighbours, to be included in the Scheduled List of Tribes in India.

While the proponents of the demand and those opposing the same have resorted to socio-political and historical reasoning, both the parties seem to have skipped re-looking at either redefining or refining the concepts they would love to toy with. One is not sure if both the conflicting parties have understood that India’s reservation policy presupposes a social fact – centuries of oppression of one group by another. This presupposition assumes a determinate but constant ‘unchanging oppressor and oppressed’ and ‘advanced’ and ‘backward’ communities. The ‘constant’ is supposedly created by a social order that determined identities of each castes, communities and tribes. This has spawned forms of conflicting categories of the ‘exploiter’ and the ‘exploited’, the ‘dominant’ and the ‘subservient’ as if these binaries exist in a permanent cycle in all societies sans the dynamics of wresting political power at play.

For the mainland India, these terms are defined in relation to the hereditary caste order whereas for Northeast India, the same has been defined by amorphous understandings of communities guided by colonial agenda of the British whose administrators first chose to categorize people from the mixed-prism of the caste order or an anthropological understanding of a system which they considered was durable.

It is against this backdrop that United Naga Council, Manipur (UNC) and the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) have raised objections to the Manipur High Court’s directive to the Government of Manipur to send its recommendation for the inclusion of Meetei Community in the list of Scheduled list of Tribes to the Government of India. The directive of the high court was passed on March 27.

Strident Voices and Social Tension

The UNC stated that “the Meitei/Meetei community of Manipur is an advanced community of India” with their language, Manipuri (Meiteilon) listed in the Eight Schedule to the constitution of India.

“They are already protected under Constitution of India and categorized as (i) General (ii) Other Backward Classes (OBC) and (iii) Schedule Caste (SC),” said the UNC.

UNC termed it irrational that the High Court of Manipur directed the Government of Manipur to recommend for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of India, “negating the sole objective of scheduling group of people for protective discrimination as ST in the Constitution of India”. The Naga body has strongly condemned and called the high court order “inane” for making “such imbecilic recommendation despite strong opposition from Scheduled tribes of the state”.

The common refrain and rationale behind the objections raised by both UNC and KIM has been rubbished by the proponents of those demanding a Scheduled Tribe status for the Meetei community. One strident voice has been that of the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL). KKL has critiqued the objections in their own characteristic way stating that the demand for the inclusion of Meetei in the Scheduled list of Tribes in the Constitution of India is not aimed at grabbing “jobs” either from the Naga or Kuki communities of Manipur. It has asserted that the demand is based on safeguarding their “little bit of land” now confined to less than 2000 square kilometers out of the 20,000 square kilometers of the entire state of Manipur.

The KKL has made it clear that the Naga and the Kuki communities need not fear about grabbing “their job reservation quotas currently enforced in Manipur which will remain status quo”. The organization also unequivocally asserted that the UNC and KIM have “no birth right” to deny any other scheduled tribes of India that job opportunity.

The KKL had a message for the UNC too. It reiterated that the Manipuri Language being classified as scheduled languages of India under the Eight Schedule has nothing to do with the classification of the Meetei as a scheduled tribe of India. “Anyway Manipuri language is not confined to the Meeteis only but serves as a Lingua Franca amongst all the tribal communities of Manipur be it between the Nagas and the Kukis but amongst their various sub-tribes also”, it pointed out.

Moreover, the UNC has also been reminded that it was Th Muivah, the top National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) leader who had stated that “only the Nagas and the Meeteis are the indigenous peoples” of Manipur. KKL asked, “So what is the idea of joining hands with the Kukis to block the way for the survival of the Meeteis under the Indian Constitution”. To the question of Meeteis being more advanced than the other tribes of Manipur, KKL asserted that it has nothing to do with genealogy but “mode of production” experienced by the communities.

The Meetei community began to practice settled agriculture and had more time to concentrate on arts, culture and literature while the hill tribes hitherto used to follow a different form of agriculture “before switching to poppy plantation” in recent times that had made them “all become rich”, said KKL.

The organization winded up their statement on a harsher note stating that it would be wrong on the part of both the Naga and the Kuki communities to consider the Meetei community as their “common enemy or else will be constrained to oppose every move or demand made by any tribal group either Naga or Kuki”.

The exchange of statements may not lead towards a reconciliation on the sensitive topic. As the articulation of the issue by those supporting the demand for inclusion of Meetei in Scheduled Tribe list up the ante on their movement, the objections by Naga and Kuki tribal bodies may get shriller by the day.

Empowerment and Social Justice

In all these voices, what has been missed is a dispassionate inter-community/ethnic group deliberation on what would be the best option for all communities to progress and under what protective or empowering mechanism. While the fact of discrimination cannot be denied in one’s everyday experience, ethnicization or communalization of the issue would only create unbridgeable distance between communities. Under such circumstances, one will not be able to project the fact that there are no permanent oppressor and permanent oppressed or instil the fact that the idea of permanent and constant binaries will lead to over-generalization of a theoretical framework to achieve quick practical results.

What is of utmost importance now is truly and honestly grasping the fact that emancipating the socially underprivileged and the marginalized irrespective of community or tribal affiliation or within the same community is a move towards social justice. While doing so, one should not forget that the idea of empowerment of the individual has a far greater value and virtue than a protective mechanism that tends to perpetuate redundant binaries or historical contradictions.

Here, it should also be noted that India’s reservation policy emerged out of a deep flaw in understanding the complex relationship between the conceptions of the ‘cultural/social’ and the ‘economic’. Having said this, elsewhere, this writer had also argued that the stereotyping of the Meetei as a Hindu society both within Manipur and outside, in the image of mainland Hindu ethos and practices has manufactured the idea of the ‘constant exploiter’ and the ‘constant exploited’ in Manipur.

While Hinduised Meeteis have been identified with the former, all other non-Hindu communities are shown as ‘exploited’. Such is the handiwork of those who harp on the ‘politics of divide’ and benefit from it; and endorsed by the ‘ignorant other’ who is happy to own up anything that comes closer to the intolerant and imagined pan-Indian vision.

(Dhiren A. Sadokpam is Editor-in-Chief, The Frontier Manipur. This article was first published by EastMojo under the title ‘ST demand for Meetei: First, acknowledge the cracks within’)

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Moscow’s Inevitable War?

Throughout the 1990s, most western powers were celebrating their triumphant against ‘evil socialism’, narrative such as the ‘end of history’ were accelerated, and taking absolute advantage against Russia’s acute vulnerability of the then. The huge state infrastructures that the Soviet once built up were either privatized or in the utter state of chaos in the […]

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By Chongtham Gunnamani

At least 25 civilians have been reported killed in a wave of Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, as Kyiv said it was nearly ready to launch a huge assault to retake occupied land.

The attacks on the cities of Dnipro and Uman in the early hours of Friday (April 28) were the first large-scale air raids in nearly two months. Firefighters tackled a blaze at a residential apartment hit by a Russian missile in the central town of Uman and rescue workers clambered through a huge pile of smouldering rubble, searching for survivors and bodies as anxious people stood by. Officials said at least 23 civilians were killed there, including four children. This is the latest development so far as reported by world media.

What we get to hear and read on the war is nothing but destruction and devastation, leaving thousands of people helpless. When we see death and destruction, any concerned citizens of the world will ask this question, who wants war? Who wants to go for a war especially in 21^st century? The answer is no one.

As we all have agreed that any war has catastrophic consequences, be it in Iraq, Vietnam or elsewhere. Any rational mind would certainly be against wars in principle. But, this ongoing Russia’s war against Ukraine since 24 February 2022, which Russia called it as ‘Special Operation is justifiable from the perspective of a nation-state, sans so called western interpreted international peace, justice and so on.

For long, Russia has been provoked and betrayed by the geo-ideological construct called ‘western’ powers, primarily dominated by Franco-British, US and the followers in their shared logic of exploitative capital, asserting always terms such as democracy and human rights in disguise. People around the world are quite fade-up of the western rhetoric of democracy as it has witnessed in toppling of elected governments; Mosaddegh’s Iran, Allende’s Chile or Sukarno’s Indonesia, to mention a few, and backed many worst dictators.

The US, being the only nation so far that dropped atomic bombs against the civilians of Japan, is so apprehensive of any powers, most prominently skeptical about Russia and China, and also wanted to keep all nations under its knee in align with former colonial powers which have shared common interest in dominating the world. Time and again, the US has been well known as a trouble maker throughout the corners of the world; Latin America, Asia, Africa, anywhere, its sole objective is to control. So far, Russia stood against this western hegemonism, a position which exemplify moral power of freedom in many third world countries.

At the absence of former Soviet bloc, the world has been witnessing continuous NATO’s eastward expansion, which is a total betrayal of what was agreed upon during the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. Contrary to the facts, most western media are reporting fake news on Russia issues as a mere tool of western powers and corporate; their sole interest is nothing to do with democracy or human rights as they preached, but to exploit the Russian market and its vast natural resources.

Anti-Russian propaganda has been quite normalized for decades and it is internalized in the psyche of the western world. It is something like of what Noam Chomsky termed as ‘manufacturing consent’. Since the beginning of this war, Russian side of narratives have been systematically censored from the social media, and anti-Russian propaganda have increased on gigantic scale.

It’s not new that the western powers have instigated crisis after crisis in Ukraine against Russia. Those western staged ‘Colour Revolutions’ in the former soviet republics, including Ukraine destabilized the whole social fabrics in the region. The western powers have been orchestrating anti-government protests when any democratically elected Russian incline governments come to power in Kiev. The Euro-American powers have a firm objective to control over Ukraine and always install a their friendly government in Kiev, in order to exert their hegemony over Russia. So, Ukraine has become a springboard for western hegemony, no doubt about this.

It’s also a common practice that the western powers have been accelerating ethnic divides in the former Soviet republics, whether in Ukraine or in the Baltic states, where Russian speakers are categorised as ‘other’, and treated them as ‘outsider’ at their own states. As a consequence of such policies of systematic exclusion, we have witnessed the extreme forms of rebellion in Donbas, Crimea, etc. If the Euro-American powers hadn’t meddled Ukraine, and let Viktor Yanukovych continue as the president in 2014, much bloodshed could have been avoided. It’s not new that the Euro-American powers meddled and hijacked elected authorities if the people voted against their wishes, but the consequences are end up in disaster. The case of Ukraine has no exception.

With the dawn of 21 century, Putin stabilized Russian socio-economic order, and Russia emerged at the world stage as a source of physical and moral power to many nations which have suffered the pains of western imperialism. Putin effectively mitigated western hegemonism in spheres of world politics. Thus, he builds up a confident and self-reliant Russia, that’s why the west hated Putin. But, he is performing of what an independent nation-state is supposed to perform. So far his position on the Ukrainian stalemate is cleared and that is the NATO expansion at Russia’s border.

So if NATO defended its invasion in Yugoslavia as ‘military humanism’, NATO has no reason to condemn Russia for the war against Ukraine, though it’s not a secret that, this war is fought between Russia and NATO, not Ukraine. And, the fundamental difference is between the issue of Yugoslavia and Ukraine is that Yugoslavia was never posed a threat to NATO, but the inclusion of Ukraine into NATO is an existential threat for Russia. So, this war is inevitable for Russia.

(Chongtham Gunnamani is Assistant Professor (Centre for South East Asian Studies), Nagaland University. His specialization/area of Interest include International Relations and Asia-Pacific Affairs.)

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Read more / Original news source: https://thefrontiermanipur.com/moscows-inevitable-war/

Tangkhul Cultural Festival kicks off in Ukhrul

“The younger generation have started slowly changing their food habits and dresses. We are more into adapting other cultures. It is time to revive and preserve our rich culture”, says Khashim Vashum. TFM Ukhrul Correspondent Minister of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry and Transport Government of Manipur, Khashim Vashum attended the opening ceremony of Tangkhul Cultural […]

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TFM Ukhrul Correspondent

Minister of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry and Transport Government of Manipur, Khashim Vashum attended the opening ceremony of Tangkhul Cultural Festival as chief guest. President of Palace Ministries Dr Alyson Abonmai was the guest of honour.

Organised by Tangkhul Naga Hao Art & Culture Council (TNHACC) at Mission Ground, Alungtang, Ukhrul.

Speaking at the occasion, Khashim Vashum stated that “the younger generation have started slowly changing their food habits and dresses. We are more into adapting other cultures. It is time to revive and preserve our rich culture. Because our culture is our identity. No matter who you are, where you are your are known by your culture. Our culture is unique and we must all strive to preserve it. Let us not dilute our culture and let us also respect other cultures.”

Khashim Vashum added that Shirui Lily Festival 2023 is coming and urged the gathering to extend all possible cooperation to make the festival a success. Let us come and put our heads together to make a memorable one.

Dr Alyson Abonmei, before giving his speech, belted out a special number, much to the delight of the gathering. He made an announcement that he intend to contest the coming MP election 2023 from Outer Manipur. He also urged the organisor, the Tangkhul Naga Hao Art & Culture Council to establish their own office at the earliest. He promised to construct Tangkhul Cultural Museum if he is elected in the coming Lok Sabha election 2024.

Cultural display by Tangkhul Naga Myanmar Troupe, Flute display by Hangphui Sareo, blowing of traditional trumpet by Wungnaothan Zimik and folk song presentation by Vachung KYS and party added more colour to.the celebration.

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Read more / Original news source: https://thefrontiermanipur.com/tangkhul-cultural-festival-kicks-off-in-ukhrul/

KKL rubbishes UNC, KIM positions on ST demand by Meeteis

KKL asserted that it would be wrong on the part of both the Nagas and the Kukis to consider the Meetei community as their common enemy TFM Desk Reacting sharply to the objections raised by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on the Manipur High Court’s directive to the Government […]

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KKL asserted that it would be wrong on the part of both the Nagas and the Kukis to consider the Meetei community as their common enemy

TFM Desk

Reacting sharply to the objections raised by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on the Manipur High Court’s directive to the Government of Manipur to send its recommendations for the inclusion of the Meetei Community in the Scheduled List of the Tribes of India to the Government of India authorities, the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) stated that it was placing certain facts on record.

KKL, an oragnaisation said that the Meeteis are demanding the inclusion of the Meetei in the Scheduled list of Tribes under the Constitution of India is not aimed at grabbing jobs either from the Naga or Kuki communities of Manipur but to safeguard their “little bit of land now confined to less that 2000 square kilometers out of the 20,000 square kilometers of the entire State”. “They need not fear about grabbing their job reservation quotas currently enforced in Manipur which will remain status quo. And if any job opportunity should arise it will be on an All India basis where the Meities will be competeing with other advanced tribes of India like the Bheels for instance. The UNC and KIM have no birth right to deny any other scheduled tribes of India that job opportunity should be denied to them”, said the KKL statement issued by its secretary Ngamkheingakpa Luwang.

KKL pointed out that both the Naga and Kuki Communities of Manipur are at liberty to condemn the Manipur High Court for giving the directive to the Manipur Government to that effect and that they may also condemn the Governments of Manipur as well as India if it goes through or “even takes up arms against the Centre for the making classification forming a Joint Kuki-Naga Front”.

“To the UNC we would like to reiterate that the Manipuri Language being classified as scheduled language of the Country under the Eight Schedule has nothing to do with the classification of the Meeteis as a scheduled tribe of India. Anyway Manipuri language is not confined to the Meeteis only but serves as a Ligua Franca amongst all the tribal communities of Manipur, be it between the Nagas and the Kukis but amongst their various sub-tribes also”, pointed out KKL.

The organisation said that it should be borne in mind as to what is happening in neighbouring Assam. The Assamese Language has been in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution since its adoption in 1950. But recently both the Assam Government as well as the Centre have agreed on the demand of the inclusion of the Ahom Tais, a community amongst the Assamese speaking population of Assam. Also the inclusion of the Ahom Tais as a Scheduled Tribe of India is on the agenda of the talks between the Arbinda Rajkhoha led United Liberation Front of Ahom (ULFA), said KKL,

“Coming to the UNC, we would like to remind our Naga brethrens to remember the words of the venerable Ava Koser Thiungaleng Muivah that only the Nagas and the Meeteis are the indigenous peoples of Manipur. So what is the idea of joining hands with the Kukis to block the way for the survival of the Meeteis under the Indian Constitution.You seemed to have bury the hatchet of the Naga-Kuki conflict between 1992 -1994 where over 1000 were killed on both sides and thousands rendered homeless and hundreds of houses were burnt. The Meetei seems to be the common enemy of both the former warring sides”, pointed out KKL

The Meetei organisation also reminded the Tangkhul “brethrens” of the folklore that the Tangkhuls considers the Meeteis as their younger brother and that on the day of the Coronation the Meetei King adorns the dress of a Tangkhul and no Meetei wedding is complete without a Tangkhul Lerum fee or cloth. And no Meetei Laiharaoba is complete without the appearance of the Tangkhul saba and is a sine quo non. And there is still the living custom of the Meetei King, titular or otherwise visiting Hundung Village in Ukhrul to meet his elder brother the Chief of Hundung Village, called Parihanba. “And thus why should the elder brother object to the younger brother getting protection of his land and culture as a scheduled tribe of India”, asks KKL.

To the question of Meeteis being more advanced than the other tribal communities of Manipur, KKL said it had nothing to do with genealogy but it is because of the Mode of Production. The Meeteis followed settled agriculture so that they have more time to concentrate on arts, culture and literature while the many other tribal communities hitherto used to follow slash and burn agriculture before switching to poppy plantation by some of them which will make them all become rich, said KKL .

KKL asserted that it would be wrong on the part of both the Nagas and the Kukis to consider the Meetei community as their common enemy or “else will be constrained to oppose every move or demand made by any tribal group either Naga or Kuki”

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Loktak Lake: Ministry asks LDA to submit revised plan addressing all issues

So far, an amount of Rs 16.86 crore has been released by this Ministry to the Government of Manipur which includes an amount of Rs 428 lakh released during the year 2018-19. No proposal was received from the State from FY 2019-20 to 2022-23. TFM Report An amount of Rs 16.86 crore had been released […]

The post Loktak Lake: Ministry asks LDA to submit revised plan addressing all issues first appeared on The Frontier Manipur.

TFM Report

An amount of Rs 16.86 crore had been released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change to the Government of Manipur which includes an amount of Rs 428 lakh released during the year 2018-19. Further, the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) prepared by LDA has been examined by IIT Roorkee and certain suggestions have been given. The Ministry has asked the LDA to submit a revised plan addressing all issues related to conservation of Loktak Lake for endorsement of the Ministry for its implementation.

According to a reliable source, Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change while talking about three major issues on Loktak Lake Ecosystem and suggested measures for delisting from Montreux Record is reported to have stated that the Loktak Lake is an integral part of the culture and ecology of Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very clear that India is land where nature is worshipped and therefore our scared natural resources will be protected and preserved at all costs. So, the government remains committed to developing Loktak Lake as one of the most enchanting and magnificent lakes of the world with community engagement and collective efforts.

According to sources, he said that the the Loktak Lake was included in the Montreux Record in 1993 as a result of ecological problems such as deforestation in catchment area, siltation, infestation of water hyacinth and paragrass and pollution.

The three major issues resulting in listing of Loktak Lake in Montreux Records are:

Changes in water regimes which have triggered phumdi proliferation, water quality deterioration, loss of migratory fish and degradation of KLNP habitat
Pollution from upstream areas which led to water quality degradation and accelerated phumdi proliferation
Conversion of natural phumdi into fish farms which reduced the capacity of Loktak to moderate and buffer water regimes

The Government of Manipur has been advised to submit an action plan to mitigate these issues along with a timeline for removal of Loktak Lake from the Montreux Records. The Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) of Loktak Lake is to be updated on priority basis by compiler / Loktak Development Authority (LDA), for which they have been duly advised by the Ministry.

On what are the measures taken up to control eutrophication and control of discharge of waste water from urban into the Loktak Lake, the minister said that his department has been providing financial assistance for this wetland since 1988-89 to the Government of Manipur for undertaking conservation activities like survey & demarcation, catchment area treatment, fisheries development, removal of phumdis, constructing water harvesting structures, small scale engineering works, creation of education and awareness etc.

The Loktak Development Authority, Department of Forests, Govt. of Manipur is the implementing agency. So far, an amount of Rs 16.86 crore has been released by this Ministry to the Government of Manipur which includes an amount of Rs 428 lakh released during the year 2018-19. Further, the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) prepared by LDA has been examined by IIT Roorkee and certain suggestions have been given. The Ministry has asked the LDA to submit a revised plan addressing all issues related to conservation of Loktak Lake for endorsement of the Ministry for its implementation.

On measures for upliftment of livelihood or alternative livelihoods of the wetland people, Bhupender Yadav informed that as per the information provided by Government of Manipur, LDA has been taking up certain livelihood development activities for local communities who are dependent on Loktak Lake. The government, giving shape to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s vision of conserving our Amrit Dharohar, also intends to enhance livelihood opportunities of the local communities through developing eco-tourism infrastructure in and around the lake and need-based capacity building of local communities.

The integrated Management Plan prepared by the LDA envisages activities on ‘Sustainable Resource Development and Livelihoods’ that includes:

Community Managed Fisheries Strategy for Loktak aligned with FAO code of conduct of Responsible Fisheries
Enhancement of fish seed production
Development of harvest, post-harvest and marketing infrastructure
Community livelihoods (micro enterprises) programme
Development of Wetland linked Cultural heritage sites to promote tourism for diversification and value addition of existing fisheries based livelihoods
Eco guide training for local communities

When asked if there is any judicious water allocation policy for biodiversity service, for fishers, for agriculture, for hydropower etc at Loktak, the minister informed that MoEF&CC has already taken up the issue of Ithai Barrage operation with the Ministry of Power and NHPC. After due deliberation, NHPC has agreed to lower the water level of Ithai barrage gradually to the drawdown level in the forthcoming winter season starting from November 2023 to rejuvenate KLNP habitat as per the technical report of 2011. With lowering of water levels in winters, the park habitat will improve along with improved circulation and flushing in the wetland.

On the timeframe for any steps taken to protect Loktak from inflow of waste (brought down by river/streams flowing) into Loktak, Bhupender Yadav said that as informed by the State Government of Manipur, commissioning of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and implementation of activities as envisaged in the Integrated Management Plan will substantially reduce loading of pollutants into the lake. The State Government has also commissioned the construction of STPs at Nambul with the financial assistance of Rs 100 crore provided under the NRCP scheme by NRCD for the effective functioning of existing waste management infrastructure. It will be commissioned by June 2023 to capture and treat waste from Imphal City and Nambul River and take care of the discharge of untreated sewage into Loktak.

On the long term plan to protect the lake from encroachment (when govt removing private farms along Mayang Imphal-Toubul road & lake), the minister Bhupender Yadav said that MoEF&CC has suggested the Government of Manipur to immediately submit an action plan along with a timeline and a map with clear demarcation of the wetland boundary following guidelines provided by MoEF&CC and as per provisions laid by the Ramsar Secretariat for removal of Loktak Lake from Montreux Record. The Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) of Loktak is to be updated on priority basis by the LDA.

He also said that Loktak Lake in Manipur was designated as Ramsar site on 23.03.1990 under Ramsar Convention and being a Ramsar site, the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 are applicable to the lake. A brief document of the lake has already been prepared. RIS itself is a kind of brief document.

On what is the responsibility of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) towards Rehabilitation and Resettlement of displaced communities affected by the Loktak hydroelectric power project since 1983?

Bhupender Yadav said that Loktak Hydroelectric Project was implemented before the EIA notification 1994 and 2006. Therefore, Environment Clearance of the Project was not applicable for the construction of the project. Works on the project commenced in 1971. The project was commissioned in year 1983.

NHPC has informed that for construction of Loktak project 217.09 ha of private land altogether had been purchased from landowners of 11 villages at different sites of the project. Full compensation was paid to land owners before land possession. Hence, Rehabilitation and Resettlement was not applicable at that time.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has been providing financial assistance for this wetland since 1988-89 to the Government of Manipur for undertaking conservation activities like survey & demarcation, catchment area treatment, fisheries development, removal of Phumdis, constructing water harvesting structures, small scale engineering works, creation of education & awareness etc. Loktak Development Authority, Department of Forests, Govt. of Manipur is the implementing agency. So far, an amount of Rs 16.86 crore has been released by this Ministry to the Government of Manipur which includes an amount of Rs 428 lakh released during the year 2018-19. No proposal was received from the State from FY 2019-20 to 2022-23.

However, an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) of Loktak Lake was received in the Ministry for endorsement. The plan envisages to put in place Manipur River Basin scale actions, such as conserving catchment to control silt, abating pollution generated from upstream cities, demarcating wetland boundaries, managing water regimes and supporting livelihoods diversification of wetland dependent communities. IMP includes core and non-core activities in the lake area and its zone of influence (catchment, command areas, etc.). The IMP was appraised through IIT-Roorkee and observations given by IIT-R had been sent to the Govt. Of Manipur for revision of the IMP. The revised proposal is yet to be received by the Ministry. The MoEF&CC will consider the proposal on priority as per the cost sharing formula between the Central and State Government and the funding norms of NPCA.

On plans to accommodate the fishing community in lake management plan, the minister said the State Government of Manipur has informed that community Managed Fisheries Strategy for Loktak aligned with FAO code of conduct of Responsible Fisheries will be formulated involving local fishing communities.

Fishing in Loktak Lake has been carried out since time immemorial. The fishermen are an integral part of the Loktak ecosystem. The state government is working to promote healthy capture fisheries, which ensures that ecosystem processes such as migration pathways, water quality and phumdi distribution are not adversely affected.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had earlier stated that any effort towards the effective management of Loktek Lake, which is a designated Ramsar site, shall be in line with the norms of Ramsar Convention as well as Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashini Kumar Choubey said this while answering questions related to Loktak Lake raised by Janata Dal (United) Member of Parliament Anil Hegde on the floor of Rajya Sabha on April 6.

On that day, he also said that as per the information provided by Government of Manipur, approval from Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance for the proposed ‘Sustainable Loktak Lake Ecosystem Restoration, Eco Tourism and Livelihood Improvement’ project has not been received so far.

The post Loktak Lake: Ministry asks LDA to submit revised plan addressing all issues first appeared on The Frontier Manipur.