Category: News

The rains have halted for a while. It will be back soon in bigger monsoon torrents if all goes as per normal seasonal cycle. But this break can be made used of meaningfully by the government. The least it could do is to fill up the potholes on the roads as well as repair weak spots before the rains return. Now that weather forecasts technology has advanced so much, it can actually plan out its work schedule much better than it could 10 years ago. Investing in renovation works now will save the government a lot more money in the near future, for the potholes and weak spot, if left unattended, would virtually trigger total or at least much more substantial damages of the roads during the monsoon. One wonders why this thought does not occur to the government on its own without anybody having to remind it. Local MLAs which are the eyes and ears, as well as guardians of the constituencies they represent, should have brought up the matter before the government for necessary action. Or is it a case of there being no such system of feedback in the establishment. If there isn`™t any, it is time for the government to introduced one. Let the government also realise that it would not only be saving expenses in the long run, but also doing a great service to the people it is supposed to serve.

We wonder why the government gives so little attention to maintenance of infrastructure. If it were to give the matter of maintenance a fraction of the attention that it gives to laying foundation stones or inaugurating new public infrastructures, so much would have been set right. The enthusiasm for the latter is such that our leaders would even agree to lay foundation stones or inaugurate structures ranging from public toilets to community halls where they would make fiery public speeches with an air of self assumed grandeur of imagined epic proportion. Perhaps as a tactics, a tradition should be introduced where our leaders are encouraged to cut the ribbons even in cases of public infrastructure renovation works and allowed to make speeches. This hopefully will encourage them to think of repair works more seriously and with far greater interest.
Jokes aside, this is a matter of concern, and indeed a big lacuna in the attitude of the government. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can keep in good shape without routine repair renovations. Roads are no exceptions. So why does the government not keep aside a separate budget for this purpose. We would even suggest a different government department with the responsibility of ensuring repair works are executed promptly, catching signs of damages early and fixing them before they get extensive. Let us remind the government once again that such a policy would save it considerably amount of money and quality time rather than put more pressure on its exchequer. It does not have to be recruiting fresh employees. It is just a matter of introducing a new structure to division of work responsibilities in its engineering departments. What seems to be also missing is a system of accountability. If a certain stretch of road or for that matter any government infrastructure is in a bad condition or have not been built as per specifications and standard, there should be somebody to answer. As for this latter proposition, in all likelihood the system already exists. The question is, if this is so, why are damaged roads left unrepaired for months until the damages become so extensive that the public are left with no choice than to resort to public agitation?

Nothing seems to be urgent in the eyes of the government. The only things that perk it up are the periodic mock epics and tantrums from various warring civil society bodies which are supposed to be challenges to the territorial integrity of the state. The war drums and war cabinet meetings recently over the opening of a party office of the Naga Peoples`™ Front, a Nagaland state political party, at Senapati headquarters by the Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, is just the latest example. It may be recalled, all the clamours in the end proved to be nothing more than what the great bard William Shakespeare said in those immortal lines: `a story told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.` Instead of wasting its energy on such frivolous matters, we wish it would give more priority to keeping public utilities in good shape. For all one knows, such a shift in priorities would in the end prove to be the solution to episodes such as that of the Senapati fiasco.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/ko73jmKn06s/

Leader Writer Leivon Jimmy
The powerful blast that was triggered on May 28 at the temporary office of the Autonomous District Council (ADC) at Khuman Lampak sports complex is not only a crime against humanity but a disregard to the sanctified sports complex, a training ground for many promising sports players bringing laurel for the state.

The mindless act has inflicted injuries to three innocent members of a family including a mother and her two minor daughters of which one is still battling for her life. Besides it has prevails a fear psychosis among the enthusiastic sports players, a symbol of Manipur`™s pride and glory.

The mentality of the people involved in triggering the blast needless to say that it would be creepy enough for a common man from the nature of the blast and most prominently where it was planted. As per reports a guy before leaving a car behind inside the campus asked the father of the victim girls about a meeting taking place at the ADC office. Knowing the presence inside the campus and nearby, the car bomb was left revealing the cold-blooded nature.

Had it not been for the general strike imposed by a civil body in connection with the visit of Nagaland`™s Chief Ministers at Senapati that has resulted in low turnout of people, the loss and tragedy could have been worst. The blast was so powerful that the fragments of the bomb were sent hundreds of meters away from the epicenter and completely wrecked the car into pieces.

In the meantime, the Government can be blamed equally for the incident for its ignorant. Even as the Chief Minister of Manipur speaking during a meet at his official bungalow ruled out security lapses. The clarification is somehow reckless comparing to the situation of stiff opposition while conducting the election of the ADC.

In addition to that the Chief Minister`™s clarification was contradictory when compared with the statement of a senior police officer was quoted by newspapers that ADC office has been enduring intense intimidation from a group.

The message was loud and clear that someone is not happy with the ADC office.

In the wake of such intimidation there was no sign or words of the presence of security forces in an around the office building. It is a well known fact to everyone how often lobbing of bomb or bomb blast, and firing incident took place in the state. The perpetrators dare to attack even in the presence of security forces and Singjamei blast at the residence of an engineer is a glaring example. What then if there is no security arrangement at all? It can be accounted to as inviting troubles or encouraging the propaganda of the opposition side.

Every section of the society should condemned the act at a strongest term for it had risk several lives. And, demoralized the spirit of promising sports persons by creating a sense of insecurity in an around the area. Demoralizing the players means a huge blow to the status it enjoys as the `Powerhouse of sport for India`.

People in this region have paid enough prices for no foul of theirs. History is the grim reminder. They have been caught in a murky conflict that has been waging and renewed generation after generation.
There is nothing but loss for the people here and has always been.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/yUZtrE3vqi0/

IMPHAL, Sept 1: Apropos  a news item of September 1 edition of a daily local paper under the headline “EVENING MEET WITH CHIEF MINISTER”, the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) has clarified that it did not meet the Chief Minister on the evening of August 31 nor send any of its representative for the purpose.

A release of SHDDC said that it is highly regrettable to note that the government is once again trying to mislead the people with wrong propagandas and statements instead of listening to the demand of the Sadar Hills people. The Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee is always clear in its stand towards fulfillment of the demand for upgradation of Sadar Hills into a full fledged District.

Further, the SHDDC representatives walked out of the meeting with the Chief Minister on September 1, 2011 because of the fact that the Chief Minister played the old trick of ‘delaying tactics’ by bargaining for time. The Chief Minister harped on ‘creation’ of Sadar Hills and ‘boundary adjustment and reorganisation’ while the people of Sadar Hills demanded inauguration of Sadar Hills  as envisaged in the Manipur (Hills Areas) Autonomous District Council Act,1971 passed by the Indian Parliament. Is the hon’ble Chief Minister trying to create a new Sadar Hills or trying to implement the Act of Parliament? Again, Sadar Hills has very well-defined boundaries administered under 24 Autonomous District Council Constituencies and 3 (three) Sub-Divisions, the release added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/09/shddc-denies-meeting-cm-on-aug-31/

By Amar YumnamConflicts have been with humankind since the beginning of life on this planet. The presence of conflict is not something which should necessarily cause loss of heart among the homo sapiens, but what should be of concern to us is the manner with which we are handling the situation and the potential outcomes of conflict at any point of time. In the case of Manipur, the latter seems to be exactly the case; the overall mannerisms, behavioural manifestations and assertions of power all point to a direction we do not individually as humans and collectively as society intend to move towards. But we are indeed retrogressing, regressing and degrading towards a non-enviable state. The society of Manipur has had a tradition of suppressing overt manifestation of poverty and lack of access to resources, but the daily encounters with people and events prove beyond doubt that we indeed are in a bad shape. Well, we certainly do not possess a red-light area, but this does not in any case indicate absence of the oldest profession. In every conceivable locality in Imphal city, the phenomenon of part-time workers in this profession is absolutely on the rise, and many are pushed into it by economic compulsions. We can also multiply the examples exemplifying the worsening economic life of a larger section of the population. What matters at this juncture is how we as individuals, as a society and as functionaries of the government behave and respond to this retrogressing, regressing and degrading atmosphere. Before I try to articulate my response on the issue, I would like to relate my experiences the other day. The circle in front of the Raj Bhavan, the Kangla and the turn at the Gandhi Avenue are the most congested traffic areas in Imphal, and have been made more so by the various diggings. We have seen many complaints, including editorials in the dailies, expressing dismay and anger against the traffic behaviour of the Very Important Persons of the land in these highly congested areas. I myself have experienced these umpteen number of times. But what I had experienced the other day has shocked me to the end. Judiciary is one we would take recourse to when nothing else functions well, but what happened in the section between the Kangla and the turn at the Gandhi Avenue the other day had really shaken my faith. The pilot vehicle leading the important flag-car carrying an important functionary of the highest seat of judiciary in the province kept sounding the siren all through the section where there is very little space if any for providing space for another vehicle to overtake. Well let us bear with this for once and calm ourselves by imagining it as the price to be paid for the pride of our judicial officers. What followed was even more shocking however. The vehicles completely broke all traffic rules by ignoring the signal of the traffic policeman posted at that point and overtaking all the vehicles from the left lane reserved for driving inside the MG Avenue and forcibly halting all the vehicles coming from the opposite direction. Now when some violations occur and we incur injuries because of that, we do approach the law courts for redressing. But what would we do if the experience just explained happens to be the empirical reality in the land, and what should we expect from the system in such circumstances? In the afternoon of the same day, I listened to a lecture by an American friend on how to establish peace and generate positive atmosphere for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. It was a lecture emphasising the significance and criticality of touching and reaching out to people as important tipping points for generating an atmosphere of hope. Now the Connection: Now one may wonder why I am relating the two seemingly disconnect events. Well, the connection between the lecture and the morning experience on the same day lies in the social reality of Manipur during the last few decades and the behaviour of governance while engaging with the reality. The response of the people in charge of governance of the land has been one of shunting out and evicting the general population as if the latter were nothing more than insects. It makes no difference whether ours is a democracy or not. It makes no difference by the fact that elections are held and governments are formed once in five years. The state in Manipur has simply adopted the approach of shunting out and imposing obeisance through fear. In other words, the methodology of the state is the same as that of the non-state, i.e., cause widespread fear and impose order.This contrasts with the need of the land where the government should be increasingly endeavouring to connect with the people in order to address the contemporary issues. Now what prevails in Manipur is a scenario where the government alienates the people, and the different communities shunt out each other – a grand recipe for social collapse.State Failing: Now what we have explained above are sure signs of the state failing in the sense of decline rather than in the conventional sense of civil war, genocides and ethnic wipe–outs. We call it decline rather than failure for we now do see symptoms of the conventional failure to happen in the land sooner or later. Time is now for us to collectively appreciate the scenario and affect alterations in our behaviour so that we save ourselves from the catastrophe.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/0yykl29R2jI/

IMPHAL, May 9: A combined team of Bishnupur police commando and 4/8 Gurkha Rifles arrested four hardcore cadres of the proscribe PREPAK (HOME) including BPR district commander-in-charge during search operation conducted at Bishnupur area on June 8 at around 2pm.
The arrested cadres were identified as Ngangom Somorjit alias Abung alias Malem, 30 s/o Ng. Bira of Langpok Maning Leikai, Trongbam Moupa alias Joy 31 s/o (L) T. Ibohal of Utlou Makha Leikai, Chanambam Yaiskul Singh, 55 s/o (L) Ch. Gouramani of yumnam Khunou Mamang Leikai and Kshetrimayum (O) Tombi Devi, 28 w/o (L) Ksh.  Munal of Phaogak Ikhai.
An official release said Malem and Yaiskul were involved in placing hand grenade at the residence of Angousana, Pradhan of Keinou Gram Panchayat and extorted rupees 50 thousands. The duo also involved in extortion of  one lakh sixty thousands rupees from one Basanta Singh, Pradhan,. Sanjenbam Gram Panchayat.
Police recovered two Chinese hand grenade, three mobile hand sets with four sim cards from Tombi Devi.
On further verification, Tombi Devi disclosed that she replaced one Chinese hand grenade near the residence of Ranjit Singh, Pradhan of Nachou Gram Panchayat in connection with monetary demands relating to NREGA fund under the direction of Malem.
On other hand Malem and Moupa were arrested earlier as cadres of KCP(City Meitei) and Yiskul was also arrested earlier in c/w fraudulent withdrawal of relief fund from D.C office of Bishnupur.
In the meantime, troops of the 35 Assam riffles arrested four UNLF cadres from Old Aishi village of Chandel district during search operations.
Arrested cadres of UNLF were identified as Bobby Meitei, 21 of Salamang Leikai, Lamphel, Ranjeet Singh 27 of Kongphal Porompat, Bocha Meitei of 21 of Moreh and Sanjay Singh, 25 of Yairipok.
One Daggers and Myanmar currency of 100 kyats were recovered from the possessions of arrested cadres.
In yet another arrest, troops of 23 Assam rifles of 10 sector under HQ IGAR (s) launched operation in general area of  Nongdam in Ukhrul district and apprehended one cadres of KYKL on June 8.
The apprehended cadres was identified as one Keisham Binod Kumar alias Inoa Singh s/o K. Rajendro of Keibi Mapal Awang Leikai.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/jzsRm-WNwwY/

By Robin S Ngangom

Having lost it
How could I celebrate my independence
Though I’ve sewn flags on cockeyed schooldays?
Margins are superfluous in the big centre’s book
Although memory is not silent and speaks up at times.

Now the periphery (of which I’m also a guilty part)
Is scrawling a unique history on delusive margins,
Mischievous like a collage by brawling painters.
Once lebensraum has sunk to pogroms
The periphery can murder too
And then deal peace cards on the table
Or hoist a nation’s flag in driving rain.
On the continuum of farce
It doesn’t matter if we’re moving forward or backward
Or if a government is serving rats on its menu.
The morning passes with a prime minister orating
From the ramparts of a fort,
“Make the borders irrelevant,” he said a year ago.
It never occurred to him to disguise himself and ask
The man on the street about his unhappiness.

On the road outside shut down by insurgents
Aimless now in its bafflement
Trees and lamps are breathing fog and a light rain.
This day passes between surfing for news of theoutside world,
Statistics of farmers committing suicide on the weaverbelt
And the poor waiting for paper to translate into bread
After discovering that a law has been enacted for them
Which finds all of them culpable for shaming thenation.
And fifty years of discrimination festering in theperiphery
With another anniversary of murder and disappearances.

I’ve been told that I live on the edge
By intellectuals who also teach me
The history and politics of far away countries.
I have to take their word on faith, being so unread.
I don’t know if I’m shallow with little inner life.

I try not to book a flat in the city of the sky
But meditate brokenly on love and its players
Although it gave me a terrible fright the other day.
I merely silenced her shame with my mouth
And remain a freeloader of passion from its web.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/qw9YOZKDNgc/

IMPHAL, June 13 (Newmai News Network): Communist Party of India (CPI) Manipur unit will exert pressure on Central and state governments to initiate political dialogue without any precondition with underground outfits of the state to resolve the insurgency problem, said the party’s outgoing general secretary Langol Iboyaima. 

Speaking at a press conference at Irawati Bhawan Monday, the CPI Manipur outgoing general secretary said that the party has unanimously resolved on five resolutions during the 20th state conference in the presence of its national general secretary AB Bardhan. The three-day-long state conference that started on June 10 concluded Sunday.

The state unit of the party will exert pressure on Central and state government for the repeal of AFSPA from the soil of Manipur, according to the resolutions adopted at the conference, while also resolving that the party will attempt at forming a left and democratic alternative government in the forthcoming general assembly election due early next year, said Mr Iboyaima.

CPI Manipur has been fighting to safeguard the territorial integrity of the state since its inception in 1948 and will continue to do so into the future, inform the outgoing state general secretary about the other resolutions.

The nature of distribution of power between Centre and state as informed by the Constitution of India is unitary in character, and CPI has resolved that the Constitution should be amended to usher in federal polity, he said, while adding that Manipur should be given a special status by the Central government.

Besides the resolutions, the conference also demanded from the Central government the fast tracking of process for the establishment of separate High Court for Manipur and the raising of highway protection force.

It also demanded the handing over of maintenance work of National Highway 53 and 39 to state Public Work Department from BRTF as also public declaration of assets of ministers and MLAs.

During the conference, the state CPI elected Dr M Nara as its new general secretary while L Koireng and Th Nabakumar as its assistant secretaries.

At the press conference, Dr M Nara said that the era of coalition politics is here to stay and the party needed to change its paradigm and strengthen its stand.

A very strong coalition government is indispensable in Manipur in order to solve the problems besetting the state, he said.

Touching on the formation of the state unit of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the ex-minister said that the party does not agree with the “divisive ideology” propounded by NPF which, he said, is bound to have adverse political ramification for the state. CPI national general secretary AB Bardhan had also publicly articulated his reservation on the formation of NPF in Manipur few weeks ago.

Read more / Original news source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kanglaonline/~3/iliSxq1Rqq8/