Manipur News

IMPHAL, Aug 14: The Governor of Manipur has send greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur on the occasion of Independence Day, 2015.

The Governor has said that the country has been celebrating Independence Day on August 15 every year, and it was on this day, 68 years ago in the year 1947 that the country shook off the yoke of the colonial rule and became independent to decide its own destiny. This freedom however, did not come to the people easily. It came after years of struggle and supreme sacrifices made by the countrymen, the freedom fighters.

He further said that the country has come a long way since then and has seen unprecedented growth in various fields particularly in the last couple of decades so much so that the country has won the awe and admiration of the advanced countries in the world. Major progress has been made in the socio-economic sectors towards an equitable development throughout the country. science and Technology has also been no less a thrust areas and today, India has come to be considered as a technologically advanced country.

The Governor said that everyone should work as one in the true spirit of a democratic country to bring about emotional integration and equal development for all leaving no room for any sense of discrimination.

On this auspicious occasion, the Governor has wished the people to remember those brave souls who secured the freedom and renew the pledge to protect the precious gift as well as contribute selflessly for the well being of the citizens of a free India.

He once again extended his best wishes to the people of Manipur on this auspicious occasion of Independence Day, 2015, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/governor-greets-on-iday/

IMPHAL, August 14: The 12-hour public curfew called by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System demanding the ILP hugely affected normal life in the State especially in the valley districts today.

Road blocks were witnessed at several parts of the valley districts, shops and other business establishments remained closed for the day while roads wore deserted looks as vehicles stayed off the road.

Inter-district and inter-state passenger services were also greatly affected during the public curfew.

The public-curfew was called by the JCILPS after announcing that the two rounds of talks held earlier this week with the government on the ILP bill had ended inconclusive.

From Our Correspondent
BISHNUPUR, August 14: The 12-hour public curfew imposed by Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) in protest against the government`™s failure to pass a new bill acceptable to all sections of the people despite taking much time, has paralyzed normal life in Bishnupur district.

A large number of curfew supporters came out and blocked road at Nambol Bazar. Tyres were burnt and wood logs were placed at Nambol Thong disrupting passage of vehicles and commuters.

Business establishments and shops in the district were downed shutters due to the public curfew. The Bishnupur Headquarter also wore a deserted look.

Supporting the curfew, protestors placed rocks huge in size and wood logs at Malom Awang Leikai along Tiddim Road and restricted movement of vehicles and passerby.

MLA of Naoriya Pakhanglakpa Constituency RK Anand who is also one of the Members of the government constituted Drafting Committee and president of BJP Manipur Pradesh Th Chaoba were stopped by the curfew supporters at Malom Awang Leikai and made to walk by foot to pass the road.

Two Matuti cars coming along the road were also smashed by the curfew supporters at Malom. One of the cars belongs to younger brother of MLA RK Anand.

Roads were also blocked at several places at Malom during which slogans in support of ILPS introduction in the State were shouted.

NNN adds: Curfew supporters came out in large numbers in Tera Bazar area of the Imphal-Jiri Highway and blocked the road. They burnt tyres, fell trees to strengthen their support.

Also, any kind of traffic movement at Tiddim Road was blocked by residents of Keishampat and Kwakeithel area as a mark of supporting the curfew. However, they gave relaxation to medical services, media and other essential services.

On the other hand, all the local clubs and meira paibee associations in Mayai Lambi Road starting from Langthabal to Keishampat co-ordinated their way of supporting the curfew.

Sit-ins were staged in respective localities, and later a large human chain was formed uniting all the protestors of each locality. They shouted slogans demanding ILP system in Manipur and also demanding strict punishment to those police officers who were responsible for manhandling girl students.

Meanwhile, JCILPS co-convenor expressed his disappointment to the state government for its negligence. Chief Minister o Ibobi has announced yesterday that producing an indigenous people-friendly ILP Bill by August 15 will be difficult and is unlikely. Ratan said, ` We have submitted our five-points very much in time, and it`™s surprising that the government is taking too much time. It is showing its negligence on the ILP issue and is duping the public with its false assurances.`

`As held earlier, the future course of actions and agitation strategies will be decided in due accordance with the public after holding a public meeting, `. Ratan added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/public-curfew-brings-state-to-grinding-halt/

Hebron (Nagaland), Aug 14 (IANS): NSCN-IM general secretary T. Muivah declared on Friday that his group has not given up the demand for “sovereignty” for Nagas and integration of all Naga-inhabited areas.

But “if we keep on opposing the Indian leadership, it will be wrong”, Muivah said at the group`s central headquarters here near Dimapur while speaking about the peace accord his Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland signed with the Indian government on August 3.

Muivah was addressing an event to mark the 69th “Naga Independence Day”. It was his first public address after the August 3 pact.

The NSCN-IM leader said the Naga people shall be the master of their own fate and shape their destiny due to their unique history.

He said the two core issues — sovereignty and integration of all Naga areas — would never be compromised.

The NSCN-IM, which signed a ceasefire agreement with the Indian government in 1997, celebrates August 14 as Naga Independence Day.

It was on August 14, 1947, one day before India gained independence, that then Naga leader Angami Z. Phizo declared the independence of Naga region, triggering a bloody and prolonged armed conflict.

Discussing the peace moves, Muivah said: “We appreciated the Indian leaders who have realized that it is not possible to suppress the Nagas because it is a political issue and can be solved through political means.

“Are we also to realize that we cannot chase out the Indian military from our land?

“So the time has come … the Indian side and Naga side decided to keep the military solution away. After lots of deliberations, they have agreed that Nagas have a unique history,” he said.

“We told them that Nagas were never under the Indian union and Nagas were never won over by anyone. They have realized this and recognized the unique history of the Naga people,” he said.

“Let us understand that when Indian leaders (are) starting to respect the rights of Nagas, it is high time we must also start respecting them. If we keep on opposing the Indian leadership, it will be wrong.

“We have got to appreciate them. They have their own difficulties. We have understood that, and so we said we`ll try to find out an amicable solution,” he said.

“We told them that the government of India and the NSCN-IM will have to seek a solution by respecting the sovereign rights of each other.

“We are confident that the framework agreement signed on August 3 would provide for ensuring an inclusive peaceful coexistence of two entities,” he said, while describing the idea of a “shared sovereignty” between the Indians and the Nagas.

“India will exercise its rights while the Nagas will exercise their rights. Each will coexist by exercising their own powers. We will work out for the best through understanding,” Muivah said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/muivah-says-sovereignty-greater-nagaland-demand-not-given-up/

IMPHAL, August 14: With just a day left before the August 15 deadline set for the government to come up with an ILP bill and the Chief Minister already hinting that meeting the deadline is almost impossible, the movement demanding introduction of the ILP or a similar act has been intensified.

Five students from various schools including a girl student on Friday began an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Ananda Singh Higher Secondary Academy demanding the ILP bill.

Surjt Sagolsem, Dayananda Lairikyengbam and Oinam Suresh of Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School and two others Loitongbam Bidyaluxmi of Ibotonsana Girls`™ Higher Secondary School and Thoudam Mukesh of Lamlong Higher Secondary School have launched the hunger strike since 7am today against the failure of the government to bring out the bill within the set deadline, informed Joint Students`™ Union of Government Higher Secondary Schools convenor Surjit.

All five are studying in class XII.

Security forces have been allowed to mercilessly assault student protestors including girls. Schools and colleges have been closed down in order to prevent students from participating in the democratic movement, he claimed.

Instead of actually trying to introduce a bill, the government seems to be interested only in its delaying tactics, he asserted.

The demand for the ILP is the peoples`™ demand and the government need to act positively to meet it, he said and added, unfortunately, the State government has turned-out to be anti-people.

One of the hunger strikers, Bidyaluxmi who is also the general secretary of the Ibotonsana Girls`™ Higher Secondary School Students`™ Union said they have decided to launch the agitation as part of their ongoing movement against the boycotting of government educational institutes and demand for the ILP.

She said they had taken the decision to launch the protest on their own and will continue till the government brings out the bill.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/students-launch-indefinite-hunger-strike-demanding-ilps/

IMPHAL, August 14: The Congress Legislature Party has resolved that the State government will involve the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System in the preparation of a new ILP bill which is acceptable to the people and to table it in the State Assembly at the earliest in order to safeguard the indigenous people.

The decision was arrived at during a meeting of the CLP held at the Conference Room of the Chief Minister`™s Secretariat today.

The meeting began at 3 pm and continued till 9 pm.

Elaborating on the resolution of the CLP meeting, Education and CAF & PD minister Moirangthem Okendro who is also the spokesperson of the government said that the marathon meeting discussed at length the different forms of agitation launched by the people in pursuance of the collective demand for implementation of ILPS or a similar law to regulate the alarming influx of non-locals into the State which has posed a potential threat to the existence of the indigenous people.

He further said that the meeting minutely discussed the draft bill submitted by the government constituted Drafting Committee with Revenue, Law & legislative Affairs minister Th Debendra as its chairman.

During the meeting, the Congress legislatures unanimously resolved to sit down with representatives of JCILPS to draft an acceptable bill within the ambit of Indian Constitution, he said.

After drafting it, earnest efforts will be put in to ensure that the bill gets passed in the Manipur Legislative Assembly without further delay, the Minister maintained.

Okendro said that the CLP meeting also condemned the peace accord signed between NSCN (IM) and Government of India on August 3 in New Delhi as it was done in a hurried manner without consulting the State Chief Minister.

The CLP meeting concluded that the peace accord should not compromise on geo-political, socio-cultural and economic boundary of the State at any cost and that the agreement should be implemented in Nagaland only, he said.

The minister went on to inform that the meeting firmly resolved to ensure that the territorial integrity of the State is not put at stake by the peace accord.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/clp-resolves-to-involve-jcilps-in-drafting-bill-acceptable-to-public/

IMPHAL, August 14: A group of societies supplying milk to the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited have expressed apprehension that the society is on a downward spiral as it is unable to produce even 4000 litres of milk per day due to lack of government guidance.

Speaking to media persons, the group on conditions of anonymity said the co-operative unit is under the Department of Co-operation, Government of Manipur, unfortunately, the Co-operative minister has failed to take any initiative to provide proper guidance to the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited.

The cooperative unit has been reduced to just a namesake, a member of one of the societies claimed.

He further asserted that the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited used to produce atleast 7000/8000 litres of milk on a daily basis earlier, but this is not the same anymore.

There was a time when we used to set a target of 20000 litres per day, he claimed.

However, due to the less intake of milk, the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited is unable to meet the target, he claimed.

It was also able to sell other milk by-products in the past, he said.

This downward spiral is a result of the negligence of the officer bearers`™ as there is no official to look over them, he claimed.

The societies, he said have already appealed to the concern authority to correct the mismanagement.

He continued that they have received information about products being sold without receipts for the past many months.

He continued that only 36 societies are at present supplying milk to the union although there are 250 societies under the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited.

He claimed that the officials are unable to make the other remaining societies to supply milk.

In the past, the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited use to make regular and sometimes advance payment of money to the societies, but nowadays, it is unable to even make regular payment which has deterred the societies from supplying milk, he continued.

Now, the union has also stopped production of its Aingbi Ice-cream which was launched in 2013, he continued.

If this trend continues, it wouldn`™t be long before the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Limited closes down, he said, and further appealed to the concern authorities to look into the matter.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/manipur-milk-producers-cooperative-limited-on-a-downward-spiral/

Hebron (Nagaland), Aug 14 (Agencies): Earlier while not going into details of the kind of the final solution to be reached since the `competencies`™ are being worked out, Muivah revealed that the final solution will be above the 1975 Shillong Accord, a report in Nagaland Page, a prominent daily in Dimapur said.

`The solution will be above Shillong Accord,` he said.

He reminisced that Shillong Accord of 1975 was the worst thing that had happened to the Nagas, as a result of which Nagas began to lose ground it said.

The NSCN was formed in the aftermath of the Shillong Accord of 1975, signed between the Government of India and the Naga National Council.

The terms of the Shillong Accord had stipulated that underground Naga organisations would give up arms and `formulate other issues for discussion for final settlement`.

In the aftermath of the Shillong Accord, Muivah said some of them had taken a decision to oppose it, and after fighting for 25 years India realised the futility of military solution to the Naga issue, it said.

`India came in search of us. They took initiative to seek political solution. We also realise that we cannot finish the Indian Army off. So we also decided for political solution,` he added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/solution-to-be-above-shillong-accord-muivah/