Manipur News

DIMAPUR, Oct 4 NNN : The ballooning population of ‘outsiders’ in Nagaland especially in the state commercial hub Dimapur is quite alarming. Civil society organisations in Nagaland are actually concerned about the presence of ‘illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’. However, to detect them, a concrete mechanism is yet to be found. The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and the Naga Council, Dimapur (NCD) are spending sleepless nights to address this issue in their own respective ways. Several meetings have been convened by both the organisations in this respect.
Speculations have been doing the round for sometime now that large number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are flooding into Nagaland through Assam. In the commercial hub Dimapur the population of these immigrants are quite big but officially this fact has not been confirmed. Majority of the labourers in Dimapur are reportedly from Bangladesh. Construction works are carried out by these immigrants but when queried about their origins, these labourers would often say they are from Dhubri district of Assam or from Barak Valley, Silchar or even from Karimganj.
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) president Kelhouneizo Yhome said since it is a sensitive issue they are dealing it with extra care. The NSF chief disclosed that it has been one month now that the students’ body is collecting ‘census’. “Our federating units are doing the job of collecting census from their respective districts of Nagaland and once it is completed we will chalk out our move to filter the illegal immigrants”, stated Mr Yhome while adding, “We are doing with extra care so that the genuine Indians are not affected nor their sentiment is hurt.” However, it is not clear whether the NSF is taking themselves the census of ‘outsiders’ or collecting the already recorded official data.
Meanwhile, interestingly on Gandhi Jayanti, the Naga Council, Dimapur (NCD) had launched a ‘non-violent campaign aganst illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ in Dimapur. Quite a sizeable number of people both Nagas and non-Nagas inked their signatories under the slogan, “ I pledge that I shall wholly and steadfastly boycott illegal Bangladeshis immigrants (IBIs) socially and economically. I shall not lease out my premises, including both residential and commercial, to IBIs, as part of my social commitment. I shall boycott all the business establishments of IBIs who now control the economy of our state and instead patronize fellow Nagas and fellow Indians. This pledge is borne out of love for my Naga people.”
“I took this pledge to uphold the truth; the truth that Nagas are in danger of losing their Christian character to an alien religion; the truth that Naga identity is in erosion created by a tidal wave of alien culture; the truth that Nagas can be self-reliant, not depending on aliens for their survival; the truth that the well-being of our future generation and survival of Naga identity depends on us taking a historic and firm stand today”, it reads.
It can be mentioned here that in the month of August, the Naga Hoho had called upon all the states in the North East India region to unite for flushing out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the region. The Naga Hoho had also said earlier that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants should be flushed from the region by joining and uniting together by all the north eastern states. “This is the right time to flush out the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants,” apex Naga body had said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/illegal-immigrants-swamping-dimapur/

DIMAPUR, Oct 4 NNN: Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Delhi has strongly condemned the violence perpetrated on the North Cachar Hills Indigenous Peoples Front (NCHIPF) activists and other peaceful demonstrators by Dimasa “hoodlums” under the patronage of the local authority on September 28. “The NCHIPF rally was a peaceful and democratic protest against the move of Assam State Government to convert Dimasa Hasao to ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council.’ These are not isolated criminal physical assaults and intimidation perpetrated by the Dimasa goons hobnobbing with the State apparatus. These are calculated and premeditated politics of violence unleashed by Dimasa militants and the State to suppress the rightful aspirations of the other indigenous communities living in N.C Hills,” the Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi alleged.
Dr M Gairiangmei, president of ZSUD alleged that the Assam State Government and the Centre have certain vested interests in appeasing the Dimasas in NC Hills. According to the 2011 Census, Dimasas constitute only 35 percent while the other indigenous communities constitute 65 percent of the NC Hills population, Dr Gairiangmei added. “But the people who constitute only 35 percent of the district has been given free hand to serve the interests of the State. Recently, Assam Government changed the official name of NC Hills District to Dimasa Haso District in order to appease the Dimasas despite strong opposition from the other communities who constitute 65 percent population of the District. The NCHIPF’s genuine demand to roll back the undemocratic decision of the State Government or create another district for the 65 percent population of the district by bifurcating the district has been ignored by the State. Today, as if to mock the democratic aspirations of the 65 percent majority communities, the Centre and the State Government are further considering to appease the minority Dimasas by declaring ‘Dimasa Hasao District’ as a ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council,” Dr M Gairiangmei said.
Terming as short sighted policy of the Central and Assam governments, Dr M Gairiangmei said it was purely to create a ‘Dimasa Hasao Territorial Council’ (DHTC) by carving out large areas of territories belonging to other ethnic communities in NC Hills (Dimasa Hasao District). “If the Centre and Assam State Government wish to create a Territorial Council for the Dimasas let it be on their own territory but not on our territory. We will not hesitate to launch all forms of agitations and exploit all measures possible to expose and scuttle such diabolic and undemocratic politics of Assam State Government and the Centre to pit one community against another in the hope of clinging on to power and suppressing the rightful aspirations of the marginalized tribals in Assam,” he added.
Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi fully endorses the stand of Zeliangrong Baudi to protect and defend the ancestral land of Zeliangrong people in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland from being used as a pawned in others’ interests. “We fully extend our unstinting support and solidarity to the Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN) and the IPF in their struggle to overcome the challenges of divisive and exploitative policies adopted by Assam State Government and the Centre,” the Zeliangrong Students Union, Delhi pledged.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zeliangrong-students-condemn-violence/

MNS:- Gujarat will have a polling booth for a single voter to enable him to cast his vote in the forthcoming State Assembly election. The Election Commission will set up One Voter polling station in a single room building of forest department at Banej in Gir Forest. This will be 20 Kms from nearest habitation, a village Sapnesh Biliyat in 93 Una Assembly Constituency in Junagarh district. In the above Polling Station, Guru Bharat Das, aged 59, a temple priest by profession will cast his franchise during the first phase of Polling on 13.12.2012.
The Election Commission has identified Sh. Shyam Saran Negi as oldest voter in Himachal Pradesh (HP). Sh. Negi, aged 95, lives in Kalpa Tehsil, District Kinnaur. H.P. Sh. Negi retired from Government Primary School in 1975 and his family includes wife, four sons and five daughters.
Sh. Negi was among the first to cast his vote in independent India’s first Election in October 1951, of H.P. State Legislative Assembly from 10- Chini Assembly Constituency later renamed as Kinnaur. At that time, election in snow-bound 10- Chini (now Kinnaur) was held ahead of other places in the State.
Interestingly, the world’s highest Polling booth will also be located in H.P. at the height of 15000 ft above sea level. This Polling Station will be at Hikkam in Lahaul & Spiti Assembly Constituency located on motorable road. The Hikkam Polling Station will serve 333 voters, comprising 180 male & 153 female voters.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/single-voter-polling-station-in-gujarat/