Manipur News

IMPHAL, September 28: An apex body of tribal students has alleged that the State government has made some recruitment in the backdoor amidst the hue and cry over the denial of the rights of tribals.

In a press release, the information and publicity secretary Micah of the Maun Tombing led ATSUM, has stated that as a part of its endeavour for safeguarding the rights of the tribals in all aspects, ATSUM has been urging the government as well as the authorities of the State Legislative Assembly to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for scheduled tribes in the Assembly.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi had assured ATSUM to fill the backlog posts reserved for STs in various departments during a meeting between the government and ATSUM on November 25 last year. But the government has failed to keep its words, he said.

Stating that as per the statistics, 316 posts have been created with only 19 reserved for STs which should be 65 posts as per the model roster of 200 points by direct recruitment, Micah pointed out that the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat has went against the agreement reached for filling up all the backlog posts reserved for STs in every department.

The department has sought for applications from aspiring candidates for appointment to various posts in a contract basis with the assurance of filling the backlog posts, he added.

Apart from committing an atrocity against the tribal, the Manipur Legislative Assembly has committed a Himalayan blunder by conducting close door recruitment of grade-IV employees without issuing a recruitment notice, the information and publicity secretary of the tribals students`™ body said.

As per the information received by us, the result of the back door recruitment was back dated to November 21 last year and the salaries for three months have been given, he added.

Micah said that under such circumstances, the provisions of reservation remain unfulfilled through manipulations by bureaucrats or by a narrow interpretation of the special provisions.

It has been ascertained from the Directorate of the Management Information System, Manipur that there are 32 backlog posts of different grade which ought to be notified for a special ST drive.

The department has made another closed door recruitment by recruiting an assistant director (press Section) without issuing recruitment notification. This deliberate act of the Manipur Legislature Assembly authority reveals its culture of playing dirty games for suppressing the weaker communities of the State.

The student`™s body has asked the department to immediately cancel all the closed door recruitment and conduct fresh recruitment to fill the backlog posts of STs in the department. It further made a veil threat to the government in the press release by stating that the government would be held accountable for any untoward incident in the event of the government failing to address the grievances of the tribals at the earliest.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/atsum-faction-decries-alleged-backdoor-recruitment-to-reserved-posts/

IMPHAL, September 28: A two day regional level seminar on the theme `Sexual Harassment at Work Place for Rural Women` was inaugurated today at the Manipur Press Club organised by the Centre for Human Resource and Economic Development.

The function was attended by M Sushilkumar, IGP (retd.) as the chief guest, Ng Nongyai Singh, ex member, State Human Right Commission, Manipur as the president and A Mobi, ex president, All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) as the guest of honour.

Speaking at the function M Sushilkumar said that it is the mind that plays the vital role in human action.

He also stated that the importance of education at the end is to help develop one`™s character.

He added that education also develops human value such as truth, right conduct, peace and love.

And that is why the society needs social, moral and educational development to prevent or control such crimes in the society, he observed.

Giving the keynote address, Ibotombi Salam said that the objective of the seminar is to sensitize and inculcate the women and men workers on the matter of sexual harassment.

He also said that proper monitoring of sexual harassment and other crime against women in work places is the need of the hour.

He also pointed out that monitoring cell should be set up in every workplace to address the grievances of the victim.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/seminar-on-sexual-harassment-at-workplaces-held/

Chaoba attacks Cong for showing favouritism among assembly constituencies

IMPHAL, September 28: In a scathing attack directed at the ruling party Congress, the Manipur State unit of the BJP today said the party no longer enjoys the people`™s mandate.

Election campaign in poll bound 38-Hiyanglam Assembly Constituency is slowly but steadily gaining momentum. With the filing of nominations for candidates already closed, six candidates are in the fray for the lone seat.

By-poll to the constituency was necessitated by the demise of sitting MLA Maibam Kunjo earlier in August this year. The BJP is fielding ex-MLA Maibam Kunjo`™s son M Dhanabir as its candidate.

The Congress will not be able to stand for long, said BJP Manipur Pradesh president Th Chaoba today. He was addressing an election campaign for the party candidate M Dhanabir at Thonjao Makha Community Hall.

He said the Congress will not be able to stay for long in the State too. The BJP will uproot Congress from the entire country, he declared.

Continuing to run down the Congress, Chaoba charged that the Congress party`™s popularity is discriminating among the constituencies in the State.

The government is showing favouritism to Thoubal and Khangabok, he charged before adding that the two assembly constituencies have been getting bigger shares in job appointments. Developmental works have also been neglected in the other constituencies he continued.

Choaba lamented that during a 15-year long rule, Ibobi has failed to do a single deed for the welfare of the land. The Manipur government is today notorious for its misrule, Chaoba attacked the Congress government. The BJP thinks of the people`™s welfare and is against corruption, he said before appealing to the people not to exchange their votes for money.

He urged the people to teach a lesson to the parties that try to buy their votes. Don`™t waste your franchise for some money, he said.

Minutely discuss your representatives, otherwise there will be no good, Chaoba told the people attending the campaign.

The coming by-poll is important for the party as it will be facing the remaining other parties.

Establishing industries to provide employment, provision of potable water and proper health care are all in the agenda of the party for the coming by-poll, Chaoba said before expressing confidence of the party`™s win in by-poll.

Vice president of the party`™s State unit, Thokchom Jadumani who is also in charge of the minority morcha of the party said the long rule of the Congress has ended and it is time for the BJP. The public have restored their faith in the BJP, he observed.

BJP, Manipur State spokesperson Sarda Devi said the present Congress government has today become a government without a vision.

Today`™s campaign was also attended by BJP Manipur Pradesh co-convenor RK Ranjan.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/campaigning-in-bypoll-bound-hiyanglam-gaining-momentum/

BISHNUPUR, September 28: A woman was found dead hanging at her residence in a suspicious manner at Nambol Sabal Leikai Mamang Leikai, Bishnupur district last night.

The woman, Irengbam Ningol Pukhrambam Ongbi Ichal, (18) is the wife of P Chandrakumar, 23 son of Chaoba, was found hanging around 10 at night, according to local sources.

On getting information about the death, people of her parental locality Irengbam came this early morning at the husband`™s residence but found the house empty. Infuriated they tried to dismantle the house, but timely arrival of the police managed to control the mob.

After returning back, they again blocked the road at Oinam Bazar but there also they were dispersed by the police.

Later, they convened a public meeting at their locality and formed a JAC.

Ichal`™s mother Mema said Ichal didn`™t kill herself, but her husband Chandrakumar must have killed her and hanged her to make it look like a suicide.

She said Ichal was frequently assaulted by her husband.

Meanwhile, the dead body has been deposited at the RIMS morgue for post mortem. Locals informed that she was rushed to the Nambol CHC but was declared brought dead.

They said Ichal`™s parents Rajen Meitei and Mema were informed on the phone that she was being hospitalised around midnight.

It is also learnt that her parents along with other family members went to the hospital but failed to find her or her husband there and had to return home.

They were informed of her death only in the morning.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/woman-found-dead-husbands-family-missing/

LAMKA, September 27: BJP Manipur Pradesh member Hangkhanpau said he had joined the party at the behest of the party president Th Chaoba.

Speaking to the media in a press conference held at the PTC conference hall, Hiangtam Lamka Churachandpur, the ex-minister said Chaoba had personally extended an invitation to him to join the party resulting in his joining the party in the interest of the people on January 13, 2014.

Hangkhanpau, who had refused the post of vice president of the party said he had high respects for the president but has to do what is needed of him as he sees no future of the State unit of the BJP under the tutelage of the present president.

The Suspension of Operation with the Kuki militants had expired on August 22, and there has not been action from the Centre yet, however, the party president who has been visiting the national capital frequently since the expiration of the agreement had never tried to intervene on the issue, which has only helped in the delay, he elaborated.

He said the BJP State unit president seems to be biased in his dealings with the people of the State.

He said what is the point in allowing the president to continue when he had been in the news for all the wrong reasons, with the reports of corruption being the most disturbing, he observed.

While ruling out himself and others for the post of the party top post, he said the party president should be someone who has been in the party for six years uninterrupted.

Now, Dr H Borbabu being a non-corrupt and honest politician will be the best suitable to lead the State unit of the party, he said.

The party`™s fundamental stand of being anti-corruption has been compromised under the present leadership, he continued.

Further explaining on the issue of his suspension from the party by Chaoba, Hangkhanpau said he is still very much a member of the party as the major reasons for his suspension has no validity and not accepted by the party`™s central leaders.

On being asked as to whether the central leaders are desisting from getting involved in the State`™s issues, he said the leaders are busy due to elections in some major States including Maharashtra.

With the MDC and MLA elections on the cards, we have to think fast and make amends to the ills to the party, he continued.

The present leaders seem only interested in money and not in winning the elections as their strategy in the last MP election showed, he lamented.

He further said that he was very much for the settlement of the SoO issue but the present president of BJP, Manipur has no urge to solve the issue.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/no-future-for-party-under-chaoba-bjp-dissident-leader/

IMPHAL, September 28: A Chinese hand grenade exploded inside the ABC Godown at Khuyathong around 6:45 pm today.

The grenade is suspected to be lobbed by an unidentified person.

However, no one was injured in the explosion, police said.

Police also said that as the grenade which exploded on top of one of the two trucks parked inside the godown, damaged the tarpolin covering the truck. Window panes of some rooms were also damaged, informed the police.

Meanwhile, soon after getting information of the explosion, police arrived at the scene and inspected the site.

In an unrelated incident, this morning around 9.15 a Chinese made hand grenade was found in front of the residential gate of Manipur Olympic Association joint secretary Takhellambam Dusanta, 45 at Lalambung Makhong Ningthoujam Leirak.

The grenade was found outside the residential gate wrapped in a gate.

A bomb expert team of the police detonated the grenade safely at the Chingmeirong firing range.

D Dusanta Singh is a coach of the Canoeing and Kayaking at present.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/grenade-explodes-inside-abc-godown/

IMPHAL, September 28: Former MP Kim Gangte, who is a member of the AITC has today said that the matter of allotting election symbol to the two groups claiming to be the original Trinamool Congress in the State should be left to the wisdom of election commission.

Kim Gangte was speaking to the media during a press meet held this evening at the Manipur Press Club.

She said that the imbroglio between the two groups has created confusion among the people, particularly the voters of Hiyanglam, with the by-election already announced on October 17.

She alleged the AITC for creating division among the party members.

The main cause of the conflict is due to communication breakdown between the party leaders of AITC and the members of Trinamool Congress Manipur, she added.

Kim Gangte continued that she has no information about any AITC annual general meeting, though she is also a leader of the party in the State.

She maintained that she was appointed president of MPTC by Mamata Banerjee, adding that she has no idea about MPTCC. The last Assembly election was fought under the MPTC banner, which was approved by AITC general secretary, Mukul Roy.

Kim Gangte also added that she has no knowledge whether she has been replaced from the president`™s post or not till date, and in this regard, she has not received any letter from the party high command.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/09/wisdom-of-election-commission-must-prevail-on-trinamools-election-symbol-kim-gangte/