Manipur News

THOUBAL, Dec 8: A one day discussion on Violence Against Women was conducted today at the Unity Park of KM Blooming higher Secondary School, Khangabok organised by the All Manipur Women`™s Voluntary Association, AMAWOVA.

During the discussion, AMAWOVA president Y Kunjarani speaking on the occasion said the association had resolved during an earlier meeting in March 2013 to organise awareness campaigns on VAW and educate the young students on the issue.

She said today`™s discussion was a follow up of the resolution taken.

She said incidents of Indian security personnel violating women in the State in the past have stopped and instead we are hearing of people of the State raping the women today.

The resolution of the March 2013 meeting was taking with the consideration that spreading awareness on the issue among the young students will somewhat help in controlling such crimes, she said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/discussion-of-vaw-held-at-thoubal-school/

IMPHAL, December 8: The Agriculture Credit Support for Farmers under the Village Agriculture Information Centre at Kangmong was inaugurated today at the Manipur Press Club organised by the Self Employment Volunteer Association, SEVA.

While speaking as the chief guest of the function, Sh Nabakumar Singh member, 1 Yarou Bamdiar Zilla Parishad, Imphal West asked the farmers to use the loan given by the SEVA in a right way so that there will be sustainable income throughout the year.

He lauded SEVA for its contribution towards the farmers and for their concern to uplift them.

Dr Kh Somorendro Singh, director, Institute of Co-operative, Management, Imphal delivering his speech as guest of honour said that there are three main problems why farmers face economic problem. They are lack of incremental income, willful abstinence from paying back loan and lack of positive mindset, he said.

Somorendro also emphasised that there should be proper communication between the farmers and the banks concerned which are providing loan to them. Lack of communication between the farmers and the banks hamper the process of properly availing the monetary assistance provided by different agencies through the banks, he added.

KH Chinglen Singh, secretary, SEVA, Manipur said that SEVA was established in the year 1991 of January by a group of social workers with a view to undertake various activities for the welfare of the disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the society.

He appealed to the government of Manipur to implement the land used policy at the earliest or else the farmers will face a major land crisis in the State.

He also mentioned that the State has also seen decline in the number of domestic violence after SEVA had initiated giving assistance to the poor at the lowest interest even lesser than the national banks.

During the function SEVA handed out credit cheques to 50 farmers at low interest rates. The function was graced by K Indramani Singh, deputy general manager, Manipur State Co-operative Bank Ltd, Imphal, K B Engaremba, chairman, North East Biographic Forum as the president and guest of honour.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/proper-ultilisation-of-loan-by-farmers-highlighted/

IMPHAL, Dec 8: A team of Imphal West District Police commando unit arrested an active member of URF (Lalheiba faction) namely Thounoujam Ingocha Singh alias Tayai, 45, son of (L) Th Manglemjao Singh of Koutruk Khunou from his residence on December 8, said a PRO Police statemet.

On his disclosure, three AK 56 rifles along with three magazines and 90 rounds of AK ammunitions were seized from his courtyard, it said.

Further investigation led to the arrest of another sympathizer/harbourer of the outfit, it said before identifying the sympathizer as Thounoujam Chaoba Singh , 46, of Koutruk Khunou at present staying at Koutruk Ching Leikai from his residence.

Chaoba is the elder brother of the first individual arrested it said.

It continued that further investigation led to the arrest of Nungleipam Joy, 31, son of N Kukra of Koutruk Khunou, an auto driver, who transported the arms and ammunition was also arrested from his residence.

A case has been registered at Lamsang Police Station and investigation is going on, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/urf-cadre-held-arms-seized/

LAMKA, December 9: A 35 year old resident of Masemjang Village was found dead and buried under a haystack at a paddy field near Gothol Village last night.

Police had picked up the body around 9pm yesterday and deposited the same at the Churachandpur District Hospital. Meanwhile family members are suspecting that she was raped before being murdered although it is yet to be confirmed.

Post mortem examination was conducted this morning at the RIMS and later the dead body was handed over to the family.

The woman has been identified as Ngahneilam Haokip, 35 daughter of (L) Sithang Haokip.

It is also learnt that the woman was married to a person identified only as Khumei of Kwakta but was staying at Masemjang Village.

Meanwhile the Kuki Student Organisation and the Kuki Women Human Rights Organisation, KWHRO has called a bandh since 5 this morning at Tuibang area upto the district boundary at Kangvai against the incident. Volunteers armed with sticks and stone were seen enforcing the bandh.

Meanwhile, a KSO functionary said they will continue to agitations until the culprit including the husband and another person, with whom she was last seen alive, are arrested.

Sources also said that the two including the husband are absconding at the moment.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/woman-found-dead-and-buried-under-haystack-bandh-called-in-ccpur-locality/

By Alex Guite

LAMKA, December 8: The serious concern raised by Churachandpur district`™s obsession, rather romance, with speed breakers comes to the fore only when there are reports of casualties caused during accidents because of them. Nevertheless it remains a concern with the rapidly rising number of vehicle in the district.

Although accurate statics is not available at the moment, there are supposedly more than 500 speed breakers in Lamka town alone with the number rising.

Above the safety concern, these traffic stoppers which resemble boulders being placed on the road are responsible for unnecessary fuel consumption as vehicles have to slow down and shift gears. Most speed breakers are unidentifiable to the naked eye as there are no markings to indicate them, although it should be as part of safety measures.

Many, but not all speed breakers in the town are placed near schools for the safety to students crossing the roads, and other places of choice.

However, there are still many which are placed at the whims of some individuals which remain unexplained and on many instances have been detrimental to safety of motorists as they are neither marked nor constructed according to specifications which indicate that the wide of such speed breakers should be proportionate to the height of the speed beaker.

It is also pertinent to mention that the concerned departments `“ Transport, district, contractors, etc. seem to be passing the buck to one another regarding the responsibility to regulate the safety specifications in the construction of such speed breakers. At the same time no one seems to mind that it is in fact illegal to construct such speed breakers along national highways. Speed breakers are also not permitted even on regular roads without the permission of the concern district magistrate.

As was reported earlier by this same correspondent, speed breakers are being used as a status symbol in the town today.

This is an unwanted and a dangerous trend and creates much disruption to ambulances and other public services which have to move fast.

Passenger auto-rickshaw drivers have also complained much against the unnecessary constructing speed breakers. One such driver plying through Zomi Colony said there are minimum seven speed breakers along his route.

Surprisingly the chief of Zomi Colony on getting a complaint about the speed breakers, had allegedly said if you are not comfortable with our speed breaker don`t ride in our locality.

However, the obsession of the colony with the speed breakers is not an isolated case in the district.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/ccpurs-obsession-with-speedbreakers-a-concern-for-the-public/

IMPHAL, December 7: `The man accused of raping my daughter is out on bail creating a fear psychosis not only in my family but the neighbourhood of Khurai Kongpal,` Thoibi (name changed) told a team of the Women Action for Development and media today.

`My daughter is differently abled and 80 percent mentally retarded,` she said showing medical reports of the young girl.

The WAD team accompanied by media persons had visited two families of alleged rape victims today including Thoibi`™s family as part of its International Fortnight observation protesting Violence Against Women. However, in both cases the mothers of the alleged victims who are both minors have claimed that the accused were out on bail.

According to Thoibi, on September 27, 2011, her daughter who was just 11 years old then, was raped by a neighbour identified as Thokchom Bhogey, 30 son of Th Rupachandra taking advantage of her disability.

The incident happened when they were out to attend to personal duties, she said.

A case was registered at the Porompat PS after FIR No 339 (11) U/S 376 IPC was taken up, she said.

Although her daughter has been provided a financial support of Rs 70000 and other and support services by the State Social Welfare department, the accused has somehow managed to get out on bail she asserted.

The presence of the accused in the locality has triggered a situation of insecurity among the womenfolk of the neighbourhood she said.

At the same time, other family members joined the mother in appealing to the concerned authorities to look into their case and punish the accused according to the land of the law.

In another visit, another mother said her minor daughter was raped by their 52-years old houseowner while they were attending to their shop in March 2014.

Speaking to the team at the residence of an acquaintance, the mother said her four-years-old daughter was raped by 52-years-old Laishram Bijoy son of (L) L Gambhir Singh of Pangei Bazaar.

She said they were staying in the rent of Bijoy and running a grocery shop when the incident occurred.

On March 26, 2014, her daughter was playing in their backyard, and she was attending to the shop which was getting busier than usual when the incident happened she said.

Afraid of the incident, the girl failed to inform the family, but when her pain became unbearable after two days of the said incident, she was taken to the RIMS for treatment and during medical examination, found she had been violated, the mother told.

However, unable to identify the culprit at first, they remained silent, but after learning that it was Bijoy who committed the heinous crime, they charged him at which he admitted committing the crime she said.

Meanwhile, Bijoy`™s wife had offered the family any amount of money they desired and the shop to keep them quiet, but the family didn`t accept and reported the incident to the Heingang Police, she said.

A case was registered under FIR No 35(4) 2014 U/s 376 IPC and under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, POCSO Act, 2012, she said.

As in the previous reported case, the mother in this case also lamented that the accused is out on bail.

She said her daughter is yet to be delivered justice and appealed to the concerned authorities to punish the culprit.

Awarding bail to such accused could only mean harm to the society, she asserted.

Meanwhile, it is learnt from the Heingang Police that charge-sheet No 13 was framed against the accused on July 30, 2014 but yet to be submitted due to some defects in the report.

It is also informed that the charge-sheet will soon be submitted after rectifying the defects in the report.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/mothers-of-rape-survivors-bemoan-release-of-accused-on-bail/