Manipur News

IMPHAL, October 19: The Manipur People`™s Party observed during the Hiyanglam by-poll that there is a direct correlation between the amount of money spent by a party and its chances of winning the by-poll, party president Nongmeikapam Sovakiran told media persons.

Speaking in a press meet at the party`™s office today, he said it was of the firm belief of the party that the people of Hiyanglam constituency have faith in regionalism.

However, money power and muscle power managed to influence the people of the constituency during the recent by-poll, he lamented.

He said it is sad that a person stealing a small item is perceived a thief and a criminal, while those who loot the State exchequer in terms of millions are considered leaders.

Alleging the Congress of distributing money to Hiyanglam voters, Sovakiran alleged that the loots from the State exchequer were used by the Congress MLAs and ministers to lure the voters of Hiyanglam.

At the same time, national projects and other important schemes undertaken in the State remained incomplete and neglected for long periods due to lack of fund which have been already siphoned off, he berated.

In such a situation, the future of the State is dim, he expressed concern.

Coming back to the Hiyanglam by-poll, he said the Congress split up the 34 polling stations in the constituency among its 47 MLAs.

There were also stations which were under the watch of two MLAs during the entire by-poll process, he claimed.

If the government was foresighted and considerate enough to divide the entire length of the National Highway 37 for repairing among the 47 MLAs the way it did the Hiyanglam polling stations, the condition of the highway would have been much better, he said.

The entire length of the highway is just about 225 km and if it is divided among the 47 MLAs, each will get only about 4-5 km highway stretch for maintenance, he said.

But unfortunately, the government is not that farsighted, he claimed before adding that it was more interested in the Hiyanglam by-poll rather than get involved with such projects.

Sovakiran also observed that his party had some weaknesses going into the Hiyanglam by-poll.

He regretted his inability to bring the senior leaders of the party to campaign for the by-poll.

Now, that the weaknesses of the party have been ascertained, MPP is hoping to look ahead and bounce back strongly with a vision for the 2017 general election, he said.

Party vice president Ojit said it is unfortunate that the culture of corruption and buying votes during elections is still prevalent, despite of the ECI`™s efforts and strong guidelines for the conduct of a free and fair election.

He further condemned the reported racial attacks on people of the region in other States of the country and urged the Chief Ministers of the region to pressure the Centre to intervene.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/money-power-directly-correlated-to-winning-hiyanglam-bypoll-mpp/

IMPHAL, Oct 19: `In order to prevent violent crimes in Imphal Municipal area committed by insurgents who are frequently indulging in extortions, kidnappings and bomb blasts, the Police department has put in place an elaborate Action Plan covering the seven Assembly segments under Imphal East and Imphal West districts,` said State DGP Shahid Ahmad during the 123rd Manipur Police Raising Day Parade ceremony today.

The areas under the Action Plan have been divided into zones and sectors and altogether as many as 105 duty points are being manned round the clock, he said.

About 2500 police personnel have been deployed for effective implementation of the Action Plan, he said before continuing that the plan, which has been in effect for the last few months, has greatly helped in checking the movement and subversive activities of the insurgents and has been successful in instilling a sense of security in the public.

Counter-insurgency operations alone cannot permanently solve the problem of insurgency and militancy in the State, he said before thanking the government for initiating the policy of inviting various UG groups to either surrender or enter into Suspension of Operations agreements as a prelude to negotiations and rehabilitation.

The State DGP also said that the number of UG groups who have come forward to rejoin the mainstream during the last few years is encouraging and about 3000 cadres already joining the mainstream.

He also recounted a brief history of the State police and said on October 19, 1892, Manipur Police originated with the raising of a small force with a strength of just 463 and called the State Military Police under the command of the-then political agent Crawford.

He said this become the 1st Bn Manipur Rifles.

`It was indeed a humble beginning for the State Police which is now considered one of the best police forces in the country and has a sanctioned strength of about 33000,` he observed.

The department is extremely grateful to the government which has despite constraints taken various steps for development and modernization of the force especially during last 10 years he said.

Radical development of the force has taken place not only in terms of numerical strength but also in terms of modernization- both in respect of equipment and training as well as orientation, the Police chief elaborated.

He also said that with an average yearly arrest of more than 1000 insurgents and recovery of about 500 weapons, the State police force is now in a position to handle not only insurgency but also other crimes and law and order problems.

Recently, the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a MHA sponsored project was launch by Manipur Police, he said before adding that with the help of this system, criminal records of one police station will be accessible to all the police stations in the country.

During the last one year itself investigate 3500 cases and finalized and the performance may be improve if the FSL, Manipur is strengthened by filling up all the vacant posts he said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/action-plan-in-place-to-check-insurgency-dgp/

IMPHAL, October 19: Unidentified persons fired at a loaded truck near Kambiron along the National Highway 37 in Tamenglong district injuring a handyman yesterday evening.

The handyman identified as Konjengbam Roshan alias Phairenjao Singh, 30, son of K Tombi Singh of Khurai Konsam Leikai was hit by a bullet on his right arm while another scratch his right calf.

According to driver Laishram Jemson, 31, son of Boboi Singh of Khurai heikrumakhong, he was driving the truck bearing registration number MN 03/T 1101 from Phularthol carrying cement.

He said there were three of them and identified the third person travelling with them as another driver Budha from Jiribam.

He said just after passing Kambiron while moving towards Imphal they were fired upon from the left side from the hills.

A bullet pierced the windshield; and two more hit the handyman who was travelling with the doors open as it was hot, he said before adding that they had heard at least four gun shots.

As soon as they were fired upon he drove fast towards the Nungba post of the CRPF, where the injured Roshan was provided first aid, he continued.

However due to excessive bleeding, they hired a DI Tata and rushed him to RIMS, the driver continued.

They reached RIMS past midnight, he said but Roshan was again shifted to Catholic Medical Hospital for further treatment.

The truck belongs to S Somorjit Singh of Khurai Salanthong.

A case has been registered with the Nungba Police Station. Further details are awaited.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/truck-fired-at-handyman-injured-along-nh-37/

By Oken Jeet Sandham
Of late, there have been criticisms against the remarks made by Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang with regard to the chronic Assam-Nagaland border issues. The Chief Minister seemingly stated that Nagaland lacked documents to settle its protracted border row with neighboring Assam. His remarks soon drew flaks from various quarters.
In fact, soon after Zeliang`™s remarks came up, the Assam media jumped over it and generated fair amount of news vindicating their claims, while many Nagas termed his controversial remarks as capitulating.

The inability to resolve the border row between Assam and Nagaland over the years had cost hundreds of innocent lives, while the relationship between the two has been worsening and people living in either side of the borders feel insecure. The two Governments have miserably failed to instill a sense of security into the minds of their citizens living along the border areas.
As they kept dragging on the border problems with no solution at sight, the issues became more compounded for the simple fact that over the years, outsiders and illegal immigrants kept deluging in these vast border areas. Most of them are not indigenous people. Yet the Assam administration has allegedly provided these people with necessary papers making them as bonafide citizens of their State. This move has literally made Nagaland administration handicapped.
Comments and remarks by many Naga leaders including senior politicians after every unfortunate border clash have also become ritual because they would continue to insist on not holding talks with people living in Assam border. These people, they explained, were not real Assamese people.
Strangely, whenever such issues arose, the real Assamese people or any of their civil societies did not react. Their silence emboldened these people living in Assam border areas to go robust against Nagas living in Nagaland border areas.
Again, when there were any casualties due to border violence, the Assam Government would hurriedly announce ex-gratia for those who died in the unfortunate border clashes and also the injured. One such announcement was recently made by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi when he visited affected villages in the border areas under Golaghat district of Assam bordering Nagaland`™s Wokha district. Such move on the part of Assam is also a clear manifestation that whosoever living in Assam border areas are bonafide citizens of her state.
Looking at these prevailing peculiarities, can anyone confidently ask as to whether our attempts to justify the non-indigenous status of these people living in their (Assam) border areas carry any weight? Not at all, because the real Assamese people or for that matter the Government of Assam have silently accepted that these people are theirs.
It is worth mentioning that in July 1960, an Naga People`™s Convention (NPC) delegation submitted a 16-Point Memorandum to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reiterating the Nagas`™ claim over the areas which they said were excluded from the erstwhile Naga Hills district by the British government in 1898, 1901 and 1918. The negotiations between the NPC and the Center led to the formation of Nagaland State in 1963.
Unfortunately, according to sources, the boundary dispute started in 1963 following the creation of Nagaland as the 16th State of the Indian Union. Assam insisted on retaining the constitutional boundaries that are defined by the 1962 State of Nagaland Act. It further explained that the boundaries of Nagaland comprise two units `“ the Naga Hills district of Assam created in 1866, whose boundaries were defined in precise terms through a notification of 1925, and the Tuensang areas as per the Naga Hills-Tuensang Areas Act, 1957. However, Nagaland insists on the restoration of the historical boundaries and demands re-transfer of 12,882 square kilometers of Assam`™s land to Nagaland on the ground that the colonial government excluded these Naga areas from the erstwhile Naga Hills district `without the knowledge and much less the consent of the Nagas.`
An official account of the boundary dispute brought out by the Assam government in 1985, titled `Facts About The Assam-Nagaland Border` however, stated: Absolutely no commitment whatsoever was made to the Naga leaders in the 16-Point Agreement in respect of the reserved Forests falling within Assam according to

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/public-consultation-on-assamnagaland-border-issues-needed/

IMPHAL, October 19: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has assured to either review or withdraw the Govindaji Temple board (Third Amendment) Bill in the next Assembly session.

He gave the assurance to the volunteers of Umanglai KANBA Apunba Lup in the annual conference on Umanglai Haraoba `Mera Meephamgee Paojel` held at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen. The conference was organised by (UKAL).

Ibobi further appealed UKAL to present a proposal which is legally acceptable to the State government.

UKAL takes a vital role in protecting and preserving our rituals. If UKAL is included under the Art and Culture department or has a directorate of its own then various schemes or provisions can be provided for the welfare of UKAL, he said.

He further assured that even if the bill was passed in the last budget session, it is yet to receive the assent from the Governor after the government requested him to keep the bill on hold.

Ibobi elaborated that the State government will not act against public opinion or hurt their sentiments.

He clarified that the controversy erupted after the bill was passed due to the misconception that Umamanglai worshippers need to take permission from the Govindaji Temple Board for performing rituals.

The bill will not affect worshipping Umanglai because the Moirang Thangjing or Nambol Umanglai celebrations have never taken permission from the Govindaji Temple Board till date, he said.

Now, the bill has become a big issue in the State so the government is considering repealing or withdrawing it in the next assembly session, he assures.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/cm-assures-review-of-controversial-temple-board-bill/