Manipur News

DIMAPUR, July 4 NNN: Four more children from Manipur that include three girls aged 8, 12, 19 and one 15 year old boy were rescued from the ‘home’ of one Rajkumari Ronica Robinson in Jaipur, a former friend of Jacob John, where they were being exploited and kept as a domestic servitude. FXB Surakha India rescued those four children and following that two members of Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) went to Jaipur to provide psycho-social support and to counsel the children.
In March this year, 51 children were rescued from the children homes run by Jacob John in Jaipur.
Meanwhile, Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) informed Newmai News Network that three children hail from Alang village and one from Pungba Khunou who is the senior-most among them.
According to the senior most rescued girl, she would supervise the chores in the house of Ms. Robinson. The 19 years old girl said, she first came to Jaipur in the year 2000 and stayed at the Grace Home, an alleged shelter for children which was run by Jacob John, who was arrested after 51 children were rescued from the ‘homes’ this March.
One of the girls who is 12 years old revealed during the counseling that they were ill-treated and physically abused. The 12 years old girl and 8 years old girl said they were brought to Jaipur by one Mr. Anem from Ukhrul district of Manipur, whose sister is married to Jacob John’s brother. They were all brought to Jaipur for free quality education.
Ms Robinson had rented out to Jacob John from where he was running the Grace Home but they had some altercation over some issues and the two parted ways according to the children. “It is a mystery to us how they were moved from Grace Home to Ms. Robinson Home,” the rescued children added.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/four-children-rescued/

New Delhi, July 4 (ANI): Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said those guilty of carrying out the alleged fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan should be punished.
“Facts are facts. Guilty should be punished,” he told the media here, when asked about the CBI’s submission to the court in this case.
The Union Home Minister’s comment assumes importance as the Ministry of Home Ministry officials have been maintaining that there was not enough evidence against Intelligence
Bureau Special Director Rajendra Kumar and three others in the alleged fake encounter case.
The Home Ministry has been maintaining that CBI does not have enough evidence to prosecute Rajendra Kumar in the alleged fake encounter case.
The CBI has said that the Ishrat Jahan encounter was fake. The investigating agency, which yesterday filed a chargesheet in the case, contended that the encounter was a joint operation between Gujarat Police and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, SIB.
The CBI further said that charges have been established against ADGP PP Pandey, suspended police officers DG Vanzara, GL Singhal, Tarun Barot, NK Amin, Anaju Chaudhary and JG Parmar.
The CBI also said that investigation is on against Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau Rajinder Kumar and four officers of the agency. According to the chargesheet, Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist, but the three others killed along with her had alleged terror links.
No political leader has been named in the CBI chargesheet.
Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old college girl from Mumbai, was killed in an encounter along with three others on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in 2004.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/guilty-should-be-punished-in-ishrat-jahan-case-shinde/

AIZAWL, July 4 NNN: Even as the present terms of Suspension of Operation (SoO) between the Hmar Peoples Concention-Democratic (HPC-D) and the government ends in July, peace-talks between Mizoram Government and Hmar Peoples Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) will be resumed on July 18.
Lalbiakzama, Joint Secretary, Home Department of Mizoram disclosed this information.
Continuation of Suspension of Operation which requires extension by July end, is likely to be the main agenda of the talks.
The last meeting between the HPC-D and the government was held in April.
It worth mentioning here that for the first time on February 9, 2011 the Suspension of Operation’ (SoO) was signed betwen the two parties for six months. However, after signing the earlier SoO, the relation between the HPC-D and the Mizoram government experienced a rough weather. In view of that, the SoO was never extended again even after the lapse of the six month period.
Since 1986, the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) has been demanding for the creation of Hmar Autonomous District in Mizoram. In spite of the Peace Accord that was inked between the Government of Mizoram and the HPC, there was no concrete solution to address and redress the rights of the Hmar People. “As a result, the HPC (D) has been continuous the same demand in Mizoram to redress the historical and political injustices. Acknowledging the matter, the Centre (Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India) has been pressurising the Government of Mizoram to settle the political issues of the Hmars immediately. Following this and to pursue the unfinished agenda, the Government of Mizoram and the HPC (D) signed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) on November 11, 2010 for a period of six months. The SoO document was signed by Lalropui, Army Chief HPC (D) and the Home Secretary Shri. Lalmalsawma, Government of Mizoram,” HPC-D leader L Sangma Hmar had stated sometime in last October.
The Hmar outfit leader had then alleged that the Government of Mizoram had failed to nurture the peace process with seriousness, which resulted in derailing the hard earned peace process.
Taking note of this, the Centre (Ministry of Home Affairs) continued to pressurise the Government of Mizoram to settle the Hmar political problems. The government of Mizoram digressed from peaceful approach and acted untowardly when the HPC (D) on the other hand, is made to engage in finding the channels for political dialogue with All Party Leaders of Mizoram, he stated. While handing out the carrot, the Government of Mizoram arrested the HPC (D) Army Chief Lalropui and Deputy Army Chief Lalbiaknung from Silchar airport on June 16, 2012 by the Mizoram police. Similarly HPC (D) Chairman Zosangber was again arrested from Delhi Airport by the Mizoram police when he was on his way to meet officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Government of Mizoram has severely failed to respect the peace process that has seemingly built, the HPC-D had rued.
In the context of Manipur, the HPC (D) political interest is collectively shared with the United People’s Front (UPF), currently under SoO with the Government of India and the Government of Manipur. The UPF demands for an Autonomous Hill States within the state of Manipur. The HPC (D) did not sign the SoO documents in Manipur alone but as UPF, the document is collectively shared and signed along with the UPF members: KNF, KRA (U), UKLF, ZDV and ZRA. The HPC (D) has its designated Camp in Ankhasuo with ninety four (94) cadres enlisted. In Manipur, the HPC (D) will continue to abide by the goals shared within the UPF.
“The HPC (D)’s goals and objectives are independent in all its respective context and is free from the other. The SoO terms and conditions in Manipur, has no validity in other States. Therefore, the HPC (D) Manipur Region is not answerable for the HPC (D) of other regions/States as the HPC (D) Manipur Region is particularly confined in Manipur under UPF,” L Sanga Hmar had also stated.
For all time to come, the HPC (D) Manipur Region as signatory of SoO in Manipur cannot be made responsible or related to any acts of the HPC (D) of other regions, L Sanga Hmar had added.
According to HPC-D leader, after India gained independence, the Hmar peoples are fragmented by different political boundaries, without their consent, and are compelled to negotiate political marginalisation in their respective states – Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. This historical and political subjugation have severely reduced our political entity, distancing us from securing our constitutional rights, stated L Sanga Hmar who is one of the members, Joint Monitoring Group of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) Agreement between the Government of Manipur and the Government of India Hmar People’s Convention-Democratic (HPC -D).
HPC-D leader L Sanga Hmar had also said last year that the urgent need to realise ‘our constitutional rights to redress our dignity’ as peoples has been the driving force behind the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) objective to demand for ‘Autonomous District Council’ for the Hmar peoples in Assam, Manipur and Mizoram under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
In the pursuit of securing this end, the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) – Assam Region, has also initiated a political dialogue involving the Government of India and the Government of Assam after laying down arms by 56 cadres of HPC (D) which was hosted by the Government of Assam in the presence of the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram at Guwahati on January 24, 2012. The first round of talks of the HPC (D) delegates – Government of Assam – the Central Government was held on September 27, 2012, Sanga Hmar had disclosed.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/hmar-peace-talk-on-july-18/