Editor – Page 6 – Manipur News

Key issues missing in run up to polls Sidelining important posers

Creation of seven new districts. The ongoing economic blockade. These two issues will undoubtedly impact on the coming Assembly election and it is a tragedy that other issues which should be there on the agenda of the people will be pushed to the sideline. No doubt the creation of the seven new districts and the ongoing economic blockade have severely impacted on the lives of the common people, but how about the other agenda ? Aren’t there other issues which too have been equally, if not more, affecting the lives of the common people ?

Date with RN Ravi on January 20 Questioning the silence of Delhi

Date with interlocutor to the Naga peace talk RN Ravi on January 20. Delhi and Imphal still not actively pursuing the possibility of holding a tripartite talk to end the ongoing economic blockade, enforced by the United Naga Council since midnight of O…

Incomplete idea of India as a Nation Need to do more than Act East

Prove your Nationality in your own country. Sounds ludicrous, but this is exactly what happened when a group of students from Central Agriculture University, Imphal went to see the Taj Mahal at Agra a few days back. If the issue was not so serious, this would have surely elicited guffaws from all over and this is something which people from the North East region of India have had to face for decades.

Pulling up sleeves before election Leadership question before polls

Definitely the present is interesting. So while the United Naga Council and other Naga civil society organisations are at the forefront in cutting off the lifelines of the State, the two principal political parties, the Congress and the BJP, have been …

From goods laden trucks to passenger buses Turning into an ugly reality

From goods laden trucks to passenger vehicles. This is how the ongoing economic blockade has morphed. So from targeting goods laden trucks it turned to passenger vehicles, particularly in the counter-economic blockade imposed at different sections of the valley area and it exploded in all its ugliness on December 18 last year when a good number of passenger vehicles were set ablaze along the Imphal-Ukhrul road and the belongings of many passengers were burnt and destroyed. The seeds of the December 18 incident were sown a long time back when the United Naga Council began the indefinite economic blockade from midnight of October 31. And before the ugly incident of December 18, there were incidents of vehicles being targeted at Khumbong in the valley area in the course of the counter economic blockade. The indefinite economic blockade from midnight of October 31 gave way to the December 18 incident and in a clear case of tit for tat, another passenger bus which used to ply between Imphal and Senapati district headquarters was torched at Taphou Naga village by suspected blockade supporters.

Recalling the Oja in Prof Kamei A teacher beyond the classroom

The only thing certain in life is death and in as much as death is a certainty, it is uncertain when death will come knocking at one’s door. Professor Gangmumei Kamei is no more. And while the late Professor was not in the best of health lately, the news of his death must have caught quite a lot of people by surprise. But life goes on and while The Sangai Express is certainly not an expert on the late man or competent enough to dwell on his life and work, this commentary may be taken as a simple act of doffing our hat to a well known personality. To many he was Oja. It was with a sense of reverence and respect that this term was used while referring to the late Professor and it will continue to be.

Deeply polarised vote ahead Two phased election

Two phased election. One on March 4 and the second on March 8. Would be foolhardy to read the election tea leaves at this point of time, but definitely Manipur will see a deeply polarised voting pattern when the voters hit the button on the EVMs in the…

Last and first working day Looking back at last year

31st December. The last working day in a calendar year and while the last day of the year gone by was like any other day, perhaps it would be in line to look back at the year gone by on the first working day of the year, 2nd January of 2017.

Unwittingly strengthening Ibobi Intention defeated

It is definitely not intentional, but by imposing the economic blockade the United Naga Council (UNC) and the NSCN (IM) may be said to have unwittingly given a huge boost to the poll prospects of the Congress and Chief Minister O Ibobi.

Coming out strongly against New Delhi Likely poll impact in Naga areas

The Centre should take due note of the seriousness of the matter. Perhaps this is the first time, after the ceasefire agreement was inked way back in 1999, that the NSCN (IM) has come out strongly against New Delhi and at the core of it all is the creation of seven new districts by the State Government, the decision of the Centre to send in additional troops to the State to ensure the free flow of goods laden trucks on the National Highways in the face of the ongoing economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the assent given by Governor Dr Najma Heptulla to the creation of the seven new districts.

Politics of economic blockade Dangerous and dirty politics

Manipur is not new to the politics of blockade. If politics is considered a dirty calling by quite a large number of people, nothing can be dirtier and more dangerous than this brand of politics. Manipur has seen enough blockade to understand how dangerous it can be. The present economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council is not an exception and the seeds of divide that this has spawned can be understood in the context of how this has given birth to what is called the counter blockade and how it has gone from targeting goods laden trucks on the National Highways to personal belongings of passengers, best exemplified by what happened on the Imphal-Ukhrul road at Khurai on December 18 and the destruction spree at Khumbong. Something which all those who stand against the idea of Manipur as a social and political entity may want and this is something which no one should forget. The politics that is being played out has now moved from the National Highways with the State Government and the Union Government seemingly at logger heads with one another, a point which is best exemplified by the strongly worded letter written by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Chief Minister O Ibobi a few days back. Law and order is a State subject and it is the duty of the State Government to ensure that the basic amenities reach the people of Manipur, is the line that has been maintained by the Centre. The Union Home Minister topped this off with the claim that the Centre has made available enough Central forces to assist the local forces to keep NH-2 open.

The editorial space is left blank to condemn the planting of a bomb at the office of evening daily news paper Pandam at Waheng Leikai

Veering towards hostile confrontations The bad, ugly and good

More than apparent that the ongoing economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council is more than just an economic blockade and it has veered dangerously close to a hostile confrontation between communities, this time between the Nagas and the Meiteis. And let it be very clear to all that any confrontation between communities will benefit those who are deadly against the existence of a socio-political reality called Manipur.

Switching side from BJP to Congress BJP on slippery ground

Things are certainly not looking good for the State BJP. From a high to a low. This is how the script has turned out for the BJP, even as the next Assembly election is fast approaching.

Civil societies leading the way Goodwill Mission : Voice of sanity

Civil society organisations taking the lead. And this is a welcome change from the venom spewing stance of some, which have spared no words in going hammer and tongs along communal lines. Central to all this is the indefinite economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council since the midnight of October 31 and the counter blockade in the valley. No indication that the economic blockade will be rolled back anytime in the near future, but it is a welcome change to see some civil society organisations leading the way and organising joint meetings such as the all community meet on December 21. A positive indication that despite the venom being spewed all around and the overt and covert communal tones used by some elements which may come under different names, there are still some people who instil confidence in all with their sensible and mature approach to the issue at hand.

Spewing communal venom Need for all to keep sanity

These are trying times and not surprisingly there have emerged a number of civil society organisations spewing venom which have all the potential to pitch fork one community against the other.

Appeals falling on deaf ears From goods to people

There is no indication that the UNC will roll back the economic blockade anytime in the future soon. There is also nothing much to suggest that the counter blockade that has been imposed in different pockets of the valley will be rolled back anytime soon.

Innate goodness of mankind Manipur in flames

Manipur is in flames. Directly affected are the common people. Those responsible for the mess that one sees around are safely ensconced in their own homes and dictating terms to the people under the camouflage of doing something on behalf of the people they claim to represent. So while the high and mighty in the Government are snug and safe, surrounded by well armed security personnel, it is the common people who have been left to fend for themselves.

Read more / Original news source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/innate-goodness-of-mankind-manipur-in-flames/

From Zero Ibobi to Hero Ibobi Boycott to ‘long live Cong’

From Zero Ibobi to Hero Ibobi and certainly Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh seems to have touched the right chord with the people of Kangpokpi. From a party which stood boycotted and condemned today it is “Long live O Ibobi Singh, Long live Congress Government.”

Ambush with a difference Time to stop selective silence

This is not the first time that policemen have been ambushed. More than certain that this will not be the last either. What however sets apart the two attacks on the policemen along Imphal-Moreh stretch of the National Highway is the timing of the atta…

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