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Ningthoujam Irina
It is an accepted premise in theory and practice that `Local Self-Governing Institutions`™ play an important role in effectively running a village or a residential locality. These institutions can be either traditional or modern rational based formal and informal institutions. In addition to the institutions of Panchayati and Municipal Council of local self-government, for Northeast India, the vision document North Eastern Region Vision 2020, acknowledges the presence of a strong tradition of local self-governing institutions in the region through `Traditional Institutions (TI)`™. It is through these institutions that people participate in the democratic governance of their own life by actively engaging in the decision making processes of making choices and implementation of those decisions. In this regard, here is an attempt to review how traditional institutions in Manipur are recognised vis-à-vis the state position in the recently enacted `The Manipur Municipality Community Participation Act, 2010`.

The North Eastern Region Vision 2020 document, consequently, expresses the desirability and the necessity to ensure a harmonious relationship between the constitutional institutions of local governance and the `Traditional Institutions (TI)`™ for better governance of the people and for the region at large. The document also mentioned that `a top-down development planning strategy has not involved people in designing and implementing the strategy and, not surprisingly, the relationship between public spending and service delivery outcomes has been tenuous. The various public investment projects in the region have not yielded commensurate benefits. Lack of people`™s involvement has robbed the system of a sense of belonging and led to inefficient and wasteful resource allocation on the one hand and a lack of social accountability on the other.` That is to say decentralized governance with active participation of the people is an end in itself as it reaffirms the universal value that all men are equal and the right to decide his/her own future lies within the individual self.

Leikai and Leikai club
In the valley areas of Manipur, TIs include various clubs, associations and peoples`™ organizations. Ubiquitous among them is the Leikai Club, the prominence is reflected in the document also when it said that `while designing local planning approaches, care must be taken to harmonise the functions and rights `¦. the Clubs of the Manipur valley`¦. with institutional mechanisms designed for modern development and service delivery.` There are as many clubs as many Leikai (a helmet/locality/Mohallah) in Manipur.

In fact the idea of community is embedded and built in a space of `Leikai`™ with regard to the Meitei community of the Imphal valley. The space of a Leikai is an imagined space. It has a structural and behavioural value which can be understood through its system of kinship, pseudo-kinship, social norms and rituals. This can be seen as a kind of self that is being embedded into a bigger collective. People are bound by social obligation in terms of behaviour obligation and etiquette. A lot of activities right from the rituals of birth to death or any local festival are done with support from the community members. So, it is mandatory to invite or inform the member of the community for every event, that`™s the reason the society, has tradition of `leikai varton chatpa`™.

Further, the interrelationship and cooperation between one another is manifested in the form of many existing traditional institutions of Singllup or the informal micro-credit Marup institution. They play a dominant role in the collective imagination and existence as a Leikai. Though, it appears that present day solidarity has shifted from the core belief of collective existence to a material base or a more individualised economic base solidarity. `Capital as solidarity`™ for the want of a better expression. The foundation of solidarity in Manipur society is the sharing and understanding built through the above collectives. This is the reason why people impose an obligation on the self to go and share the pain and joy of others. A Classic example is the tradition of asi-hangba chatpa. For this people did not need a formal invite or the capital do not determine the sharing of the others world. It is through such sharing that a common world is established that is recognisable to each other.

At the same time, it is also an undeniable reality of our time that the forces of capital and material has started determining our ways of life and renders the society and people to a commodity of the `modern`™ world. Yet, the present day `club`™ since early 1940s`™ has been an evolutionary form of a Leikai collective mechanism to participate in activities of collective goods or to face any crisis collectively in the space of a Leikai. As any organisation has its own history of good, excellent and bad times, Clubs are no stranger to this universal phenomenon. But, they in one way or the other contributes to sports, education, crisis management, local developments etc. in the Leikai. The recognition of their activities has also been registered in State/National administrative reports since Independence.

Manipur Municipality Community Participation Act, 2010
The opportunity of recognising and institutionalising these roles of Leikai Club or any other equally important TIs could have taken place in this recently enacted `Manipur Municipality Community Participation Act, 2010`. But sadly, the enactment of such an Act astonished everyone. This Act has come through `Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)`™, to achieve the United Nation Millennium development Goals (UNMDG) by 2015. In fact, every programme and mission under UNMDG emphasised to achieve the community participation. JNNURM is a programme for the development of urban infrastructure which is funded by the World Bank which demands the enactment and modification of Municipalities Act institutionally and structurally. One of the objectives of the scheme is to assist the select Urban Local Bodies to institutionalize key urban reforms. As a safeguard mechanism one of the proposed stakeholders indentified is the ward development committee to strengthen local governance.

This ward development committee under the `Community Participation Law`™ (CPL) is to be passed within 6 months of the signing of the Memorandum of Association under the Mission and submitting a copy to the Ministry of Urban Development. The states must also abide by and implement some conditionalities including privatization of water and sanitation services, repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act (ULCRA) and implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP).

Manipur is also not immune to this development and `Manipur Municipality Community Participation Act, 2010` was enacted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly. Under the influence of global capital and neo-liberal ideas `“ promotion of particular type of civil society and less role of state and privatization of delivery of services is sought to be promoted. As a party to it Government of Manipur, in the Act, defines Civil Society as
any non-government organization or association or persons, established, constituted, or registered under any law for the time being in force and working for social welfare, and includes any community based organization, professional institution and civic, health educational, social or cultural body or any trade or industrial organization and such other association or body as the state may decide

By defining through an act, Kakchingtabam Naresh in `Democracy and Civil Society: Absence of the sovereign in Northeast` observed that the government has used civil society as an instrumental tool for the production of labour in its relationship between the government and the individuals for the production of a new set of socio-economic relationships. Further, the act disregards the importance of the democratic role that is being played by traditional Institutions in the development and sustenance of a locality or residential area in the Manipuri society. Thus the act doesn`™t include any of the traditional institutions or address the issue of gender inclusiveness. That is to say, the Act is no different from any other government bureaucratic organisation as it mentions the composition of the ward development committee as
a) The Councillor of the ward, who shall be the Chairperson of the Ward Development Committee,
b) Two persons to be elected from the ward,
c) Two persons representing the civil society from the ward, nominated by the state Government.
This has raised basic questions on the democratic character of the committee since it is not mentioned how far is this act of nomination of two persons by the state going to be democratic so do the constitution of ward finance committee and ward information and statistical committee through nomination by the state. Instead of democratization, what the act actually does is bureaucratization by opening a widow for vested interest to operate. It needs to be emphasised again that the very purpose of 73 rd and 74thAmendment is neither administrative decentralisation nor mere devolution but to establish an `institution of self Government` in rural and urban areas. This is even in total inconsistency with the real objectives of achieving community participation of MDGs. Along with this it is a complete unawareness on the proposed recommendations of the vision document North Eastern Region Vision 2020.

In addition, by fixing the responsibility of addressing the grievances of the people on the chairperson, who is a part of the same structure, the act does not address or failed to take into account the mechanisms of accountability by the people in a democratic way. This also raises questions of how the idea of community and participation is conceptualised by the policy maker of the state. Where do the local community stand in the allocation of resources in democratic planning? Are the local community organisations given due space in such exercise of allocation of resources.

Surprisingly, the information of the Manipur Assembly passing the Act came in July last year through a local newspaper. But, in complete disregard to all democratic norms, the government of the day did not consider it worthy to publish in the media to receive people`™s comments and suggestions before passing such an important Act. In contrast, the neighbouring states of Nagaland and Meghalaya, the Act were put in the public domain inviting suggestions and comments. It`™s no wonder that the enactment of the Act was preceded by the suspension of democratically elected or constituted constitutionally mandated public body the Imphal Municipality Council (IMC) that was made redundant by the successive governments of Manipur by not decentralising its constitutionally mandated functions. For example 19 such municipal functions in City Development Plan, such as water supply, urban amenities are not performed by the IMC but by other State departments such as Department of Town Planning, Department of Public Health and Engineering, Department of Fire, Planning and development Authority, etc.

In the state of Meghalaya, though their State Community Participation Act is still being challenged and questioned by the Traditional institution leaders, their ward development committee includes the representatives of Durbar/Council/traditional. Along with this, 3 (three) women either from Seng Kynthei/women organization/ individuals who are the eligible voters of the concerned Ward are also to be nominated by the Government in the Ward Committee. Such is the sensitivity of the state unlike our state Manipur which has active women collectives like Meira Peibies.

Conclusion
Therefore before the state start implementing this ward development committee, every concerned citizen/Local Club executive must think and debate over such behaviour of the state planning and policy making process. The state`™s policy and Act must not be at the cost of our own people and its aspiration. It should be sensitive enough to consider its social and cultural complexities. It is not just the lack of governance but the very act of planning and institutionalising the structural mechanism that is not democratic in nature which will impede translate effective and accountable governance. It is the need of the hour to question the understanding of the political elites of Manipur towards their own citizens while framing such important Acts of the state.
irina.ning@gmail.com

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By: – G.S.Oinam
Rise up! You must listen this time! `ANNA HAZARE, RTI activist from Maharastra, at 78 not fasting to death 4 himself, He is fasting 4 YOUR FUTURE. Will U sit at home and let him die? Take off from Ur office N reaches Jantra Mantra` SMS said. My heart says `god bless you Anna Hazari! Dr. Kiran Bedi, IPS, Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal , champions of anti corruption are the playmakers behind the scene of campaign and civil lok pal bill. No political party members are allowed to meet Anna Hazare. Spiritual leaders like Shri Ravi Sanker, (Arts of living) and yoga guru Swami Ram Dev, Film star Amir Khan are supported the campaign of Anna Hazare! The main slogan is government must implement Civil Lok Pal Bill at the centre and Lok Ayukta at the state. The main argument is that government Lok Pal Bill is protecting politician. And, politician argument is that bill must be drafted by the government and must pass the bill in parliament. Second point is, elected leaders must get the opinion of the voters before drafting Bills. Once you are elected you can not do to your own will; and politician can not say wait for another term to choose your leader! `, Finally, civil society members are allowed to join in drafting Lok Pal bill, Shanti Bhusan will be co-chairman of the drafting bill and the bill will be table on the parliament of the coming monsoon season. It has been proved that effective civil society and young stars can bring a change. This is a great victory of the people after 43 years to free ourselves from the victim of bad system.

The objective is, we don`™t want to demolish the institution. But the system must be change and appropriate in time. Change is a process, mass movement is necessary for a break through and the movement is just beginning. About 98% of the educated youths want corruption free country. Politician must be on the side of the people. What do you feel when people say` hamara neta chor hai` perhaps, some politicians may anger. We know some good people after joining into politics could do nothing and finally indulge in corrupt practices. But it does not mean all politicians are bad. Political party & government, is a team work- must set goal, target, skills and new management skills is necessary. But, they try to defend because they think that anti corruption campaign is a weapon targeting against politicians in the coming election. Finally, `Corruption is a common enemy we must fight together,` Kapil Sibal said. Smt. Sonia Gandhi can speak against corruption. Narendra Modi, CM Gujarat can speak against corruption. Sushma Swaraj can speak against corruption. Why you can`™t speak? To do this, one must nurture the six key dimensions of life`”mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and financial. That is why, an effective law (civil lok pal bill) is necessary or existing anti corruption act is enough to curve out corruption unless our authorities have behavioural problem, attitude and working style problem, and new management skills. Before you speak on welfare of the people, you must improve yourself the knowledge management skills and innovation. This is the missing point of our politician.

Albert Einstein once said that anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new, thus making it clear that mistakes occurred when you try something new or when you try to break the conventional modes and try to achieve to success through new models and thought processes. However, many a times, the mistakes that leaders make are overlooked or neglected and this could hamper the organizational growth, say experts.

Yet, another decade awaits us pregnant with possibilities of next generation leaders, rapid growth of the internet and people across geographies working as a team, the concept of knowledge management has gained momentum in recent years. Today we talk about integration and collaboration of various departments, right? Has our complex, globally integrated world made effective leadership too difficult? Narcissism is one of the major reasons for leadership derailment. What causes failure are arrogance and narcissism.

How does one define star performance? Insightful? A good leader? Highly persuasive? Influential? Some what shrewd? Is the super talented leader who never misses his target considered a star performer? Or the capable team leader who always leads a bunch of happy colleagues a star? Expert says that answer to the above questions is an astounding `yes`! Everyone to work with a star and firms will try constantly to lure the best performers. After all they are always in demand! Example is Anna Hazare, RTI activist!

Communication is the key to solving all major problems; in this case too, it is helpful to communicate clearly with your supervisors as well as colleagues and understand their point of view better. Don`™t shy or embarrassed to ask candid questions. Once you are clear about what`™s expected of you, set goals for the future and create specific action plans that will help you achieve them. These are known as S.M.A.R.T goal, i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound. Leaders sometimes become too conscious about their position and try to make artificial changes to their behaviour. They may become less accessible/ reduce informal interactions with their team to demonstrate leadership.Followers usually see through these changes and they are likely to feel distanced from their leaders or lose respect. Fear of delegation`” some leaders thinks it is easier to complete a task himself/ herself than delegate. But this denies the team member the opportunity to learn, grow and develop. Also, in the process of doing the team`™s jobs, leaders miss out on focusing on their own key deliverables Missing team members`” If a new person is assigned to take over the vacant post, there are many issues to be considered w.r.t.`”work style, attitude and team compatibility. However, if it is the team leader who has moved on, the situation needs special attention. The point to consider is that the team members are used to a particular style of leadership, and hence, the sudden transformation has to be handled in a way that does not affect the productivity of the team as well as the team chemistry. Eureka factor`”Today`™s people demands a conscious, collaborative and coherent approach to drive performance through out of the box thinking. The key element of success for workplace innovation is to create a culture where its employees are creative thinkers willing to be open minded, curious, adventurous and committed to innovation. Negotiation skills: Clearly, negotiating today has become an art. Whatever be the reason, experts say that negotiation at work must be considered as a process to find a solution to a problem in a tactful manner. The best argument in negotiation is triple P`™`”Powerful Past Performance.

Conflict is an unavoidable part of one`™s professional life`”from simple disputes about office facilities to long running executive feuds that threaten to disrupt the entire operation of a business. This process of natural conflict becomes amplified by our ultra competitive society and business environment. If organisations repeatedly fail to manage and resolve such conflict, they risk becoming dysfunctional. Many leaders here tends to put`their heads in the sand` when a conflict arises at senior levels. Their denial can seriously disrupt an organisation`™s team work, trust and communication channels. Leadership is all about learning to deal with ambiguity and finding a middle path. That is where the real challenge lies`”in finding a sustainable solution, which overrides the apparent concerns of an ethical dilemma. And this dilemma can be handled best, if one focuses on the larger horizon and has faith. Every task assigned to your employees is important; however, in order to get the task completed, it is not necessary to always over exaggerate the importance of the same, or rather cry wolf.

The only solution is knowledge management`”means data collection, integration, transmission and finally, knowledge application in time. A knowledge base society will required an effective knowledge management unit. To raise you above the crowd`” you must be proficient in any of the modules of at least one packaged application mentioned`” understanding of business process, blue printing and knowledge of organisation verticals with change management experience. The thing that`™s important to be a member of knowledge base society / organisation is the non stop persuit of perfection. Every achievement will drive to do more. Each milestone pushes to be more. We will thrive on excellence and strive to relentlessly the best in everything we do. It`™s what we live for. And we do this by improving ourselves and our team, our services and products and our society. You can be better than what they already are. So, do you want to be at the top? Or are you ready to settle for the second best?

This philosophy has taken us to the forefront of the new economy and made us the partner of choice for leaders from other stream, across the world. If you have the vision than we`ll give you the mechanism and the growth. The important mechanism of `think globally and act locally` of the Manipur Vision 2020 is knowledge management. And, the only way to bring a change for the better is to lead from the front (leader must initiate and state government has to prepare this first innovative project on knowledge management or ask for consultation). Narendra Modi, CM of Gujarat says `Knowledge will create job and skills will get job`. Basic skills you can get from learning and advance skills will get from experience, expert advice and practices.

Barry Lowenkron, VP of Mac Author foundation, Chicago said `currently, the bulk of development leaders are trained in narrow fields, usually in the social science, such as economics. Master Development Practice (MDP) programmes combine training in the natural science, social science, health science, and management to help practitioners address global challenges such as sustainable development, climate change and extreme poverty. Many people working in the field of development are not sufficiently prepared to tackle the challenges they face.` Right method of resource mobilization providing with sustainable development in Manipur is to flow money to the hand of poor people and how to tape extra incremental surplus income increasing from salary and others sources and where the people spend extra money`”education, housing, cars. Jewellery, property, shopping etc has to be identifying first and prepare than, plan for job creation and a long term resource mobilization plan either owned by state authority or join venture project (PPP) or by private participation etc. which will able to attempt the state to recover from non plan state budgetary deficit and capital accumulation even the state budget goes to growth trajectory san fiscal consolidation. Now, identify where extra money of the people will go to (survey) and prepare a project for resource mobilization. Manipur will require a huge investment on infrastructure.

Service sectors are characterized by the production of services, knowledge assets, and other intangible goods. Some examples of verticals within the services sector are retail, ITES, banking, insurance, telecom, healthcare, leisure and lifestyle, aviation and hospitality. Career standpoint`”Most of the service sectors have come prominence only recently by the virtue of tremendous growth they have experienced in the last decade. This means that they have created the maximum number of job opportunities. Consequently, those who are part of the industry have experienced tremendous career growth.

The problem is, out of 8771 small scale units operating in Manipur (30.86%) are found sick. Out of 79,555 Micro enterprises, 74,402 (93.52) are running without profit. 85% are running without power, and 25% are without own premises. The performance of State Public Undertakings recorded a negative return on investment (ROI). Banking sectors can be visualized broadly with reference to population per bank, credit deposit ratio and per capita credit. According to Assessment Report 2006 of H. Kamalini, SSM Collage of Engineering, population per bank in Manipur is 28,384 as against 8445 of Himachal and all India average of 15,070. One can not expected efficiency of service delivery. Secondly credit deposit ratio (CDR) is only 46% against RBI norm of 60%. In other words, the extent of credit deployment for every unit of resource raised is fairy low. Thirdly, the per capita credit was only rs.693 in Manipur as against Rs. 50, 381 of Chandigarh and Rs. 4,270 of Kerala. What is possibly required at the programme of training on `Banking, Finance, Project planning and Management`. It is therefore not a surprise that the quantum of the direct finance to farmers and small scale units of Manipur was also low. Total Target achievement of credit plans as on 30.09.2010 under ACP 2010-11 is 31% which includes agriculture & allied activities, SSI services, total priority sectors and non priority sectors. Credit flow to agriculture sector as on 30-09-2010 Axis bank(0% to total advance), Allahabad bank (5%), BOB ( 11%),CBI (11%), ICICI (0%),IOB (3%), PSB (3%), UCO(10%) and VJB(5%),Manipur Rural bank(7%), IUCB(1%), MWCB(0%) and MPCB (2%). Banks need to review their performance in this sector. Credit flow to MSME is comparatively poor such as AXIS (21% to total advances), ICICI (0%) and PNB (18%) in the state are required to review their performance in this sector. The member banks had been advised the necessary of the opening of more branches to extend banking facilities to all the unbank villages through the state. So far, no bank have committed to open any branch except SBI which have open two more branches in Ukhrul and Churachandpur.

Recovery is bad, hence, refinance is not possible Initial provision is not found for the same, and hence, refinance is not possible. The spiral of debt-burden stands in the way of taking fuller advance of the refinance market. Major three factors for over dues are lack of incremental income (60%), lack of proper facilities to repay (31%) and willful default (9%). No banking corporate communication office/ officers are sitting at Imphal. A big debate is required for business initiatives and banking awareness to the people and officials as well. By the way, franchise business can be deal mostly non power consumable one `“such as education, branded company products, retails etc. Advantage is that franchise owner are getting business and investment plan, skills training and trade protection by the mother company. Banks has confidence to finance loan to those reputed company business.

If you want world class training institution, we can bring in Manipur anytime. But, the state government has to provide consessional fees for students because training fees is high for world class institution. No matter, we believe that state government is capable to provide consessional fees for student and government is sponsoring students for skills development courses outside state. This is my response to Opposition Leader, Radhabinod Koijam, I. Hemochandra, Speaker, Manipur Legislative Assembly and Bijoy Koijam, Deputy Chairman, Planning Department. And, the credit will be yours, and people will say `This is it`™!

SPF government is very smart–your plan for river projects is not the same as I read engineering management books and my plan for desilation of the Imphal River has maximum utilisation of river water resources such as micro hydro power generation, water absorber plantation, water harvesting for lean season for drinking and irrigation purposes and income generation. Your electricity billing mechanism and tax collection drive will get feedback in the coming state assembly election unless government made correction`”absolutely different from my complete solution on power distribution and transmission management system. My youth programme design is experimentation. So, may I know the feedback of your youth programme, please? Still I am not taking I am giving you ideas even I have no connection, communication and relationship with state government. Any way, we have one common goal, that`™s development `”which is sustainable! Be it today or tomorrow, Imphal will witness `Urban Legends Longing`™!

We can do it, we can create conceptual plan. We can create job if the state government is ready to act. Why don`™t state leaders say Ibungo, Ibema sing, lao leibaksi amukta phahansi lao? Do you think that people will come and request you for the job? It is ridiculous! This is called lack of communication and lack of delegation of functions and power. Nobody will come to help your government unless your attitude and management is changed. State tax is highest in all India; remaining are Farting tax (yongchak charaga moi thokpa singe tax), Lady gaga tax (masak phajabi maunaha erang taubee singe tax), Cabin tax (lovers sitting in restaurant cabin tax). Well, in addition to this, Maiba- maibi tax (witch tax are collected in Romanian government) Dog tax, (all dogs are taxed in Switzerland and Netherland from the dog owner), Virginity tax (German government took virginity tax from 18 yrs old girl who sold her virginity auction), tattoo tax (anybody scratch body for fashion) etc.

Social missing point: There are certain areas women writers must fill up such as women and children problem, life style, relationship etc. Sociologist, psychologist, sexologist and home scientist must took active participate in the discussion. Madhuri Dixit, film actress says `I wan to be a good mother`. To be a good mother and to be a good wife can`™t go together at one time. Mahatma Gandhi`™s greatest disappointment was his loving eldest son Harilal Gandhi and his follower Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Harilal was out caste from Hindu Samaj and converted into Muslim, and despite of his name changed to Abdullah Gandhi, could not changed his bad behaviour and moral (please see the movie `Gandhi, my father`™). One ex MP did send his wife outside state in the time of election because his wife always speaks nonsense to the visiting women workers. She fear and hates any women attach and closer to her MP husband. Finally, her husband`™s political career was declined to finish!

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