Day: August 30, 2013

Imphal, Aug 30 UNA : While the sixth round of tripartite talks between the United Naga Council (UNC), the Union government and the government of
Manipur slated in New Delhi, Hill People Forum (HPF), a recently formed tribal body ruled out possibilities of separate administrative units for Nagas or Kukis.
(HPF-M) today convened a political awareness campaign at Rengkai community hall in Churachandpur district.
Speakers on the occasions spoke in dept about the possible outcome of the trilateral talk as well as the demand of the UNC over the proposed Naga inhabited area.
A speaker on the occasion K Guite blamed the British regime who had ruled the state for over half a century, for all the present day chaos and uncertainty. He said the UNC’s proposed map could not be accepted by the Kuki people as many of the area still belongs to the Kuki and other tribes. He also said the demand for a separate Kuki state is not viable as the demand was motivated by SoO signatories.
Chairman of Zomi Council LB Sona who had been invited on the occasion said that the ZC leadership had on many occasion urged the government for granting of more autonomy to the hills people. He said that the demands cannot be pressed effectively as the hill people do not have a common platform.
‘’ If we at the hills are united the Govt is ready to talk to us and for this the need of the hour is a common platform”, Sona said.
Dr john Pulamte said, ‘’ it’s always not possible to have a common route for the diverse community but the aim is the same in the hills which is an autonomy for the hill area’’.
On the other hand with the demand for autonomy the love for valley people of the territorial integrity will not also shattered, added another speaker K Guite.
Chairperson of the HPF-M R Sanga said, ”There is awareness in the intellectual circle of the hills people in Manipur for the creation of Autonomous Hills State in Manipur but at the grass root level its as good as nill and this will be where the HPF will be working”.
He continued that the aim of the new forum is also to protect the right of the indigenous tribal, to protect their rights over land, to strive for autonomy of the hill area and said that to enforce this, all the like minded people and group in any district of the hills are welcome to join the forum.
Vice -chairman of HPF-M, VC Moia said, “We as a tribal and hill people of Manipur are having a misfortune which is “lack of unity”, that had been the product of our past politicians.”

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/no-separate-units-for-naga-kuki/

TAMENGLONG, August 30 NNN : The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) paid glowing tributes to the “martyr” Haipou Jadonang Malangmei, a veteran freedom fighter and the icon of “Naga Raj” struggle yesterday at its ‘general hq’ Dilung.
According to ZUF, the outfit’s ‘chief of army’ Jianchui Kamei and the ZUF and its armed wing Zeliangrong Tigers Force (ZTF) cadres were present in full strength along with invitees.
The ZUF ‘central council’ in the full composition also observed the 82nd Death Anniversary of Haipou Jadonnang Malangmei, the “martyr of Naga Independence” as graced by ZUF “home secretary” Benjamin Pamei.
According to ZUF inf sec y A Dangmei, the lecture on ‘Zeliangrong Vanguard’ was organised at the outfit’s general headquarters.
On the occasion, the speech of the outfit’s chairman with special reference to the “examplary martyrdom” of Haipou Jadonnang Malangmei.Benjamin Pamei, the outfit’s ‘home secretary’ emphasized on the occasion the Zeliangrong peoples’ need to protect the ‘Zeliangrong land’, the people and culture to meet the present challenges in this fast moving world.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zuf-pays-tribute-to-jadonang/

IMPHAL, August 30 NNN: Anguished over Manipur Government’s negative response on its series of demands, the All Tribal Disabled Students’ Union (ATDSU) has on Friday announced to call for a 72-hour bandh in the hill districts of Manipur from September 8-11 as the August 30 dateline set by the union to the Government ended.
KG Khamgonglung, information and publicity secretary, ATDSU said that
the union will impose a 72-hour bandh in the five hill districts of Manipur from midnight of September 8 to September 11 midnight.
It said the Government is not responding to the union’s legitimate demands that prompted it to take up the agitation.
Due to lack of education, the tribal disabled people are unable to claim their rightful job quota in the Government establishments and these post vacancies have remained filled up by general candidates, it accused.
ADTSU had also on July 19 last sought an appointment from Social Welfare minister for discussion on its demands, but no positive response has been given till date, it said.
It has urged the state Social Welfare minister to realize the decentralization of the authority for issue of disability certificates and to set up a special school with hostel facility for tribal disabled students in one of the hill districts in the state, the union added.
It said that physically challenged persons are first examined and treated at J (JNIMS)and then related medical documents are submitted to the office of the Social Welfare which issues disability certificates to them after taking about four months time in the process.
This procedure adopted by the state Government has denied disability certificates to more than 70 percent disabled persons residing in far flung areas .

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/atdsu-calls-72-hr-bandh/

IMPHAL, August 30 NNN : Border trade of the Indo-Myanmar has not been benefitting the traders as expected because the 1995 trade agreement is quite primitive in nature. Another negativity of the border trade is that the food items that come from Myanmar to India are also not been checked whether they are fit for consumption in want of laboratories to test the food items. The luke-warm border trading has been due to the lack of knowledge in trade by the local people.
These were deliberated during the 18th Foundation Day celebration of the Indo-Myanmar Border Trade Union (IMBTU) held at Manipur Press Club in Imphal today.
All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) president W. Shamjai while speaking on the occasion pointed out that food items coming to India from Myanmar side through the border town Moreh need to have a laboratory test to see if these food items are safe for consumption.
“However, this cannot be done now as there is not a single laboratory for such task,” rued the senior journalist while Manipur commerce and industries minister Govindas Konthoujam assured that a laboratory only to test the food items coming to India through Moreh be set up by next year.
It said the above packaged food items are reportedly imported from Myanmar for selling in Manipur without labelling and import license and without indicating the name of the manufacturer, batch number, date of expiry.
Such imported food items are selling in the state in violation of Section 23 & 25 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and Regulation No-22 of the Food and Standards (packaging & Labelling) Regulation, 2011, the order said.
Meanwhile, in today’s function, speaking as the chief guest, minister Govindas Konthoujam said due to the primitive nature of the 1995 border trade agreement, the traders are not getting benefits as expected. The minister mooted to modify the agreement to cope with the fast changing business scenerio in the South Asian countries impacted by India’s Look East Policy.
Prof N Mohendro suggested for the awareness campaigns both in the hills and in the valley districts injecting the people the knowledge of the border trade.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/border-trade-not-progressing/