Manipur records sudden mercury rise – E-Pao.net

Manipur records sudden mercury riseE-Pao.netImphal, January 04 2015: Unlike in the previous years when Manipur recorded lowest temperatures in the months of December and January, average temperature is yet to drop to its usual level this year. On the c…

Manipur records sudden mercury rise
E-Pao.net
Imphal, January 04 2015: Unlike in the previous years when Manipur recorded lowest temperatures in the months of December and January, average temperature is yet to drop to its usual level this year. On the contrary, mercury rose suddenly since the …

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Discovery of human skulls and skeletal remains at school campus Senior … – The Sangai Express

indiatvnews.comDiscovery of human skulls and skeletal remains at school campus Senior …The Sangai ExpressIMPHAL, Jan 4 : The Senior Citizens for Society, Manipur has made it clear that it would like the Government to set up an enquiry commission and …


indiatvnews.com

Discovery of human skulls and skeletal remains at school campus Senior
The Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Jan 4 : The Senior Citizens for Society, Manipur has made it clear that it would like the Government to set up an enquiry commission and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a thorough investigation into the discovery of eight human skulls
Enquiry demanded for human skulls in ManipurPress Trust of India
Probe demanded into skulls recoveryAssam Tribune

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Manipur records sudden mercury rise – The Sangai Express

The Sangai ExpressManipur records sudden mercury riseThe Sangai ExpressIMPHAL, Jan 4 : Unlike in the previous years when Manipur recorded lowest temperatures in the months of December and January, average temperature is yet to drop to its usual level t…


The Sangai Express

Manipur records sudden mercury rise
The Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Jan 4 : Unlike in the previous years when Manipur recorded lowest temperatures in the months of December and January, average temperature is yet to drop to its usual level this year. On the contrary, mercury rose suddenly since the beginning of …

Read more / Original news source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEjphAFWTxgE-aNSojJ52dP6gqruw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=2rCpVJryAcTZ8AGu0oCoDA&url=http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/page/items/47086/manipur-records-sudden-mercury-rise

Binalakshmi Nepram in Forbes (India) Minds That Matter 2015 List

NEW DELHI, January 4: Binalakshmi Nepram, humanitarian, author and civil rights activist, founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, CAFI and Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace who works to

NEW DELHI, January 4: Binalakshmi Nepram, humanitarian, author and civil rights activist, founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, CAFI and Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace who works to support women survivors of armed violence all across Northeast India has been listed in prestigious Forbes (India) Magazine `Minds That Matter` list for 2015, a press release by Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network said.

The release said Forbes India in their 9 January 2015 issue writes that people like Nepram are `Thinkers who best explain a rapidly-changing India to the world (and the world to India)` and that Nepram was chosen as `She fights racism against people from the North East and says it like it needs to be said in a country with deep geographical and regional prejudices`. In 2014 Nepram along with many from region lead massive non-violent movements in India`™s capital Delhi that forced government of India to set up the Bezbaruah Committee to look into racial discrimination of people from Northeast India.On 3rd January 2015,the recommendations of this committed was adopted by Govt of India

It said Nepram is the only Northeast person included in the list. Many from the region hailed the inclusion of Nepram in Forbes list calling it `a feather in our caps` and a `public recognition of the significance` of Nepram`™s decade long work for peace, disarmament, ending wars and a gender-just society in conflict affected Northeast India,home to South Asia`™s longest running insurgency, the release added.

Binalakshmi Nepram was born in Manipur is a writer, civil rights activist and a humanitarian spearheading work on making women-led disarmament a movement and an issue that is meaningful to people`s lives, the release further said. She is author of four books

In 2003, in order to help thousands of women who are affected by gun violence in her home-state Manipur, Nepram started Manipur Women Gun Survivor Network. She has represented India civil society in various women and disarmament meetings held at United Nations in New York & Geneva. Nepram is recipient of Dalai Lama Foundation`s WISCOMP Scholar of Peace Award,Sean MacBride Peace Prize; CNN IBN Real Heroes Award. In 2013, London based organization Action on Armed Violence named Nepram as `100 most influential people in world working on armed violence reduction`, the release said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/binalakshmi-nepram-in-forbes-india-minds-that-matter-2015-list/

Transporters caution govt ahead of its attempt to shift parking lot for Oil Tankers

IMPHAL, January 4: If the government acts on its decision of shifting the parking lot of all the oil tankers carrying kerosene, petrol and diesel from the Inter-State Bus Terminus

IMPHAL, January 4: If the government acts on its decision of shifting the parking lot of all the oil tankers carrying kerosene, petrol and diesel from the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Khuman Lampak to the campus of the FCS godown at Sangaiporou, it will only add into the traffic woes of Imphal City, a spokesperson of the All Manipur Petroleum Tankers & Drivers`™ Union told IFP.

He said that the recent initiative of the Chief Minister to forcibly shift the parking lot of Oil Tankers from ISBT to Sangaiporou is nothing new as it was earlier attempted by the last government when Pheiroijam Parijat was the FCS minister. However, the last government failed in its endeavour as many issues cropped up while enforcing its plan, he added.

Continuing that the heavy vehicular traffic on the Tiddim Road aside it is also located on the Airport road, he pointed out that possibilities of road accidents is also quite high as a result. Apart from that many colleges and schools along with the ISKCON temple is located along the road, he added.

Transporting empty or loaded tankers from NH-2 by crisscrossing Khwairamband Keithel or Nagamapal also poses a big problem, he said.

There are traffic problems even on the Dingku Road when loaded tankers are parked in the ISBT after reaching Imphal as the timing of their arrival coincides with school and office hours, he said.

Due to these reasons, we expect the government to ponder over these issues before carrying out its decision as similar attempts in the past failed, he cautioned.

However, the government is trying to shift all the 700 Oil Tankers parked at the ISBT to the FCS godown in Sangaiporow by January 16, he said, adding that the 700 tankers include 600 tankers of the Indian Oil Corporation with the remaining belonging to Bharat Petroleum, NRL and Essar company.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/transporters-caution-govt-ahead-of-its-attempt-to-shift-parking-lot-for-oil-tankers/

Kwatha village demands govt attention to their grievances

IMPHAL, January 4: The chief and chairman of Kwatha village, Moreh Block, in a statement to the press complained that their village of 75 households and 350 people, located just

IMPHAL, January 4: The chief and chairman of Kwatha village, Moreh Block, in a statement to the press complained that their village of 75 households and 350 people, located just 18 km from Moreh town and 104 km from Imphal on the Imphal-Moreh road, continues to languish in total neglect by the state administration.

The statement said Kwatha is one of the oldest Meitei villages in the district.

It said, the winds of development under several ministries in the State have by passed the village and today it suffers from an abject lack of vital infrastructure, including medical.

The statement said there is one Primary Health Sub-Centre in the village, but qualified health professionals are seldom present, though on paper they are supposed to. At the moment only two nurses are the only staff of the centre, and all they can do is give first aid to patients.

The village is prone to outbreak of deadly tropical diseases, and each time such an outbreak happens, the villages are left at the mercy of providence. They have to travel on foot to better health facilities elsewhere, as the approach road is always in a deplorable condition, it said.

This situation gets worse in the monsoons season, as the same approach road becomes muddy and slipper, making it even more unworthy for motor vehicles, the release said.

It said, the area is also a conflict zone, and often gunfight break out between State and non-State fighters, trapping the villagers in the crossfire. The September 28, 2012 bomb blast in the vicinity of the village killing two civilians is a cruel reminder of this fate, the release further said.

In a meeting of various civil organisations of the village on January 4, the villagers have decided to demand all doctors posted at the village to be in station always. It also called for legal action against doctors and nurses who fail to turn up for duties at their posts. It also wants investigation into human rights violation committed in the village and penalties awarded to culprits under the law of the land.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/kwatha-village-demands-govt-attention-to-their-grievances/

Blockade brings Sekmai gas bottling plant to a grinding halt

IMPHAL, January 4: Due to the indefinite blockade imposed by the Awang Sekmai Nongthonband Youth Club on January 1 on the road leading to the Sekmai Gas Bottling Plant from

IMPHAL, January 4: Due to the indefinite blockade imposed by the Awang Sekmai Nongthonband Youth Club on January 1 on the road leading to the Sekmai Gas Bottling Plant from the National Highway No-2, the bottling of gas cylinders in the bottling plant has come to a stop.

According to a representative of ASNYC, the stretch of road leading to the gate of the bottling plant from the NH-2 is merely one kilometres. Last year, the concerned authorities were approached with the demand to repair the road after its black-toppings had vanished and the road was filled with a number of large potholes.

`The members of the club along with the MLA of our assembly constituency met CAF& PD minister M Okendro and held talks. We even held talks with the Chief Minister in his official chamber. After an assurance was given by these leaders, the State PWD had finished levelling the road by filling up the potholes with earth and gravel. However, the black-topping is yet to be done till date`, the ASNYC representative said.

This road is frequently travelled by bullet tankers filled with gas, loaded trucks carrying refilled cylinders and trucks transporting empty cylinders which are also quite heavy, he stressed, adding that the road blockade was imposed on January 1 after a prior announcement as the heavy vehicles due to their frequent travel on the newly levelled road yet to be blacktopped were causing a lot of dust-storms.

Many vehicles including 50 bullet tankers that are related with the transportation of gas have been stopped from travelling in this road from January 1, the ASNYC representative informed.

He also informed that representatives from the bottling plant have sought permission from the club in a written request for allowing bullet tankers from outside the State to be parked inside the plant by using the road.

However, he said, the bullet tankers won`™t be allowed to re-load and that the activities in the plant would remain closed.

Sources said the representatives of the bottling plant have expressed concern that there could be explosions on account of the bullet tankers being kept outside for long.

Sources said the club is yet to decide on the written request from the bottling plant and hasn`™t replied to the request.

The representatives of the club imposing the blockade have stated that the road which was filled with dusts during the sunny days would now be filled with mud as there is some rainfall.

Attempts for making contact with the manager of the plant by IFP didn`™t pay off as he was out of station. However, an official of the bottling plant who informed that all the activities of the plant have stopped refused to give any further comments.

It may be mentioned here that the general secretary of ASNYC, Khwairakpam Dhananjoy announced on December 16 last to impose an indefinite blockade on the road after the government didn`™t start blacktopping the road even after the timeline it has given had already lapsed.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/blockade-brings-sekmai-gas-bottling-plant-to-a-grinding-halt/

One-month deadline set for proper functioning of Imphal ISBT

IMPHAL, January 4: The general Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur, Sotinkumar condemned the act of Indian Oil Corporation of stranding petrol loaded tankers at Inter State Bus Terminal,

IMPHAL, January 4: The general Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur, Sotinkumar condemned the act of Indian Oil Corporation of stranding petrol loaded tankers at Inter State Bus Terminal, ISBT.

Sotinkumar speaking to the media today at the office of the All Manipur Road Transport and Motor Workers`™ Union, AMRTMWU, has set one month deadline for the authorities concerned to make the Imphal ISBT functional.

He further said that AITUC and AMRTMWU have already urged the Union Home Minister for establishing `High Way Protection Forces`™ to stop various kind of unwanted activities of militants along the Imphal-Dhimapur road harassing transporters.

He continued that the ministry had assured that the plea will be met within 2014, however, till date it has not been met, he lamented. He said transporter have been avoiding the said highway to stay away from various disturbances and have been relying on the Imphal-Jiribam road, which is also not free from harsh terrains, mostly due to non-maintenance of the highway.

General secretary of Union, S Kulamani said that the check-post along the national highway from Koirengei to Mao currently has seven check-posts.

He said the check posts have started charging more unwarranted fees from the transporters in the recent time. He alleged that the concerned district administration and its police along the stretch of the said areas are doing nothing.

He questioned the role of the authorities in protecting the lives of the common people like the road transporters who frequent the highway daily.

Apart from several check-post, many security personnel such as Manipur Police, IRB, VDFs are also plying along the highway to collect money from the trucks drivers in the name of checking the trucks, which is unlawful, he alleged.

He warned that such practice must end soon in the interest of the people and the government must look into the matter at the soonest before various forms of agitations erupt.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/onemonth-deadline-set-for-proper-functioning-of-imphal-isbt/

Revisiting reservations

It`™s been nearly seven decades after a bulwark of social safety nets known as `reservations` were set aside in the form of quotas for those sections of the society which

It`™s been nearly seven decades after a bulwark of social safety nets known as `reservations` were set aside in the form of quotas for those sections of the society which had long been oppressed with noble intentions of rectifying historical wrongs against them and to provide them with opportunities for bettering their lives and to make them more socially included.

Within the narrow confines of the State, those once oppressed sections have long ceased to be oppressed and now have transformed into thriving and powerful groups which are extremely politically aware and capable of dictating terms to a majority which remain so only on paper. The political clout that the prosperous and powerful middle classes of these groups wield is beyond compare and far exceeds those enjoyed by other once oppressed groups anywhere in the world. To cite as an example, we have had two Chief Ministers who belonged to these supposedly impuissant and backward groups long before Barack Obama was elected as the President of the United States of America.

Reservations may or may not have brought social equality in our State but it is distressing to know that some sections among the majority are now demanding a Schedule Tribe status for availing and enjoying the benefits of quotas that such a status entails. Such retrofitted demands suggest a regressive development and runs counter to the very idea of reservations as envisioned by the framers of the Indian Constitution.

It is pertinent here to mention how reservations which are known by a different name in North America are viewed by many leading and influential Afro-American intellectuals. Blacks are among beneficiaries of a quota system known as affirmative action in the United States. Many black intellectuals are the fiercest critics of affirmative action which they consider as not only extremely limiting but as also putting a straitjacket to their abilities by creating a stereotype about them.

Glen Loury, a black economist who is among the most vocal opponents of affirmative action, has suggested that `the cushion of affirmative action tends to lead blacks to underperform` and that `policies intended to assure equality of achievement end up producing inequality of skills`. Besides, he has revealed in an important paper that mandatory preferences given to a group by impairing individual incentives to perform pose a risk of creating a stereotype about the group as underperformers.

Clarence Thomas, a black jurist in the apex court of the United States, has expressed his reservations about affirmative action on many occasions and has called it an insult to the abilities of blacks which acts as a hindrance without giving them the option of being viewed as having risen on account of their own merits. Such rebellion against quotas for blacks by people who qualify as beneficiaries of such quotas predates the election of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth president of the United States.

Coming back into the developments in the State, what we are witnessing today is not progress but a battle for going backward, or regression. We can only hope that soon we get to come across rebels among the beneficiaries of the quota system who believe in meritocracy and are of the opinion that true progress lies in achieving on their own merit and industry rather than by being belligerent quota enthusiasts who believe in perpetuating the quota system for eternity.

Leader Writer: Svoboda Kangleicha

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/revisiting-reservations/

AJBSU organises educational awareness programme

JIRIBAM, January 4: The Jiribam Bengali Student`™s Union (AJBSU) organised an educational awareness programme on Sunday at the Latingkhal (Near Multan Singh Pradhan Bazar), Jiribam. The aim and objectives of

JIRIBAM, January 4: The Jiribam Bengali Student`™s Union (AJBSU) organised an educational awareness programme on Sunday at the Latingkhal (Near Multan Singh Pradhan Bazar), Jiribam.

The aim and objectives of organising the educational awareness programme was to promote an educational environment among the students and to ensure bright future for the Bengali students.

The awareness programme was attended by distinguished Bengali educationist of Jiribam. Shri Promotesh Das, retired AI of Schools, Jiribam attended as the chief guest while Al- Ameen English School principal Md. Mizaz Uddin Laskar presided over the function. In his speech as the chief guest, Promotesh Das said that education was the key to development without which a society or community couldn`™t be able to bring a better future. He appealed to all the guardians of students present during the occasion to awake and provide quality education to the children.

Meanwhile, the distinguished luminaries who attended the awareness programme delivered valuable speeches on several topics. Among the luminaries, Jiribam SSA co-ordinator Md. Hafiz Uddin Khan delivered a speech on the topic, `Community participation in Education`™ which was followed by Lalpani High School,Jiribam headmaster Md. Abdul Hasim`™s speech on `Present educational situation in Bengali inhabited areas & its improvements thereof`™.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/ajbsu-organises-educational-awareness-programme/

Khaidem Mani demands probe by enquiry committee in skulls and bones recovery case

IMPHAL, January 4: Advocate Khaidem Mani has today demanded that the State government should establish an enquiry committee under the Commission of Enquiry Act 1952, to enquire into the recovery

IMPHAL, January 4: Advocate Khaidem Mani has today demanded that the State government should establish an enquiry committee under the Commission of Enquiry Act 1952, to enquire into the recovery of skulls and bones at the Tombisana School premises last month.

He was speaking to the media today in an interaction session held at his residence. He said the commission may be headed by a retired High Court Judge or a retired District Judge.

Khaidem Mani said such an enquiry is very much called for, taking into account of the disappearances incidents that have taken place in the State under draconian law like the AFSPA, 1958.

Khaidem Mani who is also the secretary of Senior Citizen for Society further said that the special investigation team must highlight to the public of the findings incurred by the investing team or the enquiry commission in a transparent manner.

The people of the State have already witnessed the security personnel have in the past staged several fake encounters, and those incidents have logically infused suspicion among the people by and large, he said.

He recalled that in a conflict ridden place like Jammu and Kashmir, there have been cases of recovery of mass graveyards. He said the grave yards turned out to be of those killed by the security forces under the shadow of AFSPA.

He further demanded that the State government has claimed the site was once a mortuary. If that is the case, the government should clarify the names of those buried at the earliest, he asserted.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/khaidem-mani-demands-probe-by-enquiry-committee-in-skulls-and-bones-recovery-case/

From 2014 To 2015: Expectations on social life

By Amar Yumnam The year just gone by has experienced significant changes in the political front. India underwent a dramatic shift in the power centre of the country; the political

By Amar Yumnam

The year just gone by has experienced significant changes in the political front. India underwent a dramatic shift in the power centre of the country; the political party long used to holding, using, misusing and abusing power has been reduced to a miniscule by the electorate through an absolutely democratic process. This rise of a new power-centre in India has led to the emergence of this country as a new Asian power-centre besides the two usually talked about, China and Japan, with visible changes in the dynamics of Asian diplomacy. The world is also continuing with the heavy prices being paid due to the rise of a dangerously violent Islamic force. Closer home, the scenario has been as if the world has not seen any politically landmark event during the year; the region has been absolutely isolationist in this respect. Thus politically speaking the world has experienced both satisfying and worrying experiences accompanied by no remarkable change in the home front.

As compared to the political front, social life during 2014 has been a very painful and worrying one by and large for the world as a whole. The year started with terrible pains in the aftermath of horrendous rape in Delhi. Then came the kidnappings and as yet untraced of school girls by a terrorist group in Nigeria. There have been unexplained disappearances of passenger aircrafts. Then at the fag end of the year there has been this mass killing of students in a school in Peshawar in Pakistan. But unlike the non-participation in the political dynamics, Manipur did contribute her share in this painful social experience. Dead bodies were recovered from the digging up of compound of an old school in Imphal. This capping of the globally discouraging social scenario by the discovery of dead bodies in a school campus has completely dampened the year-end and New Year spirits of the people in Manipur despite the efforts of the people to portray un-mindfulness of the atrocious social events. The prayers and worshipping of the Imoinu and the Gan-Ngai manifested more serious endeavour for social existence than the usual New Year celebrations.

So, in this light, what should we expect and pray for in this year just begun? Globally, we pray that the world no longer witnesses unaccounted disappearance of passenger aircrafts. The world should not experience kidnappings and disappearance of school girls. The world should never ever undergo the pain of massive killing of school students. At the home front, we only wish the Tombisana School reality should be the only case in Manipur and there should be none any more. While the aircraft disappearances do have technological and regulatory issues to be addressed, all the other painful social issues have things to do with governance. Governance today, with all the social, economic, knowledge and technological dynamics, is no longer like any time before. As Ralf-Eckhard Turke writes in his book Governance: Systemic Foundation and Framework: “‘Complexity’, ‘Dynamics’, and ‘Diversity’ are omnipresent in today’s discourse on governance. They refer to the fact that social conditions in modern societies are perceived as multi-layered and complicated. Social issues are being addressed by multiple actors; governments are not necessarily playing a primary role anymore. A multiplicity of actors is involved, expressing individual interests yet having unequal capacities to exert influence. Resolutions for governing issues are the result of various interacting factors that are rarely wholly known. Knowledge, experiences, and interests are dispersed over many actors constantly changing their roles and relationships. Actor dependencies and constellations increasingly differ from global to local and from sector to sector. Diversity cumulates as these processes gain speed as well as intensity. There have always been competing interests, e.g. countryside versus city, sacred versus secular, merchants versus manufacturers, employers versus workers, etc. However, there was, in earlier times, considerable cohesion within those groups as a consequence of their strong tribal and nationalistic frames. Today, the actors involved struggle hard to realise legitimate and effective governing but can rarely keep pace with changing trends and shifting roles.2 It is difficult to have a truly representative government when actor and group identities are fragmented and pluralistic, while political parties are either ‘big tents’ with multiple, sometimes even conflicting, constituencies, or ‘small tents’ representing a variety of regional interests, or even small single issue parties.” This implies the primacy of appreciating governance requirements and evaluating governance performance contextually.

While the global needs are important, the home front requirements thrown up by the discovery of dead bodies while digging a school compound in Imphal are very significant. The governance of the land and the government performing the governance functions have for long the trust of the people of Manipur. The security forces performing the functions of protecting the interests of governance have since long lost the confidence of the people at large. In is in this background that dead bodies have been recovered from the school compound which had been under occupation of the security forces. Two contextually significant characteristics have emerged here. First, the people as well as the government feel that it is not the handiwork of any criminal or criminal gang. Second and even more importantly, the people are confidently sure that the security forces of the government have committed the murder and buried the bodies in an unaccounted manner. Interestingly, the government too portrays subscribing to this view of the public. Here lies the biggest danger and the dead-knell for democracy. If the legally authorised agency to use force behaves in this way, there is no value of life under the existing milieu. Further, since this has happened in the heart of the administrative capital of Manipur and in a campus just opposite to the old building symbolising democratic sanctity, it has struck shock to the minds, ethos and social psychology of the people hard. This can have a long term impact of instilling distrust among the masses, particularly as the government happens to be the largest employer in the organised sector. This way, the much valued social capital of the region can disappear. But the contemporary world has realised that no meaningful development can occur without a generalised trust. This is the challenge the governance must live up to besides identifying the cause and circumstances of the killings. The government has the biggest challenge here to restore the trust of the people here.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/from-2014-to-2015-expectations-on-social-life/

Skulls to tell the truth: Who is prepared to listen and act?

By Deben Bachaspatimayum It seems the market development plans of the present Govt has once again stumbled over another treasure chest that can change fortunes. It is not another Gold

By Deben Bachaspatimayum

It seems the market development plans of the present Govt has once again stumbled over another treasure chest that can change fortunes. It is not another Gold chest but the eight unidentified skulls in the erstwhile Tombisana High School campus discovered on the 25th December, 2014, the day when the world was observing the Birth of Jesus Christ. These skulls are there to tell the truth which remained buried and unheard for so long. The truth of these skulls will demand of the Govt justice due to them and healing for their traumatized surviving families. And it is in responding to these demands of unidentified remains of the deaths by following due legal, political, cultural and social processes, authentically and appropriately that the present Govt both at the state and centre can transform the culture of conflict, institutionalized violence and resultant painful memories of the past into one of a vibrant and progressive multicultural democratic society and systems in the state.

This opportunity of correcting historical wrongs, which has been acknowledged by former the former Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai, seems to have come in our hands by providence not by any human designs. The truth existed only to be revealed on that day. By all media reports available and Govt’s plan for the site, the discovery of the eight human skulls not older than 17-40 years (according to preliminary experts’ opinion as reported in the Newspapers) coincided with the period when the entire territory of the state came to be declared as ‘disturbed area’ and AFSPA 1958 has been kept enforced as part of governance and civil administration. Over 10,000, mostly civilians, have been reportedly killed during this period excluding those many who never returned home after they were picked up. As per records, the violent armed conflicts began from 1980 between the state security forces comprising of both military and paramilitary forces mostly belonging to diverse linguistic, cultural and racial backgrounds from rest of India and various armed groups both in the valley and hills districts belong to different indigenous communities in the state. The war is still on but if the accidental discovery of the eight skulls in an erstwhile educational institute facing the state’s highest decision making institution (the Old Manipur Legislative Assembly campus) is any indication it seems to beckon us like the white flag in the battlefield to retreat, reflect and re-strategize future course of engagements based on the ground realities. However, the response of the State Govt seems to indicate lack of seriousness by all measures in the matter to take any advantage for a change.

Though the state police have, dutifully, registered a case at Heingang PS but did nothing to get the excavation works on the site stopped for proper investigations until AMSU, a student body forced cease work at the site on 30th Dec 2014. This was five full days after the discovery! The fact that Govt allowed the further excavation works to go on continuously for 5 more days after the skulls were discovered makes the elected Govt culpable as per the law and party to the possible crime which resulted into the discovery of the skeletons. By law, all the present and future plans for developing the site where the skulls were accidentally discovered must come to a complete halt and an appropriate investigating State authority should have secured the site under its custody and kept it out of access by all Govt, State and Non-govt parties but nothing of that seems to have happened even after one whole week till 30th Dec 2014. These precious five days also went by in complete absence of judiciaries in the state who could have taken a suo moto case on the incident. A PIL filed to the High Court on 30th Dec 2014 also remained unattended.

Despite all efforts by human rights defenders and civil society groups, the State Human Rights Commission remains death. All the Judges at the State High Court were also reportedly on New Year leaves. All sections of the society including the elected representatives and Govt were in the New Year festivity and Christmas mood when excavation was making extensive progress in the erstwhile Tamphasan H School campus. The timing was good for the work.

Now that eight skulls have surfaced, accidentally, to tell the truth the Govt only has to answer to the people, not by premature speculations but after thorough scientific inquiry on who, when, where from, how and why the skulls were there in the Tombisana HS campus. The Govt has to first establish whether the deaths of these many people were caused with due legal procedures or in subversion of it. Secondly, in either of the cases, establish the identities of the death with their surviving families by using latest forensic technologies. Thirdly, to determine if anyone of the eight skulls or all of them were connected to any one of the registered cases of enforced involuntary disappearances after 1980. And lastly, according to the findings, take up such appropriate political and legal actions as responsible and representative government of the people. But even before taking up any such credible step it also behoves well for the Govt to show some solidarity with by sharing the pains of those families who have been reporting involuntary enforced disappearance of their near and dear ones both in the hills and valley during the past few years along with the routine New Year greetings.

All the above may be mere wish-list of concerned citizens and it may not even reach the ears of our Govt. What remains for sure is that the skulls are there where-ever they are kept to speak the TRUTH to the experts. But what may concern any responsible and law abiding citizen in the state is whether the experts, if at all some established and credible ones are at work, would be allowed to reveal the truth for public consumption by the elected Govt! It is here the integrity and credibility of the elected Govt in Manipur and the Central Govt is at stake and will be subjected to litmus test especially when the State, by the Constitution is duty-bound to protect life and property of its citizens unless one is proven guilty of homicide or any other such crimes against humanity. Both the State bodies; at the state and the centre have to take critical choice in this matter. The choices are two. One is to let the people know the truth as revealed by the skulls and take legal actions against those responsible for the crime. Or. Two, conceal the facts and the truth about the matter for the fear of further disturbing internal / national security in the politically sensitive state.

The choice is clearly between the people and military. If the state and central government considers, as has been the case so far till date since the merger in 1949, military /security forces only to be trusted for national security in Manipur it will conceal the truth by tempering all evidences. And if by the recent change in national politics both the elected government at the state and centre decide to trust the people over the security forces for the India’s national security the truth will be out in and justice will be done, deeply held trauma and historical pains will begin to be assuaged, and credibility and accountability of the Indian state will be improved. However, going by the past trends, the state Govt is likely to choose for the first option but if changing time favours the second choice, 2015 can prove to be a watershed moment for social transformation in the history of the State. The second option is likely choice for present state Govt only if it is bold enough to trust its own strength of being the most stable Govt and honest enough to be accountable to the people more important than the loyalty to the Central Govt, although, it is indeed the hardest choice.

In the unlikelihood of opting for the harder choice, there can be a third option for the Govt which may be easier and quite adept to have developed mastery. This is to do anything to weaken agitating civil society groups demanding for justice. It requires inviting the agitating groups one by one, divide them and buy them off to their favour or bully them by intimidations or isolate them (if one is too extreme or too hard to bend) by putting them behind the bars on any flimsy grounds for years and weaken them from inside while keeping alive like Sharmila. Interestingly, this tactic has worked well with the people in Manipur as they are deeply divided within community and groups, suspicious of one another, competing leaderships with deep distrusts and often impulsively reactive to situations and indulge in mob violence, and especially when public memory is also often short-lived. In such situation often times people’s movement easily get diverted to side tracts from the main issue as there are many leaders. For instance, ILP movement was derailed for sometime by Victoria factor and Sharmila’s historical movement by Coutinho factor for the few years. The state always wins the game without having to deliver the justice people hunger for restoration of human dignity! Furthermore, since the state alone has the right to use violence by established international laws and conventions, it is easy and right for any Govt to arm itself tooth to nail and use violence against its own people who use violence against the state and also justify the same. State’s right to armed and use violence cannot be questioned by any non-state group within the state except by an intervention at the legislation and judiciary. But why the legislatures and judiciaries do not/ cannot work in Manipur to make the state less violent and more people centered?

And yet, the eight skulls, standing together, are asking to hear them out the unheard stories of crimes committed upon them and their families as the state alone can, is capable of and duty bound to listen to the grievances of its citizens on issue of fundamental violation of human rights, unless by law the state with due procedures declares someone ‘outlaw’. The question is: Is the state Govt of Manipur ready to listen to them and let the people know the truth in toto and take up concrete legal and social measures to deliver restorative justice to the victim families? Equally critical is also the question to civil society groups and human rights defenders in the state whether they will be able to get the state deliver justice to the victim family – which may prove to be a historical and transformative moment for the state by engaging the state consistently as one collective and using appropriate legal, social and political means without resorting to violence that could weaken the struggles for human rights in this undeclared war field. Even as these questions will continue to trouble us it may be worthwhile to take few observations on the suspected war crime sites without declared war.

Discovery of eight skulls right across the State Legislative Assembly building inside the campus of an educational institute also tells upon the character of consecutive Governments that we only elected to rule and the nature of the state of Manipur over the past three-four decades which may have serious social and political implications. However, going by the version of the state home minister, if the Govt is able to prove with authentic records; facts and figures of the place once having been a hospital mortuary and no. of death bodies voluntarily or with family consent, dumped at the site, it can put at rest all the implications of discovering the eight unidentified skulls. Until such time the Govt proves it this way, the location of the suspected homicidal war crime site close to law making institute of a established democratic society, irrespective of whether the criminals were state or non state actors, undoubtedly show the weakness and subjugation of civil authority to either the military under AFSPA 1958 or non-state groups over the years to commit any crimes they wanted under their nose. It further raises more fundamental questions.

One may like to ask the role of elected Government in the undeclared internal war between the state armed forces and non-state armed groups in Manipur. Is the Govt of Manipur facilitating war or peace in Manipur when it cannot exercise its power over the military under AFSPA 1958 to investigate and prevent the reported cases of enforced involuntary disappearance of its own people and encourage proven extra-judicial killings of innocent people in the state over the last three decades? Why does the Govt of Manipur religiously and obediently so have to extend the “Disturbed Area Act” year after year to use security forces under the Act on whom they have no control? Whose securities are at stake in Manipur: the Govt security forces who have to operate in alien racial and cultural region; the elected leaders and the political class; the contractors and business communities who finance the political class; or the majority of common people on the streets, farmers and the poor in the rural areas? Who is benefitting most out of the sustained disturbed conditions and persistent presence of army under AFSPA with extra-judicial powers in the state?

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/skulls-to-tell-the-truth-who-is-prepared-to-listen-and-act/

Zeliangrongs ‘Gaan Ngai’ festival begins in Manipur – Nagaland Post


KanglaOnline

Zeliangrongs ‘Gaan Ngai’ festival begins in Manipur
Nagaland Post
Gaan-Ngai, the biggest festival of the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, kicked off Saturday in Manipur with traditional gaiety and religious fervour. The post-harvest festival of the community also popularly known as Gaan-Ngai would
Manipuri culture can be compared with that of the ancient Greeks: Deputy CM KanglaOnline
‘Gaan-Ngai reflects State’s rich culture’E-Pao.net
Zeliangrong community’s Gaan-Ngai festival beginsEastern Mirror

all 11 news articles »


KanglaOnline

Zeliangrongs 'Gaan Ngai' festival begins in Manipur
Nagaland Post
Gaan-Ngai, the biggest festival of the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, kicked off Saturday in Manipur with traditional gaiety and religious fervour. The post-harvest festival of the community also popularly known as Gaan-Ngai would
Manipuri culture can be compared with that of the ancient Greeks: Deputy CM KanglaOnline
'Gaan-Ngai reflects State's rich culture'E-Pao.net
Zeliangrong community's Gaan-Ngai festival beginsEastern Mirror

all 11 news articles »

Read more / Original news source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHaqLXH8xWm-O88Qfn6HphOp1SqYg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778700942481&ei=wIapVLD4JqrF8gG5hoDACg&url=http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/Regional/RegionalNews.aspx?news%3DTkVXUzEwMDA3MzA0Mg%253D%253D

Manipur CM urges DoNER ministry to release fund – Nagaland Post

Manipur CM urges DoNER ministry to release fund
Nagaland Post
The chief minister informed the Union minister that one important project for installation of 2×12.5 MVA 132/33 KV sub-station at Manipur’s border town Moreh along with associated 132 KV line at an estimated cost of Rs 42.44 crore has also been

Manipur CM urges DoNER ministry to release fund
Nagaland Post
The chief minister informed the Union minister that one important project for installation of 2×12.5 MVA 132/33 KV sub-station at Manipur's border town Moreh along with associated 132 KV line at an estimated cost of Rs 42.44 crore has also been

Read more / Original news source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFAsFgptFwktg2QRWdoOMy8lml3ow&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=wIapVLD4JqrF8gG5hoDACg&url=http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/Regional/RegionalNews.aspx?news%3DTkVXUzEwMDA3MzA0MQ%253D%253D

Nuklutoshi condemns IED planting at Mokokchung ATM

Minister for National Highways and Mechanical Engineering, Nuklutoshi, has strongly condemned the planting of Improvised Explosive Device IED in an ATM Booth at Mokokchung town on Friday Source NEPS

Minister for National Highways and Mechanical Engineering, Nuklutoshi, has strongly condemned the planting of Improvised Explosive Device IED in an ATM Booth at Mokokchung town on Friday Source NEPS

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=22&src=040115

Workshop held

Senior Citizens Welfare Forum, Manipur SCWFM and IRDEO RRTC North East jointly organised a one day regional workshop on the dignity, health and security of senior citizens today at IRDEO complex, Wangbal Source The Sangai Express

Senior Citizens Welfare Forum, Manipur SCWFM and IRDEO RRTC North East jointly organised a one day regional workshop on the dignity, health and security of senior citizens today at IRDEO complex, Wangbal Source The Sangai Express

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=21&src=040115

AFSPA extended for one more year in Assam

The Centre has extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 declaring the entire ‘State of Assam’ as a ‘Disturbed Area’ for another one year beyond November 3 last, stated an official communiqu on Friday Source The Sangai Express Courtesy…

The Centre has extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 declaring the entire ‘State of Assam’ as a ‘Disturbed Area’ for another one year beyond November 3 last, stated an official communiqu on Friday Source The Sangai Express Courtesy The Hindustan Times

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=11&src=040115

EDP on food processing concludes

The six week long Entrepreneurship Development Programme EDP on food processing concluded Saturday at the Common Facility Centre CFC , Chingdong Leikai, Jiribam, reports Jiri News Network Source The Sangai Express Jiri News Network

The six week long Entrepreneurship Development Programme EDP on food processing concluded Saturday at the Common Facility Centre CFC , Chingdong Leikai, Jiribam, reports Jiri News Network Source The Sangai Express Jiri News Network

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=19&src=040115

Erabot pitches for ILPS

Congress MLA Y Erabot has stated that the State Government should not try to suppress the mass movements aimed at implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the State nor should it resort to any sort of dilly dallying tactics Source The Sangai Ex…

Congress MLA Y Erabot has stated that the State Government should not try to suppress the mass movements aimed at implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the State nor should it resort to any sort of dilly dallying tactics Source The Sangai Express

Read more / Original news source: http://e-pao.net/ge.asp?heading=10&src=040115