Day: February 14, 2015

MPHAL, Feb 14: The Governor of Manipur Dr KK Paul, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Inner Manipur MP Dr Thokchom Meinya, Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh and MPCC president Gaikhangam has greeted the people of Manipur, especially Naga brethren, on the occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.

The Governor in his message said, `My heartiest greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur, especially to our Naga brethren on this happy and joyous occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.`

`Lui-Ngai-Ni is a festival celebrated by all the Nagas of Manipur on the February 15 every year for a bountiful and bumper harvest,`

`During the festival, people seek the blessings of the Almighty for a prosperous life. Apart from its traditional and customary attributes, the festival has now become popular as a Tourist Festival also bringing all communities together irrespective of caste, creed or religion.`

`This festival has come to signify peace, harmony and humanism for all. Let the festival be celebrated by all in its true spirit,` he added.

The Chief Minister in his message said, `I have great pleasure in greeting the people of Manipur especially our Naga brethren on the joyous occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival, 2015.`

`Lui-Ngai-Ni, the seed sowing festival, is one of the biggest festivals of the Nagas.`

`The festival assumes much significance as it not only occupies a unique position among the Nagas, but also among the people in the North East for it appeals for peaceful coexistence and at the same spreads the message of `live and let live,`™ cutting across the barriers of caste, creed and religion.`

`I hope the festival would be celebrated in its true spirit and the festival will strengthen the bond of oneness and brotherhood to all the people belonging to various communities living in the state.`

`I join our Naga brethren in the celebration of this joyous festival. My best wishes and warm greetings to all the people of Manipur on this happy occasion.`

Inner Manipur MP, Dr. Thokchom Meinya in his message said, `I wish that the festival would bring love, peace, prosperity and happiness to the people of Manipur and that the celebration would strengthen the bond of unity among the different communities of the State.`

Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh in his message said, `I pray the Almighty that this festival brings in prosperity, peace, and love to this land which is settled by different communities.`

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam on behalf of the committee has also extended heartiest greetings on this occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/02/luingaini-2015-greetings/

MPHAL, Feb 14: The Governor of Manipur Dr KK Paul, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Inner Manipur MP Dr Thokchom Meinya, Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh and MPCC president Gaikhangam has greeted the people of Manipur, especially Naga brethren, on the occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.

The Governor in his message said, `My heartiest greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur, especially to our Naga brethren on this happy and joyous occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.`

`Lui-Ngai-Ni is a festival celebrated by all the Nagas of Manipur on the February 15 every year for a bountiful and bumper harvest,`

`During the festival, people seek the blessings of the Almighty for a prosperous life. Apart from its traditional and customary attributes, the festival has now become popular as a Tourist Festival also bringing all communities together irrespective of caste, creed or religion.`

`This festival has come to signify peace, harmony and humanism for all. Let the festival be celebrated by all in its true spirit,` he added.

The Chief Minister in his message said, `I have great pleasure in greeting the people of Manipur especially our Naga brethren on the joyous occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival, 2015.`

`Lui-Ngai-Ni, the seed sowing festival, is one of the biggest festivals of the Nagas.`

`The festival assumes much significance as it not only occupies a unique position among the Nagas, but also among the people in the North East for it appeals for peaceful coexistence and at the same spreads the message of `live and let live,`™ cutting across the barriers of caste, creed and religion.`

`I hope the festival would be celebrated in its true spirit and the festival will strengthen the bond of oneness and brotherhood to all the people belonging to various communities living in the state.`

`I join our Naga brethren in the celebration of this joyous festival. My best wishes and warm greetings to all the people of Manipur on this happy occasion.`

Inner Manipur MP, Dr. Thokchom Meinya in his message said, `I wish that the festival would bring love, peace, prosperity and happiness to the people of Manipur and that the celebration would strengthen the bond of unity among the different communities of the State.`

Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh in his message said, `I pray the Almighty that this festival brings in prosperity, peace, and love to this land which is settled by different communities.`

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam on behalf of the committee has also extended heartiest greetings on this occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2015.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/02/luingaini-2015-greetings/

IMPHAL, February 14: The National leader of the Lok Janasakti Party (LJP) has instructed its lone MLA in the State, Karam Shyam to start sitting at the opposition bench of the State Assembly as the party was fully supporting the NDA government after the last Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to the media at his reception function at Lilong Chajing, Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the LJP supported the UPA government`™s rule at the Centre during its rule but the party fought the elections at the last Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP`™s prime ministerial candidate.

Now under the new NDA government, we are sitting at the treasury bench in Parliament and our lone MLA in the Manipur State Assembly must sit in the Opposition as there is a Congress government in the State, he said, adding it has been instructed to our party MLA to sit in the opposition bench from now on and we have written to him about this matter six months ago. During the national executive meeting on February 16, we will direct all our MLAs to support the NDA government, he informed.

Later, addressing a public meeting as the chief guest, the Union CAF & PD Minister said their party MLA in the State has made three demands which included the demand for the repeal of AFSPA, against which Irom Sharmila has been fasting for 15 years to get it repealed.

He said as an MP he has been raising the issue of AFSPA in Parliament so many times. Now, the Central government has changed under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi who is well aware about the NE states, he added.

After returning to Delhi, he will talk to the Prime Minister and submit a written letter demanding the removal of AFSPA, 1958; so that Irom Sharmila may end her fast and fulfil the demands of Manipuri people, he said.

As a Cabinet Minister of the NDA, he said, he assured that discrimination against NE people would never be tolerated during the NDA government at the Centre.

He said the NDA government considers the economic development of the NE as national development. The Prime Minster has instructed all the Union Cabinet Ministers to visit the NE states once in every three months to get acquainted with their difficulties and to remove those difficulties.

Ram Vilas Paswan assured the public that he would request the Chief Minister to implement the Food Security Act immediately. The FCI officials of Nagaland, South Assam and Manipur have been summoned to Imphal to discuss together the Food Security Act. The meeting which started today will end tomorrow, he added.

He admitted that the PDS item distribution in the State except in Langthabal were not able to satisfy the people. If the National Food Security Act is implemented, people will get wheat at Rs 2 per Kg and rice at Rs 3 per Kg. At least 84 percent of the population in rural areas will benefit from the Food Security Act. More storage rooms for food grains and other items of the FCI are going to be constructed so that there should not be any problem in distribution of grains to the public, he said.

Talking about the broad-gauge railway link from Lamding to Silchar, he said he had already discussed about its speedy completion with the Railway Ministry yesterday. As the broad-gauge railway link is unfinished, the State have to ferry FCI items from Dimapur, occasionally facing disturbances in some areas of Nagaland and Manipur. So, the Government was trying to immediately complete the Lamding-Silchar broad-gauge railway link by March 31 this year, he said, adding railway links to Mizoram and Manipur were not broad-gauge and will be converted into broad-gauge in the future.

Meanwhile, MLA Langthabal Karam Shyam has asked for a formal declaration and instruction from the Party to withdraw his support to the present Congress government in Manipur. He said he would absolutely obey the directions from the National party leaders.

He further expressed his support and advice to the LJP Manipur unit for the upcoming Manipur Legislative Assembly Elections in early 2017 to strengthen the party and to get least 10 MLAs elected.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/02/union-caf-pd-minister-instructs-lone-ljp-mla-in-state-to-sit-at-the-opposition-bench/

IMPHAL, February 14: The National leader of the Lok Janasakti Party (LJP) has instructed its lone MLA in the State, Karam Shyam to start sitting at the opposition bench of the State Assembly as the party was fully supporting the NDA government after the last Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to the media at his reception function at Lilong Chajing, Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the LJP supported the UPA government`™s rule at the Centre during its rule but the party fought the elections at the last Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP`™s prime ministerial candidate.

Now under the new NDA government, we are sitting at the treasury bench in Parliament and our lone MLA in the Manipur State Assembly must sit in the Opposition as there is a Congress government in the State, he said, adding it has been instructed to our party MLA to sit in the opposition bench from now on and we have written to him about this matter six months ago. During the national executive meeting on February 16, we will direct all our MLAs to support the NDA government, he informed.

Later, addressing a public meeting as the chief guest, the Union CAF & PD Minister said their party MLA in the State has made three demands which included the demand for the repeal of AFSPA, against which Irom Sharmila has been fasting for 15 years to get it repealed.

He said as an MP he has been raising the issue of AFSPA in Parliament so many times. Now, the Central government has changed under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi who is well aware about the NE states, he added.

After returning to Delhi, he will talk to the Prime Minister and submit a written letter demanding the removal of AFSPA, 1958; so that Irom Sharmila may end her fast and fulfil the demands of Manipuri people, he said.

As a Cabinet Minister of the NDA, he said, he assured that discrimination against NE people would never be tolerated during the NDA government at the Centre.

He said the NDA government considers the economic development of the NE as national development. The Prime Minster has instructed all the Union Cabinet Ministers to visit the NE states once in every three months to get acquainted with their difficulties and to remove those difficulties.

Ram Vilas Paswan assured the public that he would request the Chief Minister to implement the Food Security Act immediately. The FCI officials of Nagaland, South Assam and Manipur have been summoned to Imphal to discuss together the Food Security Act. The meeting which started today will end tomorrow, he added.

He admitted that the PDS item distribution in the State except in Langthabal were not able to satisfy the people. If the National Food Security Act is implemented, people will get wheat at Rs 2 per Kg and rice at Rs 3 per Kg. At least 84 percent of the population in rural areas will benefit from the Food Security Act. More storage rooms for food grains and other items of the FCI are going to be constructed so that there should not be any problem in distribution of grains to the public, he said.

Talking about the broad-gauge railway link from Lamding to Silchar, he said he had already discussed about its speedy completion with the Railway Ministry yesterday. As the broad-gauge railway link is unfinished, the State have to ferry FCI items from Dimapur, occasionally facing disturbances in some areas of Nagaland and Manipur. So, the Government was trying to immediately complete the Lamding-Silchar broad-gauge railway link by March 31 this year, he said, adding railway links to Mizoram and Manipur were not broad-gauge and will be converted into broad-gauge in the future.

Meanwhile, MLA Langthabal Karam Shyam has asked for a formal declaration and instruction from the Party to withdraw his support to the present Congress government in Manipur. He said he would absolutely obey the directions from the National party leaders.

He further expressed his support and advice to the LJP Manipur unit for the upcoming Manipur Legislative Assembly Elections in early 2017 to strengthen the party and to get least 10 MLAs elected.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/02/union-caf-pd-minister-instructs-lone-ljp-mla-in-state-to-sit-at-the-opposition-bench/

BISHNUPUR, Feb 14: Women Committee, United NGOs Mission Manipur organized `One Billion Rising Revolution`™ at Moirang Chengei Lampak, Bishnupur District today.

The programme was hosted by New Life Foundation, Thamnapokpi and Association for Rural Development and Women Empowerment Keinou.

In her keynote address, Sobita Mangshatabam, secretary, Women Action for Development (WAD) said that One Billion Rising is a global campaign to end violence against women, rise for justice and promote gender equality.

The campaign, launched on Valentine`™s Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime, she said.

She further said that every February, they rise in hundreds of countries across the world to show the local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face.

In 2012 the One Billion Rising Campaign culminated in the biggest mass global action to end violence against women every with tens of thousands of events held in more than 190 countries, she said.

The event is being celebrated and a call for one billion women around the world to join to dance in a show of collective strength, she added.

Singing and dancing by women and NGOs representatives were the main highlights of the day.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/02/one-billion-rising-held-at-bishnupur/