Day: March 17, 2015

IMPHAL, March 17: None of the prosecution witnesses (PWs) appeared for hearing in the NIA case lodged against UNLF chairman RK Meghen alias Sanayaima and his associate at NIA Special Court in Gauhati.

As a part of hearing of the case, deposition of PWs have been going on.

The Court had given the date of March 16 and 17 for the deposition of witnesses in the case.

NIA was supposed to produce PWs including two from Delhi for deposition in these two days time. However, none of the PWs appeared for the deposition.

UNLF supremo RK Meghen alias Sanayaima and his associates were produced before the Court on both the days.

The case number of the chargesheet frame by NIA is Case No 1 of 2010 u/s 121/121-A/120-B IPC, 16-A, 18/20 U/A (P) Amendment Act 2004.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/none-of-the-prosecution-witnesses-appeared-in-meghens-case/

IMPHAL, March 17: A minor girl aged about 10, a deaf and dumb who was reported missing at the Kumbi Police Station from January 24, 2014, was fished out dead from a culvert on January 31, 2014. News carried in daily newspapers had expressed suspicion of raped and subsequent murder.

The girl was identified as Laishram Shumila, 10, D/o L Amuthoi of Chandonpokpi Turel Khongbal.

An organisation called Dialogue Forum, in association with the Chandol Pokpi Villagers today took out a mass rally from Chandol Pokpi Market Shed to Borayenbi Gram Panchayat Community hall. Women folks in large numbers participated in the rally.

Apunba Nupi Lup Borayenbi, Social Action Committee, NLF, Integrated Rural Development Centre, People Platform Secretariat, Samaritan Resource Centre, United Community Development Platform and Comprehensive Development Centre, also participated in the rally.

Later a public meeting on International Humanitarian Law, Demand for Fair Trial of Laishram Shumila and Repeal AFSPA 1958 was conducted where resource persons reiterated the demand for justice for the victim.

Resource person L Pishak said that the case has been delayed without any reason. He said that there is a suspicion that the culprit is well connected and is taking advantage of this. He further appealed all concern to conduct a fair trial for the Shumila in a speedy way.

Advocate E Nando as resource person educated the villager on all the possible ways for speedy trial and book the culprit according to the law of the land.

General Secretary Women Action for Development M Sobita in the side lines said that the incident occurred during the month of January 2014 and it has been more than a year but the family of the victim still awaits justice.

She further said that the state cabinet needs to implement concrete law for the safety of women society of the state.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/one-year-after-chandol-pokpi-villagers-still-cries-for-little-shumila/

IMPHAL, March 17: Kuki Chief Association Manipur urged the government of Manipur to hold the Autonomous District Councils (ADC) election in time without any delay said a press released.

The press statement of the KCAM signed by Haokai Lupheng and Haokhole Touthang, President and general secretary respectively, stated that delaying of the ADCs election will not bring any goods for the tribals of the state as it is the only means to bring development in the hill districts.

The KCAM will take any attempt of sabotage or delayed the ADCs election as a plan to deprive the hill people of their constitutional rights and privileges.

The ADCs has been revived after a gap of 22 years which also without full power as it should be, so the government of Manipur should not delay the upcoming election and at the same time the ADCs should be give its full powers according to the regulated Acts and provisions given by the India Constitutions, added the press statement.

The KCAM will fully endorse and supports any form of agitations carried out by CoPTAM (Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur) if the government fails to hold ADCs election in time.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/kuki-chiefs-want-adc-elections-held-in-time/

IMPHAL, March 17: Five Catholic Schools in Imphal have decided to close down their schools as they failed to come to an agreement with an underground organization regarding the admission procedure of its lowers classes.

The five schools are Little Flower School, St Joseph School, Nirmalabas High School, Christ Jyoti School and Catholic School at Canchipur.

The schools will remain close until an amicable solution is brought between the school and the said UG group, a source said.

Meanwhile ATSUM expressed dismay with the closure of all Catholic Educational Institution in the valley due to alleged disturbance and tension from various valley based student bodies including some underground element, the All Tribal Students`™ Union Manipur (ATSUM) asked everyone to make every educational institution in the state a disturbance free zone today.

Emboi Serto, President ATSUM recounted that in the year 2009 the All Tribal Students`™ Union Manipur and valley based student bodies had jointly declared all educational institution in the state a `Disturbance Free Zone`™ but today the same valley based student bodies unfortunately becomes the scalawag in the functioning of catholic schools in the state.

At the same time it is unfortunate that some underground element have also indulged in making unwanted disturbances to the catholic schools in the state alleged ATSUM supremo.

He further alleged that in the name of right to education the valley based student bodies have interfere calculatedly in the process of admission in Catholic schools, demanded quotas and also locked the educational institutions which undesirably produce hazy disturbance to the schools.

Why only Catholic Educational Institution has been pin-pointed and disturbed while there are countless private run schools in the valley wondered Emboi Serto while adding it will be healthy and wise on the part of the those organizations to conduct post mortem of their own activities before things turned unattractive.

While curiously asking those organizations about the functioning and administration of other private run educational institution in the state Emboi Serto asked, `Do those countless private run educational institution follow in reality the guidelines lay down by Board of Secondary Education Manipur and Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur as well as those guidelines under Right to Education Act`.

He continued that earlier ATSUM has already appealed to those organizations and every right thinking denizens to hold a healthy debate over the issue but nothing constructive and positive response has been acknowledged.

If a healthy debate was conducted following the ATSUM appealed the Catholic Educational Society decision to closed down all Catholic schools in the valley could have been avoided said Emboi while adding terming the closured of Catholic schools in valley due to the alleged tension and disturbance from various organizations a huge loss to the academic career of many children in the state.

The ATSUM once again suggests a healthy debate over the issue, appealed Emboi and articulated that ATSUM`™s willingness to conduct a reality check and have joint inspection of every private run educational institution in the valley by ATSUM and valley based student bodies including those UGs to check whether they follow the prescribed guidelines under RTE and BOSEM as well as CoHSEM.

ATSUM further appealed to all organizations and every right thinking denizens of Manipur to solve the imbroglio over the Catholic schools at the earliest so as to ensure educational institutions a disturbance free zone.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/five-catholic-schools-in-manipur-to-close-down-again/

IMPHAL, March 17: The Life Insurance Agents`™ Association, Imphal has launched its hunger strike agitation demanding the central government to restore the Sec 44 (ERC&HRC) Insurance Act of 1938.

The Life Insurance Agent`™s Federation of India, along with all the branches of the company will continue its protest starting today and will continue till March 21.

The hunger strike protest was held today at Khoyathong outside the LIC, head office.

Speaking at the sideline with the media persons, Kh Achou, vice president, LIAA, Imphal branch stated that restoration of Section 44 (ERC&HRC) Insurance Act of 1938 is a must.

He further noted that if the Act 1938 is not restore then the agents who had already work for more than 5 years may not get any renewal commission and other benefit.

He continued that even the nominee would not get any hereditary Renewal Commission if the Act 1938 did not restore.

Kh Achou said that the hunger strike for all India Insurance Agents will continue till March 21 and LIAA, Imphal will carry out its agitation tillApril 30 he added.

The various demands made by Life Insurance Agent`™s Association include removal of service tax on premium, removal of TDS on LIC.

Policy maturity, to increase the bonus to policy holder, to increase the gratuity to 5,00,000, to increase the group insurance to 1000000, relaxation the club rule until new plans were introduce, to implement the recommendation of IRDA (Gazette dated- 18.02.2013 for Commission).

Empowering the empower agents to support the policy holder, to give Incentive directly and to the career agents, to implementing the amendment of agent`™s regulation-1972 and to implement the salary and conveyance to CLIA.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/life-insurance-agents-hold-hunger-strike/

IMPHAL, March 17: There could be shortcomings in the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers bill, 2015, which was passed by the House in the last day of the 10th Session of the tenth Manipur Legislative Assembly yesterday, but it can be amended for 100 more times.

This was stated by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh speaking to media persons at JNIMS today.

He further said the shortcomings in the Bill can be corrected or added by consulting with the legal experts and others concerned.

The door is wide open from the government`™s side for the consultation, he added.

The Chief Minister was visiting the Jessami-Phek bus accident victims admitted at JNIMS and RIMS and Khwairamband Keithel bomb blast victims admitted at RIMS and Raj Medicity today.

After meeting the victims at the hospitals, he spoke to media persons at JNIMS where he said there is a rule of the government to provide an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the deaths in the bomb blast and one lakh to the severely injured victims.

However in the case of accidents, the government does not have a rule as such, but on humanitarian ground it is considering to provide some financial assistance to the bus accident victims this time.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Health & Family Welfare Minister Phungzathang Tonsing and Deputy Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Presho Shimary during his visit today.

The Chief Minister during his visit met 12 victims of the bomb blast at RIMS and one victim at Raj Medicity while one bus accident victim at RIMS and three others at JNIMS.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/03/shortcomings-in-manipur-regulation-of-visitors-tenants-and-migrant-workers-bill-2015-can-be-amended-for-100-times-says-cm-ibobi/