Editorial – Page 68 – Manipur News

A debate on formation of Government

A debate is going on in every part of the country whether Congress led Government will continue in power or NDA will return to power. While Rahul Gandhi is refusing to accept his projection as the Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi without getting sanction from the NDA allies has started to speak like the Prime Ministerial candidate. JD (U) is an important partner of the BJP in the formation of NDA. The leaders of the party have vehemently opposed projection of Narendra Modi as NDA’ s prime ministerial candidate. Even before the start of Lok Sabha election NDA is going to collapse. That is imminent. Secularism has become the main issue of the Lok Sabha election. That is indicated by the fact that every single party is talking of providing security to the minority community. 30 percent of the Indian population belongs to minority community. Minority communities have strongly opposed the ideologies and policies of the BJP, which are shaped by the communal forces like Bajrang Dal and RSS. BJP cannot shed Hindutva philosophies. Narendra Modi brand style of politics might be doing well in Guajarat. The people in that state might also desire to see their leader to occupy the mantle of power at the centre. But Narendra Modi’s action and speeches are reprehensible to others living in other states. Gujarat model will flop at the national level. In a vast democratic country like India one leader’s idea be it in framing policies and implementation will go awry. Gujarat is a small state compared with UP and Bihar. Why BJP cannot form Government on their own in these two states. Similarly BJP will not shine in Tamilnadu, Maharastra Kerela, Kashmir. Even in Karnataka the party image is dwindling due to intra fighting among the leaders. Then there is NE region, where BJP will maintain its inert position. In spite of all these things Narendra is hoping against hope to move to the centre wearing top executive hat. Election is a serious fight. Bluff does not sell anything in election. People are weighing seriously the merits and demerits of keeping a non Congress Government at the centre. Earlier experiment of installing non Congress Government flopped. There were internal bickering and leaders went different directions. There was lack of cohesion. The image of the country nosedived. Foreign investors will not come when there is unstable Government. India in the past survived by mortgaging gold. That situation has changed now. India is now on the threshold of becoming a super power. Whose creation is it? Two options are available now one is even and uneven. Where do you want to go? Act wisely and sensibly and close eyes and ears to all those mad rumblings and take a decision on your own. Then decide whom you should support. Congress is time tested party. It had proved it can ensure a stable and powerful Government at the centre. Whether Rahul Gandhi is prime ministerial candidate or not is immaterial.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/a-debate-on-formation-of-government/

Mob violence is equally condemnable

Satyabhama murder case has been solved by arresting the alleged killers. The breakthrough achieved in identifying the killers and subsequent arrests have put a feather on the cap of Manipur police. But questions will continue to come up until the final verdict is sounded by the law court. It is true police acted very fast. Without knowing any clue the state police started the task of investigation and performed wonderfully arresting all those involved in the crime. This question can be asked whether one of the three involved in the crime agreed to act as approver of the crime. It will be interesting to know where from Biju and Jivan picked up? Were they picked up from home or from street? Did the duo hide at the same place? What role did Jivan play in the whole drama leading up to the killing and abandonment of the body at the secluded place? Can a lifeless body be curled up and placed in the small space available between wind shield and driver’s seat, which is used as foot rest? Disclosure of the details of the incident, blow by blow, all that happened will be of help in taking precaution by all those, who are vulnerable to such kind of attack. Not only newspapers even the UG elements have also declared to begin investigation into the whole
episode. But the mob justice carried out at the houses of the trio involved in the crime is unacceptable. The helpless houses faced the ogre of the angry mob. The scene of the destruction of the houses is as heartbreaking as the killing of the innocent persons. A house provides shades and shelters to all. Not all in the respective families, who have been
receiving protection from the demolished houses, can be assumed as pitiless souls. They might not be instigating their son or brother to commit crime against woman. Just as we show love and sympathy to someone who needs it let us also learn to show love and compassion to others, who need it. We are different from those living in jungle where might is right. Satyabhama killing is really unfortunate. Similar incident had happened in other parts of the country but no such follow up violent mob as the one happening in Manipur is to be seen. The situation now calls for all to remain alert to avoid occurrence of such type of crime against woman in future. Young man and woman should take parental guidance. No parent will like their young children to land in trouble. We have seen these days young boys in defiance of the wishes of their parents doing things that are really eye sore. Everyone has a role to play in avoiding crime against woman. The person of dubious character should be avoided. Remain alert and kick out the persons, who are in the habit of doing abnormal things.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mob-violence-is-equally-condemnable/

The work has only started

Arrest of individuals for an alleged crime is just the beginning and it should not be seen as the final outcome of any investigation. A woman, Satyabhama was found killed on April 5 and Manipur Police after four days announced that the main culprits were in their custody. Manipur Police and those who helped them in the investigations should be lauded and awarded. But the main task is not over. Framing of charge sheets, investigations, evidences convincing enough should be placed before the Judges so that the matter could reach its final stage. Announcement of the verdict by the Court after hearing all sides should be the final stage. As we had given our opinion earlier that those working in the case should be assigned the task of working in the case further with full support. We need examples in the police force. During the course of investigation there will be many shortcomings and the government should ensure that whatever required, manpower and machineries are provided. We need to move forward. In this case according to police scientific equipments to track mobile networks and conversations were vital in apprehending those who committed the crime. What if no mobile was used or body not found ? There are too many challenges ahead as crimes are increasing. The government should really think in expanding police forces in terms of expertise, management, investigations. Increasing numbers of police personnel will not help in solving such crimes. One major loophole we saw today was the burning down of the houses of the alleged perpetrators. Police should have taken up precautionary measures to stop burning of the houses. Mob punishment can not be accommodated in today’s world. If it was allowed to cool down people’s sentiments then it was a wrong decision. Crime should be outmatched by investigations and to achieve that funds need to provided and works executed in a professional way in the department. Constitution of India mandates law and order as a subject of the state, therefore the bulk of the policing lies with the respective states and territories of India. Hence the state government should discuss the matter seriously and start strengthening the investigative accessories. It is reported that Kerala, Tamil Nadu , Maharashtra have taken steps to get their police force trained by Scotland Yard, Atlanta City Police of the USA and the World Police Academy of Canada. The Tamil Nadu state police is at the forefront of advancement with the Tamil Nadu Police Academy which now is seeking university status. Kerala Police is also the first police force in South Asia, to adopt community policing for effective and pro-public friendly initiatives and action. The Police Act 1861 itself a legacy of the British Empire established the fundamental principles of organization for police forces in India, and, with minor modifications, continues in effect. Consequently, although state-level police forces are separate and may differ in terms of the quality of equipment and resources, their patterns of organization and operation are markedly similar. A comprehensive exercise in the national level must start as police seems to be outdated in terms of preparedness and execution of work. Though it is directly controlled by the Chief Minister and the Home Minister the IPS cadres are the backbone of the entire system in the country. There has been suggestions to make police structure a different unit segregated from other agencies. The task is gigantic and we need farsighted leaders to need us the force.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/the-work-has-only-started/

General public cooperation is required to track down the killer

The killer is still untraceable. But he must be still lingering among us pretending to be innocence. It is time the service of a psychologist is used to understand how a killer, who is elusive, behaves in front of friends and family members. It is a matter of time one day even if he escapes from the clutches of law enforcing agencies will surely disclose boastfully what he can do to prove his machismo. However waiting for the criminals themselves to come out and surrender before the court will be like waiting for the go dot, something that will never happen. Therefore the drive to track down the killer must intensify. Public anger can be subsided by telling the breakthrough it has achieved in establishing the identity of the killer. Even if it cannot do not anything to arrest the killer it should be spoken out. That way the public confidence will be won and the general public will think of extending cooperation to the law enforcing agencies to nab the killer. It is said the killer used a mobile phone for once and then switched off. Even the dreaded killer will not think of keeping a mobile shim-card purely for performing the crime of killing a person of his target. The number used in calling out Satyabhama must be disclosed. He might have used that in the past and someone might be having that number. There is a story of how a mother could establish her son’s killer. She published an ad in a newspaper asking the killer how he killed her son. Next year the killer who called himself a serial killer replied in the same newspaper he shot twice till he died on the spot in a jungle not far off. Someone, who had the habit of reading advertisements published in newspapers, found the man in his neighbour adopted the same technique used in killing the young man when he killed chicken. He informed the police and the neighbour turned out to be killer of young man. The killer of Satyabhama must be trembling every morning if he is not a serial killer. He might be having sleepless nights. He might want to live all alone without talking to anyone. If anyone of you find your friend or relative behaving abnormally why not he might turn out to be the killer. But the killer must be someone who frequents the area. The place where Satyabhama was abandoned is deserted. Victim’s family members have said that. We are confident the killer will be arrested in the very near future. That must happen without delay. Only then the wounded hearts will be healed. A single killer should be not expected to outwit the entire masses. The common masses too have a role to play in tracking down the killer.

Bands and case resolutions

The post Bands and case resolutions appeared first on KanglaOnline.com.

At the outset, the brutal murder of Ningombam Satyabhama, a Junior Research Fellow at the RIMS Pathology Department is a reminder of the fragile and barbaric nature of the state and its people. But in a state that is fast becoming no stranger to cases of gruesome deaths and cases of rapes and molestation, there seems to be no one to shed tears or raise an alarm over the nature of death of an infant who was cut to death, probably owing to his severe cleft lip and palate and both hands having six fingers each. The regularity of cases of rape, murder and crimes being committed against the children is now in such a manner that there is not a single week that goes by without one or more cases coming to light. The State Police, which for long has been adept at their operations against armed cadres and netting 9 MMs like they were fish in the pond, are still to crack any criminal cases in recent public memory in any of the major cases that have shaken the public consciousness. Even when the names of the acuused in certain crimes crop up and there is some sort of action taken up, there is also the other side of bail being given and the case lying somewhere. All of which, explains the public anger on the streets bristling with fury and a total lack of conviction that the police would do its bit in solving the current case. This also explains the culture of JACs and public meetings that decide the course of public agitations. Sorry state of affairs that the public but mostly the women of a society have to take to the streets to demand action indeed.

The matter of whether bandhs aid in making the concerned authorities sit up, listen hard and take action is another matter altogether. When 2012 went by to give way to 2013, the year ending month gave the gift of another public agitation in the state over the alleged molestation of a film artiste. The public fury then was such that curfew had to be imposed and one from the media fraternity became a fatal casualty in the fracas between the protesting public and the police. That case is still unresolved and the film artist in question have gone ahead with her life and career, even going to the extent of having a film shoot of the deceased’s memorial site which so incensed locals that she had to apologize and accept the ban that she would not have any film shoots in the area in the future. All the cries that reverberated during the agitation then have been put behind with a resounding noise. Cut to the agitation phase, when passions ran so high that there were contrasting claims, when the call for agitations to be called off on account of Christmas. When it comes to the part of bandhs and their effects, we would also have to take into account the fact that they create problematic spaces for working professionals who have to report for duty, school going children and other students, daily wage earners who make their living by driving rickshaws, selling vegetables, carrying loads and others. Most bandh calling JACs and organizations have been kind enough to announce that the media and medical personnel are exempt but going by past and present records, the truth is a totally different story on the field and in the streets.

Starting mostly from the last public agitation over the artist’s alleged molestation case and the physical attack that was meted out to her, a different bandh culture has unfortunately begun to emerge. The trend from then till now has been for younger people under the haze of alcohol and other forms of drugs to play the part of bandh keepers on one hand while another crop take out fancy cameras and zip by on the roads with ‘PRESS’ tickers pasted in their vehicles, all for photos that they would then upload on various social networking sites. The fall out of such actions are borne by the real media working on the ground who has to brave both the police and the protestors on the road and tell the story as they unfold. Where earlier, the media have been given free pass to move about from spot to spot, the last two agitations so far have been too dismissive of media personnel on the ground going so far to the extent of inebriated people asking for media ID cards. In this scenario, the news of the indefinite bandh over the Satyabhama case being kept under ‘suspension’ assumes a conflicting reaction given that a break in agitations psychologically takes off the edge on one hand while the other is the quiet relief that media will now have the room to pass.

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Killer cannot escape

Crime against woman shocks human psyche. But someone somewhere carries out devilish acts of killing woman for one reason or other. Many escape scot free without getting punishment they deserve. Such incident that happens without warning like the cloud burst pierces the hearts of all. Why cannot killers be arrested? The manner with which Satyabhama was killed and abandoned has sent shock wave across the state. The state police had encountered similar cases in the past. Investigation has been launched on war footing. Something will surely come out of the intensive investigation done by the Manipur police to track down the killer of Satyabhama. Police is focussing on the mobile contact between the victim and some unknown guys. The clue is being built up piece by piece. Satyabhama did not disclose anything to her family members. Police is therefore finding a tough job in tracking down the killer. Investigation angle needs to be expanded to know whether more than one person was involved in the commission of the heinous crime. Investigation will surely reveal whether the person committing the crime against her was known to her or not? The crime of such nature is really abhorrent. How the incident took place. Details of the incident must be disclosed after the police have found it, so that everyone will be able to study by themselves the ailments that have afflicted the society. Which group of people are vulnerable to such kind of attack? Why was she killed? Could not she be left alone? Was she enticed by the killer to move to the area or did she go to the place on her own. She must be having some friends to whom she might have disclosed if she had any relationship with anybody. They can be encouraged to provide the clue if they had any. But unless police can protect the source of information nobody will cooperate with law enforcing agencies. No informer will like to land in trouble for extending cooperation to the police. Three days having passed the police might have established the clue as to how she was brought to the area and how she was killed. The police might have known a lot. It is the investigation stage and nothing much is disclosed at such point of time. The entire people desire that the killers are arrested without delay. Until that happens the possibility of relaxing bandh is remote. But the entire masses cannot be confined within the four walls without doing anything. At some areas the bandh has assumed dangerous proportion. The local masses have asked each other when this bandh will end. We hate all forms of killings. More so the attack on fair sex. All out efforts should be made to control the crime of such nature. The same question rings in our ears why cannot we protect fair sex?

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/killer-cannot-escape/

That’s is really shameful

Why was she killed? That should mark the beginning of the investigation. We consider every life precious more so the innocent fair sex, who cannot protect themselves. Who are these people, who think they can kill man and woman at their sweet will. Manipur cannot earn the dubious distinction of being the creator of pitiless souls, who are out on the street like the jungle beasts, which consider harmless animals as plaything. The status of a community or society, where it stands should be measured when it can ensure safety to all sections of the people living in the state, let alone fair sex. All that is happening in the state is really shameful. We cannot ensure security to the fair sex. That is shameful. Once again a woman in early thirties had been done to death. The dastardly killing had posed a simple question are women not safe in Manipur? Criminals involved in the crime will be arrested. There is no doubt about it. Manipur is a close knit society one knows what their close friends or relatives are doing. Someone close to the killer will come out with the details how and where the victim was finished. No stone should be left unturned to understand the modus operandi adopted by the killer and the manner with which the killing was done. Such news of killing innocent helpless woman is really disturbing. It must not happen again. A deeper investigation needs to be done even the after the arrest of the culprits involved in the killing of the woman. Investigation will reveal what is sweeping in the criminals mind set. Did the killers rob the victim of per precious possession? Did she wear gold chain and ear rings when she set out from home? Did she wear the same items when her lifeless body was found? Investigation into the crime of such degree must not be abandoned mid way. All out efforts should be made to understand what made the perpetrator of the crime to act like wild beasts. The beasts cannot grasp the consequence that will entail for the action done. The perpetrators of the crime need to be dealt with like beasts. For they do not know what they were doing. Laws have been made stricter to deal with the ever increasing crime against women. Amazingly the strict laws cannot check killers’ propensity to commit crime against women. What should be done now? This question has its relevance as the crime against fair sex in Manipur is on the rise. Crime against women had paled elsewhere after the Delhi rape cum murder case? Why this shock wave does not reach Manipur? Still there are large numbers of thugs, who are lurking to strike at will the soft targets. Our society must be vigilant against such thugs. Let it not happen again.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/thats-is-really-shameful/

Manipur electricity

There is the talk of Manipur Government giving power supply to the border areas of Myanmar. What is happening here in the state capital is that even the electricity bill has not been sent to the consumers. Manipur Government understands that there would be enough energy to electrify vast areas of land if the consumers would not hesitate to clear electricity bills. The main problem facing the state is the consumers’ refusal to clear electricity bill in time. But the consumers, who pay electricity bill regularly want meter reading be done regularly. But if the bills are not sent regularly there is apprehension in the minds of the consumers that a time will come when they will not be able to clear the bills. These days meter readers have stopped going to the house of consumers. Consumers, who have received pre paid connection, receiving 24 hours electricity, are enviable. When will this facility cover the entire Imphal area? Until that happens those, who cannot enter prestigious group will have to remain contended with four or six hours power supply. No matter whether the consumers are given a few hours power supply or not meter reading must not stop for at the end the losers will be those, who use electricity. Consumers cannot be expected to remember electricity bill without seeing the billing paper. Where had gone all those meter readers. Like the Government teachers getting pay, perks and perquisites without taking class they too have wanted pay without doing anything. This is not a good trend. Pull up the recalcitrant engineers, who are in charge of electricity complaint room. Staffs in charge of transformer, lines men and meter readers will be on their toe when the supervising engineers work sincerely. In many Leikais too many consumers whose bill amount for power consumption having reached five figures lament if only the meter readers came regularly they would have cleared the bill in time and subsequent power line snapping would not have happened at all. Neither they can clear the bill now nor does the authority make serious attempt to provide connection to such defaulters. But many of these defaulters have resorted to power thieving. These consumers would extend lines in the night and roll it in the morning. There are some foolish consumers who argue that the consumer registration was done in the name of his late father or mother’s name so it is not binding to clear the bill owed by late parents. But in reality he continues to enjoy the facility long after the parents had died. This will be known when meter reading is done regularly. The same rule of sending bills to the power consumers should be adhered to by the PHED also. In every Leikai there are more than one hundred house hold members. Every house has a small pipe entering up to kitchen but the number of legal consumers does not reach even two figures. These illegal consumers without paying anything to the Government have ridiculed the Government for failure to provide drinking water. Do illegal consumers have the right to speak about non availability of drinking water? The matter should receive the attention of the highest authority and take steps to understand what is ailing our society?

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/manipur-electricity/

`Local media` angst

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The non ending TV coverage which will be expectedly followed up by reams of newsprint on the death of Students Federation of India (SFI) leader Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata in the backdrop of allegations that a baton charge by police led to his fatal injury is yet another example of how such incident ends up being in the national media spotlight by mere virtue of the geo-political context. If Sudipto had been a student leader dying in the same manner in any one of the states in the NE region, there would have been no national media spotlight. The same goes for smaller town based incidents of the same nature: zilch in the national consciousness but because the late Sudipto was from Kolkata, there will be more media fodder in the days to come, many rants on social networking sites and countless breathless TV reporting and shouting matches on panel discussions on prime time news. Therein lies a reality that we all live with: that the national media remain blind to issues which are more critical than the celebrity gazing that passes of as news content and need to be in the spotlight. Apart from the fact that the NE region is far from the political-cultural-social consciousness of the national media, the truth is that there is commerce involved. For newspapers, the north east is not a great business opportunity apart from Guwahati, given the resources and logistics needed to ensure that papers make it to readers on time and the lack of avenues for major corporate advertisement investments. For the news channels, the Target Rating Point (TRP) does not cover the North East region. Factored in as a tool to judge which programs are viewed the most on TV, TRPs gives an index of the choice of the people and tracks the popularity of a particular channel. A device called People`s Meter is attached to the TV set in a few thousand viewers` houses for judging purpose and records the time and the program that viewers watches on a particular day. These numbers are treated as sample from the overall TV owners in different geographical and demographic sectors. The average is then taken for a 30-day period, which gives the viewership status for a particular channel. Once the TRPs come in, advertisements and contents are embedded in TV programs, including news. Simple economics indeed!

There will always be the angst of the smaller media outlets within the fraternity and more so because the share of what is called the ‘local media’ is indeed heavy at times. Working without or rather, inspite of small financial resources, the ‘local media’ will have to work within a very limited sphere in terms of being part of an incestuous social-cultural-economic-political context of relations. The nature of being in the middle or even having vague synergies with shady elements or even banned groups make the nature of the media functioning in the state to be disjointed and pressured to take a stand for or against. The proof of this lies in the many instances where the media in Manipur have been gagged and bound over matters of certain missives being published or not. The accusations against various media personnel and the resulting clarifications tell its own story of having to separating the wheat from the chaff and in the scenario, discounting every charge with the uneasy feeling that what goes behind the printed words of a newspaper is not necessarily just black and white. It does not take rocket science to figure out that a ‘free press’ or a ‘free media’ are misnomers in Manipur, every time there is an e mail from one of the many groups specifying what must go in print and what must not. Elsewhere, there is the phenomenon of ‘alternative media’ where social media networking sites and blogs or even video news are used as non conventional outlets to tell stories. This is something that is being done with great effect and which has even shaped global phenomenon’ like the Arab Spring or the Occupy Wall Street campaign. But when it comes to Manipur, the Internet is throwing up more trolls than serious room and opportunity to highlight major issues and their discussion. More often than not, many Internet forums are bent on spreading malicious charges and accusations with no proof given and given the lack of a spirit for not getting personally affronted during discussions, internet forum content in the form of news and views still have miles to go. For the local print media including cable TV though, it would be the fate of years on the job saying and writing about something that the national media may or may not even get a clue about in years altogether and also, get the brunt of the movers and the shakers.

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Think for the young children

Are we condemned lot that we cannot think for the future generation particularly for the young children. Little space available in every Leikai has been used up in the construction of crematorium or community hall. Crematoriums are for cremation and community halls for feasting. The two constructions reveal the state of affairs happening in every Leikai. We remain engrossed thinking about death and feast only. Where there used to be foot ball or hockey ground has been occupied by community hall and crematorium. But death occurs rarely once or twice in a year. The place occupied by crematorium remains deserted as young children do not want to enter the area. The population in Delhi is 10 times larger than Manipur. But no crematorium is to be seen as is being seen here in Manipur. Something needs to be done to change the mindset of the people, who compete in the construction of crematorium. Amazingly youngsters talk proudly when his Leikai possesses a crematorium. Those not having one have felt depression. Long before Local area development fund of the MLAs were nonexistent there used to be lots of play grounds for the children. If the local area development fund would be used in building the two useless constructions it is time the fund is abolished. Our MLAs must not allow the fund to be used in doing useless things. Instead of constructing crematoriums in every Leikai the state Government must think of constructing electronic crematorium where family members can bring the mortal remains of their near and dear ones for consecration to the fire. When that is done all these crematoriums can be dismantled and the space available can be restored to their original position. How many of these children can go to Khuman Lampak or SAI complex to test their talents. Manipur may lose the prestigious sports power house title when these young children for want of space stop playing. The sports stars of the state have many stories to tell about how they could reach their present status. Football legend Maradona was spotted by his coach when as a child he kicked empty cans with left foot hitting the target of his choice. When he played with the empty cans he would not have known he would one day become the greatest footballer on the earth. Similarly our boxers, cyclists, weightlifters would not have reached their present status if they did not play. Stop worrying about crematorium and community halls. These crematoriums are dark spot. Funny things happen in some areas crematorium is developed like a garden. Who will dare enter such place until the death calls you. Let us think for the future generation. We need to preserve lots of space for the young children, where they can play leisurely. Show the responsibility of serving all the people including the young children.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/think-for-the-young-children/

When the children get home

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After dragging its feet and total silence over the recent case of children who have been rescued from a ‘Children Home’ in Jaipur in what is a clear case of child trafficking, the news of the Social Welfare Department stepping in to repatriate the trafficked children is welcome news indeed. It needs no mention here that this step has come about after civil society groups cried hoarse over the non action of the Department and the Government of Manipur, despite the grand announcement of an anti trafficking cell some years ago. The lack of seriousness when the news of the children being rescued by another civil society group trickled in is manifest in the delay in the process for getting back the children in question and the total silence over what measures were being taken up with regard to the incident coming to light. Child trafficking is a serious crime and a profitable business and one that is prevalent in societies caught in the grips of what is becoming fashionable to describe as ‘fragile states.’ Manipur is definitely a fragile state given the nature of poverty, lack of development, lack of commitment to address child trafficking on one hand and the lack of awareness about handing children to agencies even in cases where the parents or guardians are said to have given their consent. Technically, ‘consent’ is a much abused word in itself for even in cases where parents and guardians give their permission for their children to be taken away to other states, it is a case of cheating and withholding information when they are not given the true picture of how the children in question would be treated or in what conditions they will be kept in. Often, people involved in trafficking will show papers signed by parents to get away from being charged with trafficking cases slapped against them but the authorities who are taking up such cases need to be clued into the fact that consent is not consent really till facts are handed out.

Now that the children have been brought back, the Government seems to be caught in a damage control mode with the Chief Minister himself going to meet the children and interact with the children. Thankfully, the photos handed out have also been sensitive enough to ensure that the identity of the children are protected with none of the photographs showing their faces. But if only, the Government had not fast forwarded its overtures merely to make up for its delayed response, it would have made more sense. Young children who have reportedly been surviving in an alien environment and under inhumane conditions would have profited more from in-depth counseling sessions, rather than having to go through the exercise of meeting the Chief Minister, the Social Welfare Minister along with a host of officials who would be total strangers and who would be cutting imposing pictures of authority. For all that we know, the children may be undergoing trauma and trying to resolve in their young minds issues of insecurity, fear and unease. They have been cheated, abused and given their earlier experience, have no reason to trust total strangers who step in to with gun toting security personnel. This is not to take away from the value of the steps that the Honorable Chief Minister has announced today, going so far to say that the state government has paid special attention to the issue of child trafficking. Since the action of getting back the children is proof that the State is indeed taking up some step, civil society groups working in the grass roots will only be happy and eager to know exactly what it is that the government has been taking up to ensure on preventing child trafficking from the state, what steps are taken in case children do end up getting trafficked and what are the process of repatriation and rehabilitation. Yes, there is the announcement of free education but that’s a given in any case under RTE. There would need to be more clarity on whether the children will be handed back to their respective families and whether the all important counsellings for emotional and mental well being will be carried out. Child trafficking is a very lucrative business and there is every reason for such cases to come into light or more seriously, to have more serious cases not coming into light. To contain the practice, there would have to be a strong partnership between the state trafficking units, the social welfare department and grass roots NGOs for it is them who have the most people connect and who can act as news harbinger of such cases taking place. There would have to be intensive awareness campaigns on what steps should be followed to verify offers of children education or job recruitment in other parts of the state. The district child welfare committee too would need to pull up its socks and act proactively in terms of awareness and confidence building action.

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Which group will form Government at the centre

These are all political game, which should be seen as a ploy to outsmart each other. Ever since Congress party kick started political campaign projecting Rahul Gandhi as the heir to the throne in the Chintan Shivir held in Rajasthan BJP has been waiting for the opportune moment to give a reply to the Congress projection of Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. BJP has revamped its decision making body, yet it is keeping in the dark, who will be its prime ministerial candidate. No war is won without a general. Soldiers fight albeit aimlessly and their vision is short. If BJP is really serious about ushering in the party to power it should come out clean on leadership issue. The person so chosen should be acceptable to all its allies in the NDA. But long before the real war has begun crack has appeared in the NDA with its ally JD (U) making its stand clear that it will not accept Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate of NDA. Congress party is also not poised to get absolute majority, it will need support from other parties. One thing is clear political parties having vote bank among the minority communities will not go for BJP led group. 30 percent of the population belong to minority community. They include Muslim, Christians, Dalits and others following different faiths. Left Front no matter whether it wins a few seats or not will remain contented keeping safe distance from BJP. Telegu Desam in Andhra Pradesh ate humble pie for supporting NDA Government in the past. It is now struggling for survival. Similarly Samajwadi Party, BSP will not fall on NDA line. These political parties understand BJP is more dangerous than Congress (I). The possibility of third front coming out at such critical juncture of political parties looking for base is remote. The fight will be between Congress led group and BJP led group. In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections slated for early part of 2014, voters have started weighing the bad side and better side of all the political parties. Political parties too are in search of issues on which they can bank. Congress party in the meanwhile is thinking of going to the people by framing policies and programmes for the common masses. RTI, MGNREGA were popular policies of the Congress led Government. Food Security Bill will add a feather on the cap of the UPA II Government. Even the diehard opposition parties will not oppose this bill. Having observed the development that has taken place in the past few months one can make a logical conclusion the fight for ouster of the ruling party at the centre will be very tough. Samajwadi Party and AIADMK know that very well. Therefore the two parties despite winning elections in massive scale in the respective assembly elections do not demand conduct of early elections. The outcome of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections will be revealed by the assembly elections being held in Karnataka and other states in South.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/which-group-will-form-government-at-the-centre/

Yaoshang spell

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Manipur can well be described as the land of never ending festivals since one goes off only to bring in another in its place partly owing to the various communities living in the state with their different beliefs and practices. Call it multiculturalism or a penchant for revelries and festivities but the people of the state do not have any dearth for being in high spirits under the garb of festivals. Amongst the various communities living in the state, it is the Meties who can boast of being the ones who takes the prize when it comes to observing a never ending array of festivals. For the Meiteis, every festival is of course a major festival with Yaoshang being the top of the pile given that it is held for five full days starting from the full moon of the month of Phagun during which time, the scheme of things come to a near complete halt. The number of days of the festival is near to similar with the observations in certain parts of North India but suffice to say that the five days of Holi in Manipur surpasses the nature of celebrations and social and cultural indulgence. For the very young, the festival is an innocent introduction to the fine art of ‘extorting’ money, which children do by going to homes and asking for money or putting ‘roadblocks’. For the older young people, ‘Yaoshang’ as Holi is known is a socially sanctioned courting period where strict social and cultural codes of no show of personal affection can be crossed by holding hands to the beat of drums and music at night.

The younger generation in fact, often fails to see the devotional aspect of Yaoshang apart from the connotation of the Hindu mythological story of the veil Hollika being burnt on the fire while the noble Prahlad is saved because of his devotion. To the older generation, Holi means a time for offering the best of spring to Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha and celebrating their divine love. For the later generation of course, the sub text of spiritual devotion can be lost but it is evident that the air of romance has caught on given the number of elopements that take place during the five-day period. There is still no proper study in this link between social and cultural sub texts of festivals but in Gujarat, another traditional society statistics have shown that the festival of Navratri that allows for open social sanction of young people mixing together leads to an increasing marriage activity!

One other activity around Holi that cannot be left out is the Sports meets that are organized at the Leikai level. Many often describe them as being representative of the great love for sports that people of this state have. There may be some amount of truth is this assumption but it would be wrong to pitch Sports meets during the festival as a strong ground for appreciating and encouraging sports in the state. Firstly, the activities are conducted in an almost casual manner: there are no clock timers for athletic activities; the judges are often the elders of the Leikai or young people while the participants are mostly people who do take up any athletic activity for the whole year. For the Yaoshang sports meets to be actually an extension of grooming or encouraging sporting talents, there needs to be much more competitiveness. Perhaps organizing them on the lines of Municipal wards etc may help bring in some seriousness. While organizing sports meets have brought down the extent of small children standing by road-sides and stopping pedestrians and vehicles for `Nakatheng`, much needs to be done if they are to be vehicles for encouraging sporting talents.

While most states in the country mark Holi in one day, in Manipur the majority of shops and business establishments remain closed year after year. Passenger vehicles stay off the road and people who make a living from daily labour or selling vegetables etc will suffer the most and not much gets done during the five-day break including for media houses. With the financial year closing around the corner, some Government departments and officials would certainly be cursing the festival this time round. But more than anything else, one hopes that the five day period does not bring a surplus of bad tidings at the end of festivities as proved by earlier occasions starting with the Heirok incident and subsequent others where there have been loss of lives. May this Holi be a safe one!

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Manipur`s High Court

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After Indian got its independence, the Assam Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution on 9 September 1947 that a High Court be established for the Province of Assam. The High Court of Assam was inaugurated on 5 April 1948. It initially had its sittings at Shillong but shifted to Guwahati on 14 August 1948. When Nagaland state was created on 1 December 1963, the Assam High Court was renamed as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland. When Manipur got its statehood on January 21, 1972; the Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court also came into existence with its Principal Seat at Guwahati in neighboring Assam. A common High Court was established for the five North-Eastern States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura and the then two Union Territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh following the re-organization of the North-Eastern region by the North Eastern Area (Re-organization) Act, 1971. Later in 1992, a Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court at Imphal was established. Following the swearing in of Justice Ahay Manohar Sapre as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court and N. Kotiswor, a judge of the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court, as a Judge of the Manipur High Court at Raj Bhavan last week, the people of the state along with the people in neighboring Tripura and Meghalaya can take pride in having their own State High Courts. For long, the people of the state have had to resort to spending more time, energy and financial resources while pursuing their legal wrangles and cases in Guwahati. For many, the burden of having to travel to Guwahati took its toll either physically and mentally in case surface transport was taken or in the case of travel by flights, the cost factor would come into play.

Even as the Government is yet to appoint a second judge for the High Court, there is a sense of hope that the High Court of the State will make a positive mark in taking up legal matters of the people of the state. While the steps towards the State High Court has arguably taken its own time with pressure being put on by various stakeholders including from the legal fraternity in the state which had taken up various forms of agitation while making its demands for its say in the number of judges being appointed, there is no doubt that a lot of gaps still exist in the legal set up and systems existing in the state. There are only two district courts in the state and people from the hill districts specially have to go through the rigor of traveling to Imphal and go to Courts, sometimes to be told that their lawyers or judges have adjourned hearings. Even with the two district courts, the existing support mechanisms from the law enforcement department still leaves a lot to be desires with many instances where witnesses or even prisoners have been left stranded either at the Court complexes or at Jails while awaiting for police vehicles to ferry them back and forth. The assurances that efforts will be given to expedite legal cases and that technology will be used to update case progress is music to the ears.

The other side of the story also has its share of thorns and negativity. Earlier, The Manipur High Court Bar Association’s had gone into agitation mode demanding appointment of judges to the Manipur HC from among the local lawyers and judicial officers. But the merit of this argument as a demand can only be on the basis of legal experience and due qualifications. The appointment of N. Kotiswor, earlier a judge of the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court and who has also been the Advocate General for the State as a Judge with the Manipur High Court now is proof that with the qualification and experience comes the recognition and position that is due. Any other ground for the remaining Judge to be necessarily from the state would be unfair. The legal fraternity in the state must also look within and take stock of whether they have been able to imbibe a sense of confidence in the people of the state over their role in rendering justice. Infrastructures can be factored in and institutions can be built but along with them, there is an imperative need for more commitment and doggedness to the cause called justice.

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A lesson for VIPs

That day a VIP led by a pilot vehicle moved in full speed blaring horns loudly causing anxiety to all on the road. But they were unmindful. They overtook from all vehicles from left or right wherever there was space. Perhaps the VIP sitting inside the tinted glass did not ask the driver to control the speed. The pilot vehicle maintained the good speed and left the following VIP car at the gate of the Chief Minister’s bungalow. As expected the gate was not opened. A procedure has to be maintained before entering the Chief Minister’s bungalow. Similarly the Raj Bhavan gate cannot be forced open no matter howsoever big you are. That shows there is a limit beyond which one cannot go. VIPs are shamelessly violating traffic rules without any inhibition. We feel ashamed of them. That day that VIP could not enter the bungalow without introducing self. If they cannot do whatever they want even at the gate of their boss why they think of traumatising common public by driving wildly in the crowded area. Even after entering the bungalow they will be waiting for their turn to meet the boss. They pretend in front of their boss as if they are upholder official decorum. That is white lie. Tinted glass is banned in Manipur. The commoners have stopped using it. Who else are using tinted glass? What they are doing sitting behind the tinted glass. In Delhi when a car with tinted glass was stopped by police the finding was mindboggling. A rape victim was sitting inside the vehicle. Rules can be framed but unless it is adhered to by the VIPs where lies its importance. The Government decision to allow only the Governor and the Chief Minister to use the roads inside the Kangla is beautiful. But this rule has been defied even by the middle ranked officials. That’s called desecration of a sacred place, which has possessed all the distinctive qualities of becoming world heritage site. Our VIPs should be forced to join orientation courses to enable them understand on how to respect masses not only their bosses. Many of them were once lowly guy. But all of sudden they have been provided security cover and they have forgotten their past. Do not forget there is a story of a young girl whose mother was pipe maker (used in inhaling ganja). Luckily the girl was married into a rich family and when she came to her maternal home she asked her mother pointing to the pipe from where you plucked it? The mother was befuddled, though she had answer yet she kept mum. Likewise the common people are allowing VIPs to move on the road wildly but in the corner of the heart they have been cursed for behaving wildly on the street. If you cannot enjoy the same prestige after the end of the present term you must know that the curse that the common masses had showered on you has been translated into action. Try to feel the problems facing the commoners on the road and move slowly and steadily. If you behave properly on the road common masses will not scoff at you when you cannot easily enter the Raj Bhavan and Chief Minister’s bungalow.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/a-lesson-for-vips/

Dismal power supply and its fall out

Electricity bill has not been sent to the consumers. That’s perplexing. Should not meter readers be assigned the task for which they have been appointed? Consumers, who pay electricity bill regularly want meter reading be done regularly. It is true dismal power supply has egged on meter readers to neglect their duty. But if the bills are not sent regularly there is apprehension in the minds of the consumers that a time will when they will not be able to clear the bills. Consumers, who make proper economic planning at home have found the new turn of incident as a blow to their well being. These days meter readers have stopped going to the house of consumers. Consumers have also ridiculed the employees for doing meter reading without giving regular power supply. Consumers, who have received pre paid connection, receiving 24 hours electricity are enviable. When will this facility cover the entire Imphal area? Until that happens those, who cannot enter prestigious group will have to remain contended with four or six hours power supply. No matter whether the consumers are given a few hours power supply or not meter reading must not stop for at the end the losers will be those, who use electricity. Consumers cannot be expected to remember electricity bill without seeing the billing paper. Where had gone all those meter readers. Like the Government teachers getting pay, perks and perquisites without taking class they too have wanted pay without doing anything. This is not a good trend. Pull up the recalcitrant engineers, who are in charge of electricity complaint room. Staffs in charge of transformer, lines men and meter readers will be on their toe when the supervising engineers work sincerely. In many Leikais too many consumers whose bill amount for power consumption having reached five figures lament if only the meter readers came regularly they would have cleared the bill in time and subsequent power line snapping would not have happened at all. Neither they can clear the bill now nor does the authority make serious attempt to provide connection to such defaulters. But many of these defaulters have resorted to power thieving. These consumers would extend lines in the night and roll it in the morning. There are some foolish consumers who argue that the consumer registration was done in the name of his late father or mother’s name so it is not binding to clear the bill owed by late parents. But in reality he continues to enjoy the facility long after the parents had died. This will be known when meter reading is done regularly. The same rule of sending bills to the power consumers should be adhered to by the PHED also. In every Leikai there are more than one hundred house hold members. Every house has a small pipe entering up to kitchen but the number of legal consumers does not reach even two figures. These illegal consumers without paying anything to the Government have ridiculed the Government for failure to provide drinking water. Do illegal consumers have the right to speak about non availability of drinking water? The matter should receive the attention of the highest authority and take steps to understand what is ailing our society?

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/dismal-power-supply-and-its-fall-out/

A thought for water

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Leader Writer: Shobaraj Yumlembam Water is an essential ingredient for the existence of life beginning from the most basic process of photosynthesis in plants. Photosynthesis is the most basic and significant chemical reaction on earth, providing the primary nutrients, directly … Continue reading →

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Leader Writer: Shobaraj Yumlembam

Water is an essential ingredient for the existence of life beginning from the most basic process of photosynthesis in plants. Photosynthesis is the most basic and significant chemical reaction on earth, providing the primary nutrients, directly or indirectly, for all living organisms and is the primary source of atmospheric oxygen. Without water and its unique and unusual properties, life as we know it on earth would not exist. However, due to various factors, water has been polluted making it unfit for consumption. In light of this, the World Water Day assumes special significance. The day has been observed on March 22 since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Day for Water. In addition to the UN member states, a number of NGOs promoting clean water and sustainable aquatic habitats have used World Day for Water as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues of our era.

In a new draft National Water Policy, the water resources ministry had suggested that access to safe drinking water and sanitation be regarded as a right. But one-third of the Indians do not have access to clean drinking water and more than half of the country`s population to clean sanitation. To achieve the goal, the Ministry has proposed a national water framework, which will help each state to come up with essential legislation on water governance. The state legislations will have to provide necessary authority to the lower tiers of the government to deal with the local water situation. It also states that the local government institutions will ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water that will be available within the reach of each household.

But only 42.2% people in Jharkhand and 38% in Manipur have access to clean drinking water whereas in Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; people have nearly 90% access. With water crisis becoming to be one of the major issues in Manipur, it is high time that we try to follow what has been done in other parts of the globe. Deforestation in the catchment areas of major rivers, absence of supply pipelines or old pipeline leakage, improper drainage system, lack of maintenance and pollution of water bodies and the drastic changes in the annual rainfall pattern due to global warming and climate change are the main reasons for shortage of water in the state. Instead of only waiting for action from government, there is a need for people to work towards effective means to solve the water crisis. For instance, during the raining season, rain water can be conserved and roof-top water harvesting technology adopted by the public. Rainwater harvesting is the best and most viable option to solve water crisis in the state given the nature of the monsoons in this part of the country. Rainwater harvesting is merely the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse. The water thus collected can be used for the watering plants, for raising livestock, irrigation, etc. Rainwater harvesting provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions and in developed countries is often used to supplement the main supply. It is also means to provide water when there is a drought or a lean rain patch in the summer season.

Some ways to conserve water at home are to take shorter duration showers or by turning off the shower after soaping up and then turning it back on to rinse. A simple act like turning off the water during brushing or shaving can contribute towards saving water. Other practical measures to conserve water in our daily routine is by simply checking water faucets, tapes and pipes for leaks, and not using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket to flush down cigarette butts, facial tissue or other trash. Apart from observing the World Water Day, joining hands and using all the possible means to preserve water, and spreading awareness on how to tackle water issues would be the most meaningful lesson that we can all inculcate in our daily lives so that when the next observation comes by, we will not have to be at a want for water.

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Diverting Traffic

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It is becoming increasingly rare for a day to go by without the news of a fatal accident or more such cases coming in. Not surprising, given the sheer number of vehicles and traffic volume on the shrinking road space. The directive to two wheeler borne people to wear helmets to keep their heads safe has not worked for even with helmets strapped on, people have been crushed to death in the rush to inch ahead in severely cramped roads and by-lanes. Often, the toll that road accidents have taken in the main roads in Imphal are not because of overt high speeding since the roads are too narrow for vehicles to spread out. In Imphal alone, the volume of traffic on the roads are made worse by the endless array of auto rickshaws on one hand and security convoys on the other that insist on getting first preference on the roads. Accidents from vehicles overtaking one another happen mostly on long road stretches outside of the main Imphal area but within the main Imphal area and in residential areas, the most accident-prone areas are at intersection points where small lanes and roads meet the main roads.

While the lack of traffic rules and signals amongst pedestrians and vehicle do contribute to the growing casualty of accidents everyday, the greater worry is the sheer congestion of traffic on the roads and the lack of appropriate and adequate road signals. This, coupled with the cover of darkness on the roads because of the acute load shedding in the state and the absence of street lighting once evening sets in, gives in to a dangerous spectacle and the possibility of more road accidents waiting to happen. Daily, the school timings of young children being ferried in over-packed school vans are a worrying sight given that van drivers are in a constant rush to ensure that children get on time to their schools. Most often, schools vans are not only over loaded in terms of the number of children that they hold but also weighed down by school bags piled on top. It would bode well for the concerned department and for schools to ensure that vehicles carrying school going children are not jam packed with children before any tragedy strikes.

Considering that the number of vehicles on the roads and streets of Imphal are only going to increase as a fall out of vehicles becoming symbols of upward social mobility and aided very much by financial schemes that ensures easy loans, the only other option is to find ways of managing traffic flow on the streets which is easier said than done. The long lasting way out would be to start planning strategically over constructing outer ring roads and fly over’s but this would have to be done systematically and with an intent to complete the task with efficiency, quality control in a set time. Manipur’s public often do not have much trust in infrastructure development going by past records of long drawn out projects leading to public discomfort and shoddy quality work. Any suggestion of a fly over in the state is received with derision following the much touted ‘fly over’ in Imphal, which after completion was found to be only an over bridge and one that ended up being constructed in a direction that does nothing to take off traffic volume. Another practical solution is to regulate the number of auto rickshaws plying on the streets of Imphal and to take up a systematic approach towards planning their routes. Currently, the growing number of auto rickshaws on the streets of Imphal even as they substitute for the lack of a proper public system of transport in the state also end up congesting the streets.

In matters of the concerned department cracking down on underage drivers and proper documents being in place, no amount of half hearted approach is going to make a difference to the attitude of people who do end up getting ‘caught’. There would have to be more stringent processes for vehicle registration and in handing out traffic licenses on a sustained basis. It should be noted that when a town bursts starts to burst at its seams, it is just the beginning of the great urban nightmare. Traffic will start choking up the streets and the rest of the ugliness will follow. More reason then, to start planning ahead.

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Send the bill

Those, who pay electricity bill regularly want meter reading be done regularly and deliver the bill regularly. But as the power supply has become dismal the meter readers have shirked the duty of meter reading. This has caused anxiety and restlessness to several consumers. There are men and women, who make proper economic planning. In the same manner expert designers cut the coat out of clothes they calculate their monthly expenditure that includes payment of tax for electricity and water. These days meter readers have stopped going to the house of consumers for the reason best known to them. They have been ridiculed by the consumers for doing meter reading while the consumers receive a few hours power supply. Consumers, who have received pre paid connection, have belonged to the prestigious class. 24 hours electricity they receive daily is quite enviable. When will this facility cover the entire Imphal area? Until that happens those, who cannot enter prestigious group will have to remain contended with four or six hours power supply. No matter whether the consumers are given a few hours power supply or not meter reading must not stop for at the end the losers will be those, who use electricity. Consumers cannot be expected to remember electricity bill without seeing the billing paper. Where had gone all those meter readers. Like the Government teachers getting pay, perks and perquisites without taking class they too have wanted pay without doing anything. This is not a good trend. Pull up the recalcitrant engineers, who are in charge of electricity complaint room. Staff in charge of transformer, lines men and meter readers will be on their toe when the engineers work sincerely. In many Leikais too many consumers whose bill amount for power consumption having reached five figures lament if only the meter readers came regularly they would have cleared the bill in time and subsequent power line snapping would not have happened at all. Neither they can clear the bill now nor does the authority make serious attempt to provide connection to such defaulters. But many of these defaulters have resorted to power thieving. These consumers would extend lines in the night and disconnect it in the morning. Some foolish consumers argue that the consumer registration was done in the name of his late father or mother’s name so it is not binding to clear the bill owed by late parents. But in reality he continues to enjoy the facility long after the parents had died. This will be known when meter reading is done regularly. The same rule of sending bills to the power consumers should be adhered to by the PHED also. In every Leikai there are more than one hundred house hold members. Every house has a small pipe entering up to kitchen but the number of legal consumers does not reach even two figures. These illegal consumers without paying anything to the Government have received ridiculed the Government for failure to provide drinking water. Do illegal consumers have the right to speak about non availability of drinking water? The matter should receive the attention of the highest authority and take steps to understand what is ailing our society?

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/send-the-bill/

Drinking water scarcity hits Imphal

Drinking water scarcity has hit several parts of Imphal. There is no water in the pipe. The situation is really alarming. Questions are being asked what PHED doing is. Without water nobody can survive. A pitiable scene is seen everywhere. Women of all ages move with buckets in hand for collection of water. Family fabric has been shattered as male and female clash over the non availability of water. Yet amazingly the concerned department is showing least concern to the problems caused by drinking water scarcity. The attention of the top executive of the state is drawn to look into the matter. It seems the department is in the dark not knowing as to how the problems can be solved. Those living near the major rivers like Imphal River and Iril River are lucky they can survive with the water collected from the river. Those at Uripok and other places like Thangmeiband, Keishamthong, Keishampat, Sagolband have put the hands on head not knowing what to do. It seems the water level at Singda has reduced. One can imagine the problems facing the other areas when drinking water scarcity has occurred at Uripok. The low lying area at Uripok continued to receive drinking water regularly through pipe. But that had changed in the past two of three weeks. Explanation is sought from the concerned department as and when it will start giving water regularly. Does the cessation of water supply have anything to do with the deterioration in the water level at Singda? If not when will normal water supply start? One must lesson from what one has seen and efforts must be paid to increase the number of water bodies. The habit of khas land being used in the construction of office building or community hall or crematorium must be stopped. The vacant land can be used for water preservation. Our MLAs give more attention in the construction of crematorium and community hall not in the preservation of water bodies. Where there exist ponds have been replaced by multi storied buildings. Everyone it seems is crazy about community feasting or in arranging chakkouba after marriage. The talk is about the taste of food only. No one speaks out boldly against the non availability of drinking water. Some two decades back a newspaper published a cartoon, which depicted six different countries hit by water scarcity. It said while in India executive class enjoyed well arranged party when the situation caused by water scarcity was alarming in communist country the executive class faced court martial. More punishment was mooted depending upon the nature of problem. Manipur continues to face water scarcity during dry season. It happens every year. Yet we do not learn anything from what we have seen. A change for the betterment is called for. It will not happen until the department concerned realise what it should do. Amazingly some of the engineers in the department have become crorepati after the start of sewerage project. They are not scared of showing money power in the locality where they are living. They have bought land and building worth cores of rupees. Try to utilise these engineers and ask them how scarcity will be solved. Something will surely come out of it. What is required is the initiative.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/drinking-water-scarcity-hits-imphal/