AFSPA for another year in Manipur

Iboyaima Laithangbam

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, has been extended for another year in Manipur with effect from Wednesday, after the State was declared disturbed.

The Cabinet recently recommended to the Union government that the AFSPA be extended.

The AFSPA was first imposed in Manipur in December 1980 as foreign-trained insurgents had become uncontrollable. Since then, it has been periodically extended. Under the Act, the Army has been deployed to “assist the civil administration.”

Following mass agitations for repeal, the Manipur government lifted the AFSPA from seven Assembly segments from August 12, 2004.

The government hoped that this gesture would elicit a positive response from the insurgents. However, in August 2006 they lobbed grenades at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) temple in Imphal, killing six persons.

Meghen should be brought back says BJP Manipur unit

IMPHAL, Dec 3 : The Bharatiya Janata Party Manipur Pradesh in a statement issued by its president S Ibohal Singh stated that RK Meghen should be brought back to Manipur and tried fairly in law court.
The BJP statement said that after two months concealment of the arrest of RK Meghen alias Sanayaima Singh, chairman of UNLF, a prominent underground organisation of Manipur now it is clearly understood that he was arrested in Bihar on the basis of the statement issued by the DGP, Manipur which was published in all the local newspaper & electronic media on December 2.
Now the drama of uncertainly and undemocratic way of Meghen arrest has gone and ended the harassment given to civil organisations, political parties and family members although there was serious dissatisfaction on the role played by Union Home Ministry, the BJP Manipur president claimed.
It also questioned next type of harassments and suppression of facts will be meted out to the unfortunate underground leader in the name of taking follow up legal procedures is to be observed closely as the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India had already played dishonest role on his arrest without giving information of his arrest for a long period of over two months to the people of Manipur which is deadly against the existing practice of the law of the land. This is a serious matter of deceive in brought day light, Ibohal alleged.
While appreciating the statement of DGP, Manipur he also urged the Manipur police to find out the FIR case number of the arrest of RK Meghen, name of the police station and number of days of his police remand and concerned court of the Bihar State to serve the purpose of public information since DGP is officially informed by the office of the National Investigation Agency in the public interest.
It further asserted that in the past one or two years, the public have heard stories of the arrest of some leaders of underground organisations. Rajakhwa, a leader and his associates of ULFA, NDF Chairman Niranjoy, one leader of Dema Halam of Assam and James Kuki, a leader of NSCN (IM) who were arrested in Bangladesh and Kathmandu were brought back to their respective states and now in their respective states Jail. Similarly RK Meghen should be brought back to Manipur and he should be fairly tried by the law of the land, the BJP Manipur unit urged adding any application of third degree method should be avoided.
The Chief Minister of Manipur should also take initiative as was done by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Nagaland in dealing with the problems of the arrest of underground leaders of their respective states similar to the arrest of RK Meghen the statement added.
If there was no exposition by the vice-chairman of the UNLF, Sudhir Bhonsmik of BBC and Tahelka of the arrest of RK Meghen and subsequent movement and pressure by civil organisations including the AMSU, non-Congress political parties and National and International Human Rights forums, RK Meghen could be a missing person forever, it maintained.

Militancy poses hindrance in tourism development in state: Governor Sangai Festival concludes

Imphal, November 30 2010: The 10 days Manipur Sangai festival 2010 which got under way from November 21 with the objective of showcasing the best of the state — its rich art, culture, sport, adventure tourism, natural beauty and food – concluded today.

The state government has been organising the tourism festival for the past four years as an annual feature but even the organizers claimed this one as the biggest so far, it failed to attract crowds as in previous years.

Last year, traffic police at the Palace gate entrance to the venue of the festival had a hard time controlling the thronging crowd on the last day but, it was not so this year.

Governor Gurbachan Jagat and Chief Minister O Ibobi at the closing ceremony of Manipur Sangai festival.

The concluding function was held this evening with state Governor Gurbachan Jagat as chief guest.

The Chief Minister presided over the function in which state tourism minister, TN Haokip, MLAs T Mangibabu and I Hemochandra, chief secretary DS Poonia and tourism comisisoner, KK Chhetry attended as guests of honor.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Governor, Gurbachan Jagat expressed concern over the present law and order situation asserting that it has posed a hindrance to the development of tourism in the state.

He said, "With a view to improving the state's economy, tourism should be developed in the state and, for which all sections of people should work without any bias and prejudice." He also added that a positive attitude of appreciating the beauty and good work of fellow people should be inculcated by all.

The Governor hoped the Manipur Sangai Festival will motivate al people to work for development of tourism to make the state rich and economically independent.

Exploring the aspect of development of tourism in the state, Gurbachan Jagat said that Manipur has a rich heritage in the field of art and culture which is acclaimed the world over citing the Raas Leela dance form and the pung cholom.

The indigenous games of Polo, Yubi Lakpi, Mukna, Kang, etc., make the people of the state very athletic and enthusiastic of sports.

"This is why Manipur although a very small state in area has produced high-quality world class athletes like Mary Kom, Dinku, Suranjoy, Kunjarani, etc.," he said.

Chief Minister, O Ibobi who presided the closing ceremony asserted that acknowledging the importance of tourism for the development of the state, his government is taking up various infrastructure development works.

He said, Loktak lake, the only fresh water lake in the northeastern region of the country, has potential for attracting tourists, and that the state government has drafted a mega tourism project which has been submitted to the Union ministry of tourism for funding the project.

State tourism minister, TN Haokip, MLA T Mangibabu, MLA I Hemochandra, state chief secretary DS Poonia nd tourism commissioner KK Chhetry attended the closing function as guests of honour.

Abducted Manipur PCCF rescued

IMPHAL, Dec 2 – Manipur Principal Chief Conservator of Forest who was abducted by some unknown Kuki militants has been rescued today.

S Singsit, PCCF was abducted from his mother-in-law’s house at Keithelmanbi area under Kangpokpi police station around 8.30 pm last night, police sources said.

He was then taken along with his brother-in-law towards Senapati district in a Maruti car but before reaching Kangpokpi police station his brother-in-law was released and he was shifted to a motorbike, the sources said.

But in an accident the official sustained injury and was evacuated to a government health centre at Senapati, where suspected Naga rebels rescued the official and sent him home, the source added.

However, the reason behind the abduction could not be established.

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh while addressing a World AIDS Day function here today informed the gathering about the rescue.

Meanwhile, the section officer of Fisheries department Ved prakash who kidnapped by suspected militants reportedly escaped from a place in Lourembam area under Nambol police station in Bishnupur district around 9 am yesterday, reports said.

He was kidnapped from his office in Lamphel area on November 26 at gun point.

79.32 % Villages in Manipur Under Rural Electrification Program

In Manipur, five hill districts have the highest number of electrified villages namely, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong district in the top four positions, according to the latest data.
Even though the state was experiencing shortfall in power supply, electricity department had been able to cover 79.32 percent of the total villages across the state. An official source said that the department had electrified 2002 villages till March of this current year under rural electrification programme.
In Manipur, rural electrification programmes like, Prime Minister’s Package under Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP), State Rural Electrification and others had been implemented with the target of achieving cent percent result. Meanwhile, Manipur Renewal Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) under the Manipur Science and Technology Department was supporting electrification programme for the remote areas with non-conventional energy sources, like solar, wind, biomass and others.
The source further disclosed that the demand of power had always surpassed the supply, adding that against the actual 170 Megawatt of power required, only 110 were met.
Another factor in the shortfall of power supply was transmission and distribution system, the source said. It may be mentioned that Manipur purchase 489.594 MU of energy from the Central Sector Power Agencies at a cost of Rs 107.64 crores and 44.786 MU of energy was received from the Loktak Project free of cost.
But the outstanding due payable to the Central Sector Agencies for purchased of power as on March 31 was Rs 19.5848 crores including Rs 17.2632 crore with the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) and Rs 2.3216 crore with Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB).

Governor inaugurates JNIMS in Imphal

Imphal, Aug 17 : Manipur Governor Gurbhachan Jagat today inaugurated the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) at Porompat, Imphal East. The JNIMS will impart both Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate education to medical students and deliver high-quality healthcare services to the patients. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor appealed to the government to start planning from now so that attractive packages could be offered to the Graduate and Post-Graduate students of the institute.

The JNIMS would also be functioning as a hospital with advanced systems of diagnosis and treatment and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Imphal, would also offer consultancy services through its faculty.

''Even after the passage of more than 60 years of the Independence, we have not been able to provide quality healthcare services to all of our citizens, especially the rural poor,'' Mr Jagat said.

''We have some systems in place, but we do not have willing doctors to go and serve in the difficult areas,'' he said and appealed to the government to provide a scheme of incentives to the doctors willing to serve in these areas.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, state Health Minister Ph Parijat and others attended the function.

Manipur is a mini-India; Ibobi calls for harmony

Imphal | Aug 16 : "Manipur is a mini-India. Various tribes and communities have co-existed peacefully for a long, long time. The campaign by some elements against the non-Manipuris (people from mainland India) in the state is very unfortunate," rued chief minister O.Ibobi Singh while delivering the Independence Day speech at First Manipur Rifles Ground in Imphal this morning. The chief minister was pointing to the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF)'s campaign against the non-Manipuris in the state.
O.Ibobi Singh said that such mindset of communalism should not be harboured by anybody in the state.
The chief minister then emphasized the need to have strong relationship and unity between the hills and the valley people. He said that unless the people of the hills and the valley join hands together, there cannot be encouraging future. Ibobi said that it was time for both the people of the valley and the hills to understand together.
On the Autonomous District Council (ADC) impasse, O. Ibobi Singh said assured that all the needed powers and facilities will be given to the ADCs. "We will give powers which will not be less than those Autonomous District Councils in the rest of the North Eastern states," assured the Manipur chief minister in his Independence Day speech. Ibobi said that the committee formed headed by the state chief secretary is studying minutely on the matter in order to give teeth to the ADCs.
On the issue of census operation overlapping issue, the chief minister said that the committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary whose members include the Principal Secretary (Hills), the Commissioners of Revenue and Home departments are examining the matter and the reports are almost ready. The chief minister also touched on various areas with regard to developmental fronts in the state in his speech.

Imphal deserted on I-Day

Imphal, August 16 (NNN): Amid boycott called by the various underground organisations in Manipur, Independence Day was celebrated in Manipur in many parts. As of every year the empty streets in the state capital Imphal greeted the Independence Day in Imphal this morning. No shops and other activities were carried out due to the bandh and boycott called by various militant groups in Manipur. Amid this situation, the main function was celebrated at First Manipur Rifles Ground in Imphal with chief minister O.Ibobi Singh hoisting the Tricolour this morning.
Inspite of the militant groups under the umbrella organisation of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front (MPLF) boycotting the celebrations of the Independence Day celebrations in Manipur while the KYKL has called 12 hours Manipur bandh on the day against the celebrations of the Independence Day, a sizeable number of general public, ministers, MLAs, top bureaucrats of the state, military officials and others participated in the Independence Day celebration at the First Manipur Rifles Ground. Meanwhile, the bandh in Manipur particularly in the valley districts was almost total with the streets looking deserted. No shops were seen opened. Children and few people were seen loitering in the streets. In general, it was a quiet Imphal today.

First academic session of NIT Manipur commences

IMPHAL, Aug 13 : The first academic session of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur, was officially inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Manipur, O. Ibobi Singh today at the Takyelpat Government polytechnic.

The session was officially declared open by the Chief Minister after cutting ribbons of the temporary buildings which included hostels, class rooms, of NIT located inside the Government Polytechnic campus.

Out of the 6 NIT allocated to the North Eastern Region the NIT Manipur is the first one to begin its sessions.

While delivering his speech during the inaugural function Chief Minsiter, O. Ibobi, assured that besides the existing facilities like computer science and engineering (CSC), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) more course will be upgraded and also ensure adequate infrastructures and equipment and asserted that no stone will be left un-turn to push the NIT Manipur to the level of IIT.

While clarifying over the delayed in starting the construction work of the institute, the Chief Minister pointed out that the trouble was with the acquisition of land however the process of acquisition for the 313 acres at the Lamphelpat is over. A sum of Rupees 30 crores has been earmarked for fencing and compensation of lands, he said adding if necessary the Government is planning to acquire about 200 acres more.

Chief Minister Ibobi while stating that all necessary construction work is being taken by the PDA, asserted that the Government is targeting to complete the construction of the permanent NIT within 3 to 4 years. He further contended that the temporary construction is being constructed under the funding of the state Government. Allotting NIT to Manipur is a fortunate thing for the students and the youths and appealed the people to extend their full co-operation in realizing the dreams of the Government for its citizen.

Education and Transport Minister, L. Jayenta Kumar in his speech lauded the Prime Minister of India for granting the NIT to Manipur. He appealed the people not to cause any kind of disturbances to the gift of the state especially the student’s community.

In his key note address Prof. PK. Bose, Director, NIT, he stated that the state Government has provided all help and support for starting of NIT, Manipur. According to him during the short period necessary construction of infrastructure at the temporary campus was successfully done by Manipur Development society (MDS) and at the same time PWD, Power Department and PHED, has given all their supports.

He said that the NIT Manipur will not confine with the engineering courses but also include Management courses and applied sciences in future. In this session only 61 students against 90 were admitted in which 7 are girls and 54 are boys out of which 20 boys are from outside the state of Manipur adding the session was started from 2nd August this year.

Thongju MLA and Deputy Chairman Planning Board, Bijoy Koijam, opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam, VC MU, Prof. C. Amuba, also attended as the guest of the function.

Mob storms police station in Manipur

Angry over the death of a man accused of militant at police custody, mob stormed Moirang police station of Bishnupur district on Thursday.
The mob also lodged complaint with the Imphal Chief Minister led by local MLA.
A 26-year old youth named Naorem Modhu was apprehended by a combined force of Bishnupur district police commandos and troops of 12 Maratha Li and handed over to Moirang police station.
The combined force handed over the youth along with one of his cousin Noarem Beighyachandra alleging them to be activists of KYKL.
Controversy over the death of the youth surfaced when police said that the combined forces handed over dead body of one of them in which the forces reportedly contradicted by saying that he was handed over alive.
Meanwhile, villagers in large number rose up against the custodian death of one of the youths and stormed the Moirang Police Station today, said local report adding that the mob was put under control with additional police personnel of Bishnupur district police headquarters before they could enter inside the campus of police station.
Further, the MLA along with the SP of the district assured that appropriate action would be taken after investigation.

Patriots' day to be observed in Manipur

Imphal, Aug 12 : Patriots' day would be observed in Manipur tomorrow to pay tribute to those who were hanged by the Britishers after the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

One August 13, 1891, Prince Koireng, General Thangal were hanged to death at Pheidabung and the day is observed as the Patriots' day every year.

Three others hanged for waging war against the colonial British empire were Niranjan Subedar (8 June 1891), Kajao Singh, Jamandar (May 25, 1891) and Chirai Naga of Mayangkhang (October 13, 1891).

Starting from early morning, the observations would be done at different places before culminating at BT park where a memorial had been constructed.

Congress MLA beats up Manipur government official

Imphal, Aug 3 : A Congress MLA beat up a Manipur government official for refusing to hand over some equipment to electrify parts of his Assembly constituency, resulting in protest by employees of the electricity department.

The police said Congress MLA K Meghachandra thrashed the superintending engineer of the electricity department, S Joy Kumar, on Monday when he refused to part with any equipment without permission of the chief engineer who was away at the time.

The employees of the department lodged a strong protest with power minister Phungzathang Tonsing who in turn lodged a complaint with Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh asking for the MLA to tender an apology.

They also held a sit-in protest on Tuesday demanding legal action against the legislator.

Manipur eves annexe National Youth Championship

GUWAHATI: Manipur dominated the proceedings to clinch the sixth National Youth Women's Boxing Championships with three gold medals.

Manipur totalled 28 points. Hosts Assam got the runners-up trophy with two gold medals and 25 points, while Punjab finished third with a gold and 19 Points.

Sarjubala Devi (48kg) of Manipur was adjudged the 'Best Boxer' while Anita Kahar (51kg) of Assam was declared the 'Best Loser'.

Sarjubala Devi defeated Mizoram's 9-2 in the finals. The other two gold medals for Manipur came from Sony Chanu (57kg) and Memthoi Devi (69kg).

Manipur boxers bag best team title

GUWAHATI, July 26 – Manipur won three gold medals and clinched the best team title scoring 28 points in the 6th Youth Women National Boxing Championship which concluded at the Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium here today.

Assam was declared second best team with 25 points while Punjab came third with 19 points.

Sarjubala Devi, who got the best boxer award, won the first gold medal for Manipur defeating Rebecca of Mizoram 9-2 in the final of the 48 kg weight group. Sony Chanu added one more gold to Manipur’s coffer with a 2-0 point victory against Punjab girl Priyanka. E Memthoi clinched the third gold for Manipur thrashing Heena Tokak of Delhi by 6-2 points.

For Assam, Fwilao Basumatary won the first gold medal downing Manipur girl Lakia Soyiban 6-1 in the 54 kg category. The second gold for Assam came through Anjali Muchahary who defeated Muklesh Kumar of Haryana by 7-2 points in the 60 kg group final.

It was a disappointing day for Anita Kahar as the agile Assam girl went down to Sonia of Haryana 5-8. Another Assam girl Minu Basumatary was also beaten in the final by her Punjab opponent Monika Soun 1-3 in a tough contest. Anita, however was adjudged most promising boxer of the meet.

Other gold medal winners were Princy of Kerala who beat Namrata of Madhya Pradesh 3-2 in the 75 kg group and Jagmeet Kaur of Uttarakhand who defeated Aman Deep of Punjab 8-1 in the 81 kg category. In the last match of the day, Nidhi of Haryana knocked out Tanuja Joshi of Uttarakhand in the third round.

Meanwhile, rain water leaked into the interior of the stadium due to a damaged roof which caused severe inconvenience to the players and the spectators.

Three injured in tear gas firing by police in Manipur

Three workers of Manipur People's Party (MPP) were injured today when police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd protesting against price hike in the state, police said.

MPP president Nimaichand Luwang along with several MPP workers were coming to Manipur Assembly to protest against what they called an 'artificial' price rise of all essential commodities.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, police said adding that three persons were injured.

Market reports said potato was being sold at Rs20, onion at Rs25, mung dal at Rs80, etc after the recent economic blockade called by the All Naga Students Association Manipur.

Manipur prepares to fight Japanese encephalitis

Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, July 19 : Manipur is preparing to combat the ‘Japanese encephalitis’ epidemic that has claimed several lives in the four valley districts since it was reported early this month.

The State Health department is also coordinating with the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department to tackle the epidemic. Health Minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh, replying to a call attention motion on the acute shortage of medicine to fight ‘Japanese Encephalitis’ as published in the local dailies, informed the Assembly on Thursday that necessary steps have been taken up on a “war footing” to contain the epidemic.

The Minister said systematic and supportive treatment for the infected patients is the need of the hour as there is no separate medicine for the epidemic. Prevention is one of the important option to avoid the disease.

“Fogging will be intensified besides identifying the affected areas”, Parijat said. So far eight persons have become victims of the epidemic while 75 others were given treatment at Health centres in the State.

Thrre others in Bishnupur district and Senapati district died of the epidemic. This was confirmed following the arrival of report from the testing centres outside the State.

Of the 27 samples sent for testing to Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh, 24 have tested positive for the epidemic. Similarly, 10 of the 13 samples sent for testing at National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi have also confirmed positive.

3 Myanmar nationals nabbed

Imphal, Jun 30 : Security personnel today nabbed three Myanmarese nationals at Sita road junction along the Manipur-Myanmar border. Assam Rifles sources said the troops intercepted the three Myanmarese nationals travelling in a van without proper documents.

They were identified as Soophi, Asadullah and Rafuque. All of them hailed from Rowangsor, Arkan district of Myanmar and they were handed over to Tengnoupal Police Station, it was learnt.

Beautiful landscapes beckon

SONAM JAIN

The Hindu Manipuri traditional dance. Photo: A.M. Faruqui

One of the seven sisters of the East, Manipur has got it all; from nature to culture and adventure.

A picturesque land, surrounded by hills, holds refreshing waterfalls, exotic orchids, and a large fresh water lake — if this enthrals you, then Manipur should be your destination.

Literally meaning a jewelled town, you will find yourself lost in the rich culture, tradition and ethnicity of the city, but that is if you are not already lost in the breathtaking scenic beauty! Home of the land lily Siroi (grown only in the Ukhrul district in the entire world) and a host of other rare species of flora and fauna, Manipur is one of the seven sisters of the north-east and is an emerging sports power. The “Sagol Kangjei”, better known as Polo, an indigenous game of Manipur is now played worldwide. There are a number of indigenous games in the State namely Yubi Lakpi (Manipuri Rugby), Khong Kangjei (Manipuri Hockey), Kang, Hiyang Tannaba (Boat race), Thang-Ta, etc.

Places of interest

The tourist attractions of the State include picturesque lakes, beautiful landscapes, historic monuments and display of arts and ethnic traditions. Some major tourist centres are:

INA Memorial at Moirang: About 40 km from Imphal, the town of Moirang has a special place in the history of the Indian freedom struggle. It was here that the flag of the Indian National Army was first hoisted in 1944 by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

There is a Netaji Memorial Museum in this complex displaying letters, photographs, badges of ranks and other memorabilia reminding the noble sacrifices made by the INA.

Loktak Lake and Sendra Island: Some 45 km from Imphal, Loktak is the largest fresh water lake in the North East region. It has an enchanting landscape.

From the Tourist Bungalow set atop Sendra Island, visitors get a bird's eye view of the unique lake and the floating masses of water hyacinth. If in the mood for a day picnic, this is the place to hit! Keibul Lamjao National Park: It is the only floating park existing in the country and the last habitat of Sangai, the brown-antlered deer. Panther, fishing cat, wild boar and water birds are the other interesting wild animals and birds seen here.

War Cemeteries: Commemorating the memories of the British and Indian soldiers who died during the Second World War, these cemeteries are managed by the Common Wealth War Graves Commission. Serene and well maintained, the graves carry little stone markers and bronze plaques, recording the sacrifice of those gallant soldiers.

Khonghampat Orchidarium: Seven kms from Imphal, on Highway No. 39 is the Central Orchidarium, which covers 200 acres and houses over 110 rare varieties of orchids, which include almost a dozen endemic species. The peak blooming season is March - April.

Khwairamband Bazar: A unique all women's market, 3000 “Imas” or mothers run the rows of open stalls in concrete sheds, all hawking their fare.

It is split into two sections on either side of the road. Vegetables, fruits, fish and household groceries sold on one side and exquisite handlooms and household tools, on the other.

Other places worth visiting are: Shri Govindajee Temple, Sahid Minar, Manipur State Museum, Langthabal, Manipur Zoological Garden, Singda Dam.

For the adventurous, seeking some trekking, the Mountaineering Institute might be of interest. The scenic Djuko valley on the Nagaland- Manipur border, the Baruni mountains and Koubru Leikha are other places worth checking out.

Culture and Heritage

Handloom, dance and sculpting form an integral part of Manipuri culture. The Manipuri handloom and handicraft are world famous for its craftsmanship as well as ingenuity, colourfulness and usefulness. Every house possesses a loom, and Manipuris weave with a passion and style, unrivalled by any other state. Manipuri bed covers of Moirangfee and flower designs, silk and cotton sarees, scarves, blankets and shawls, in distinctive shades and weaves, make for an enchanting collection. A wide range of artistic handicrafts from bamboo, papier mache, decorative ivory, dolls and jewellery make for prized souvenirs. The classical Manipuri dance is a unique form of dance, usually related to the Raas Lila.

Lai Haroba (feast of dances, representing celebrations of Gods / Goddesses), Pung Cholem (Mridanga dance), Mao Naga dance, the Priestess dance of Malbe Jagoi, Thangal Surung dance etc. reflect the vibrant culture of the 29 different tribes of Manipur. Witnessing the exquisite Manipuri dance-drama, in its original colourful settings, is simply an unforgettable experience.

Manipuri cuisine

The traditional Manipuri fine dining was a sit down affair with banana leaf plates. An interesting fact of Manipuri feasts is that once a group starts their meal, they all get up together in the end, and no one can sit in between once the serving starts. People serve in dhotis with a white cloth tied around their mouth in pin drop silence. Rice is the staple food; some take rice with meat and others prefer a fish delicacy along with the main dish. Over 10-15 varieties of vegetables and side-dishes compliment it. For those interested in trying the traditional Manipuri food, Gopal Pizza at the Iscon Temple and Yaisena hotel (MG avenue) are some options.

Fact File

Area: 22,327 sq km

Religion: Predominantly Vaishnavite Hindu

Capital: Imphal

Language: Manipuri

New levels of terrorism, corruption in Manipur

By: Anil Bhat

Manipur’s media has been bearing the brunt of both menacing threats from the many terrorist groups and pressure from the state government. While some reporters have been killed, quite often editors have been hounded and even abducted. So, reporting on the deterioration of security and law and order in Manipur right since 2004 has been quite hazardous. This daily is out of the few in New Delhi which has been regularly reporting on the situation in Manipur and the north-eastern states, interspersed by comment pieces now and then.

It is no wonder then that two disturbing and highly newsworthy developments in Manipur, which local correspondents and reporters may have been justifiably been hesitant to report on, came my way through two retired Army officers in Imphal, who write regularly for local dailies.

Major R.S. Jassal, who served in Assam Rifles, married a Tangkhul Naga lady and settled in Manipur, has written about how non-Manipuris are being intimidated by underground groups from both the valley and the hills. The diktats against “mayang”, meaning non-Manipuri, being implemented under fear of the terrorists’ guns since the past five months are:
(a) Non-Manipuris will not travel by bus from Guwahati or Dimapur to Imphal will not be issued a ticket. They are most welcome to travel out from Imphal.

(b) An ultimatum has been issued for all non-Manipuris to leave Manipur by 31 May, 2010.
(c) The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) group announced through newspapers to pay road taxes to a particular person by name, for travelling on NH-39 from Imphal to Guwahati. This is also applicable to non-Manipuris in the truck service business.

This is besides the killing of Hindi speaking persons in the recent past, the known tally of which has reached 32. The shock waves have been effective enough for some families settled for decades to leave. Those who haven’t, are exceedingly worried about their safety and dilemma-ridden whether to carry on with their trade/profession/vocation. Advisories by the police to this category of people not to venture out from municipality limits has further created panic for them. often in the past months, labourers and menial workers have been huddled at Imphal’s Dharamsala and Kalimandir. Okram Ibobi Singh’s government’s assurances are not at all being believed as it has often been reported how close some of its political leaders are to these groups.

Adding to the woes of the state, Naga insurgents, operating from Nagaland and the hill districts of Manipur, have been dominating the only two national highways, NH-39 and NH-53, imposing taxes on the use of the roads and threats of “punishment” for not paying them. There are 26 permanent and organised ‘tax’ collection points along these roads, which are Manipur’s vital links with Assam and the rest of India .

The silence from human rights groups, usually very vociferous about alleged atrocities by Army/Assam Rifles/imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, has been deafening.

Lt. Col. L. Lokendra Singh is the one who has written about the Ibobi government’s latest swindle.

Loktak, the only fresh water lake in the Northeast, covering an area of 236.21 sq. km., is slowly being choked by the massive amount of municipal waste flowing into it coupled with the uncontrolled growth of a typical thick and stout floating biomass, locally called “phumdi”, that has been accumulating over the years. So much so that a terrorist group was able to set up a very well-concealed camp, which the Army eliminated last year.

Mr Ibobi’s government — late by a few decades — reportedly got Rs 374 crores sanctioned by the Centre under the Special Plan Assistance and “K Pro Infra Works Private Limited”, a Delhi-based company has been entrusted with the work of cleaning phumdis over a contractual period of two years and three months. The work involves scooping out of 132.94 lakh cubic metres of phumdis, cutting of 63.48 lakh square metres of the same for piling them up over 80 lakh square metres around the lake area. The total of Rs 374 crores over two years and three months works out to Rs 0.45 crore per day earning for K Pro.

Till early February 2010, a month after launching of K Pro’s project, no phumdis had been heaped up. Further search and queries confirmed that no work had been done and the only few truck loads of phumdis strewn were near Sendra hill, the area where the inaugural function was held and as Lokendra put it, “but it was too little to be worth Rs 13 crores (cost of one month’s work at Rs 0.45 crores per day) unless each kilogram was worth Rs 1 lakh”. Interestingly, local media reports recalled that the Planning Commission had sanctioned Rs 25 crores as Special Plan Assistance during 2008-09 for a project called “Conservation and Development of Loktak Lake and Associated Wetlands Integrating Manipur River Basin”, the main thrust of which was, removal of phumdis from Loktak lake. While there was no implementation of cleaning the lake then and again till February 2010, the latest reports are of “some cosmetic work on ground but a great amount on paper”.

K Pro’s office, flat No. A-104, plot No. 29, Sector 6, Dwarka, New Delhi — 110075, is reportedly locked and unused.
Other serious problems are some terrorist groups trying to extort money from schools and kidnapping children to add to their numbers, tensions between valley based Manipuris and some tribal groups. Unable to handle the situation, over 500 residents of Leirongthel Pitra, a village with 118 households, located about 45 km from Imphal, decided to leave in March 2010, requesting the state governments for protection from tribal militants.

Last year, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union home minister P. Chidambaram had expressed their concern on the situation in Manipur to Mr Ibobi and home secretary G.K. Pillai, went there to prevail upon the state’s home department to “do more homework”.

Mr Pillai toured Manipur again in March this year to expedite efforts to bring the Kuki National Front (KNF) which signed an agreement for suspension of operations with the Union government in 2005, to the negotiating table. In January this year, following Mr Pillai’s visit to Burma , both countries agreed to launch a “coordinated operation” against Northeast separatist outfits taking shelter and setting up base camps there. It remains to be seen how sincere Burma is in its implementation.
Anil Bhat, a retired Army officer, is a defence and security analyst based in New Delhi.

Police break up HIV activists’ sit-in

AIDS workers at the sit-in in Imphal on Friday. A Telegraph picture Imphal, April 17 : Police today dispersed a sit-in here staged to protest the murder of a HIV-positive youth allegedly by his relatives recently. Sanjenbam German, 18, from Uripok Tourangbam Leikai of Imphal West was found lying on the roadside at Malom under Nambol police station in Bishnupur district of Manipur on April 7 with injuries on his head caused by a heavy object. Nambol police arrested Dandan Devi and her husband Leishangthem Shyam Singh on the same day after her nephew, German, was found murdered. The couple were remanded in police custody for nine days — till today. German’s parents, S. Choudhury Singh and Sanahanbi Devi, had died of AIDS nearly 10 years ago. After his parents died — he was the only child — his aunt Dandan and uncle-in-law Shyam came to stay with German in his house at Uripok Tourangbam Leikai. Demanding punishment of the culprits activists of Social Awareness Service Organisation, Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+), User Manipur, Care Foundation, Bosco Mangal and Kripa Foundation staged a sit-in at Keishampat crossing of Imphal city from 9am today. German was under the care of these organisations, which work in the field of HIV/AIDS. In a memorandum submitted to the director-general of police, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, on April 8, these organisations charged that Dandan, her husband, their son Abosana and one of Abosana’s friends Phuritsabam Naoba were involved in the murder. The AIDS activists also held a sit-in simultaneously at Bishnupur bazaar in Imphal city. A police team broke up the sit-in at Keishampat crossing around 1pm saying the protesters did not have the permission from the authorities. The police also broke up the sit-in in Bishnupur bazaar. The AIDS workers slammed the police action. “We tried since yesterday for getting a permission, but it was denied. We also tried this morning again for the permission but in vain. Denying permission and breaking up of the sit-in was nothing but discrimination and contempt of the people living with HIV/AIDS by the government,” the president of the MNP+, Deepak Leimapokpam, said. He said the sit-in was to seek justice and also highlight the plight of young orphans of HIV-positive patients like German. The health workers are planning to take out a rally on April 20 in Imphal city. Nambol police today said they arrested Abosana, son of the arrested couple and another aunt of the victim identified as Memchoubi Devi yesterday. All the four arrested persons were produced before the court of chief judicial magistrate Bishnupur, Gaiphun Sillu, today and remanded in police custody for five days.

Governor underscores role of creative writers peace initiative

IMPHAL, April 17 : Veteran 62 years old popular poet Thangjam Ibobipishak Singh of Wangkhei Thangjam Leikai was awarded this year with the Manipur State Award for Literature sponsored by the state Education (S) department.

The formal award distribution function was organized this afternoon at historical Kanga hall with the Governor, Gurbachan Jagat, as chief guest. Also present at the function was education minister L Jayantakumar and other officials of state education department and imminent writers of the state.

State Governor, Gurbachan Jagat in his speech disclosed that Manipur literature has been closely linked to the Manipuri civilization. It is the repository of her birth, triumphs, defeats, peace, conflicts, transformation and introspections, he said.

He said it was a landmark in the history of Manipuri literature that the modern Manipuri literature was herald by the entry of three overarching geniuses, Chaoba, Kamal and Anganghal into the field of Manipuri literature in the early part of the 20th century.

Their works manifested as change in the culture, sensibilities and aspirations of their time, he said adding their versatilities made them foray into different genres like the novel, short stories, poetry, drama, essay, criticism and so on.

Besides these trio of geniuses, literary figures like Nabadwipchandra, Minaketan and Shitaljit were other leading lit of Manipuri literature he said.

Many more writers, to mention a few, MK Binodini, A Chitreshware, E Sonamani, A Biren Patcha Meitei etc. began to emerged and made their footprints, he said.

The Governor further mentioned that the people of Manipur will be very proud that Manipuri literature has been duly recognized by the national bodies like Sahitya Academy.

Manipur`s potential in literature is today known and respected throughout the country, he added.

"We cannot but appreciate our authors and poets for their contributions towards the promotion and enrichment of Manipuri literature and amidst disadvantages like lack of proper encouragement, financial help and minuscule size of market for Manipuri books, etc he said.

He also mentioned that, it is encouraging to note that the department of education (S) on behalf of the state government, instituted the Manipur state Award for Literature last year and created a milestone in the history of Manipuri literature.

Though there are awards purported to be of the same nature which are given to authors in recognition of their outstanding works in Manipuri literature such as those instituted by the Manipur state Kala Academy, an autonomous body, besides other literary bodies, the state Award for State Literature for the first time that the state government has directly stepped in to promote and fete the excellence in Manipuri Literature.

The Governor also further said that Manipur has had a long and rich tradition of literature and it had a continuous lineage through the vicissitudes of the history of Manipur, Contemporary Manipuri Literature reflects Manipuri modern life and the social change hence it is alive and real. The timing of instituting the award by the government is significant. Great writers of Manipur have been languishing in the wilderness for decades for lack of support from the government, he said.

Novelists, poets and essayists of Manipur have undoubtedly proven to be of high caliber and if patronized by the state in right earnest, they have the potential of even earning International acclaim and accolades, he said.

He said it is confident that they will continue to endeavour in their works to achieve an honourable and excellent status for Manipuri literature. The creative writers should also play an important role in society in helping the common by their writings to realized the need for social and economic upliftment. It is the function of literary men to give proper vision to the people, he said.

Keeping this in view, he appealed to writers and poets to conceived ideas and present them in their books which will propagate the message of peace and harmony so as to bring about an ideal society.

The state education minister L Jayantakumar Singh who presided the function today mentioned that, the presentation of such award is to encourage and promote the writers of the state by the department, but the department has also seriously counted the problems of limited publishers of good writers of the state, this problems will be solve in the future and urged good writers to come forward.

He said such programmes will continue in the future to come. The Governor, presented the Manipur State Award for Literature to popular poet Thangjam Ibopishak along with a citation and cash reward of Rs. 1 lakh for his book of poem titled `Srimati Tomcha Babu` which was selected by the award committee of the state education (s) department for year 2009.

In the meantime, L Biramani Singh, advisor of the award committee while giving his introductory speech of the award distribution today read out the bio-data of the Thangjam Ibopishak, during he mentioned this was second award and first awards of its kind was awarded to BM Meisnamba last year.

Rain to continue in the North-East

Thiruvananthapuram, April 14

Seasonal thunderstorms have announced their arrival with a vengeance over Bihar and West Bengal with typically destructive gale-force winds wreaking havoc in the contiguous border areas of the States late on Tuesday night.

Brute force

Thunderstorms during this time of the year are seasonal in nature and are called Nor'westers, thanks to the trigger in the westerlies blowing from northwest India.

Nor'westers can at times pack a deadly punch with accompanying high winds, lightning and thunder activity. Moisture incursion over heated land sets up the ideal conditions for the storms to take shape.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its update on Wednesday that the causative land-based trough ran down from Bihar to south Chhattisgarh across Jharkhand and Orissa.

WESTERLIES TO GAIN

Another trough ran down from north Karnataka to Tamil Nadu with an embedded cyclonic circulation over Karnataka and neighbourhood.

Satellite cloud imagery showed the presence of low to medium clouds (partly clouded conditions) over parts of peninsular India, the north-eastern States, south-east Arabian Sea and south Bay of Bengal.

Meanwhile, international weather models indicate that the westerlies would hold sway over the region during this week and possibly the next, with western disturbance activity picking up once again.

The first of the series may enter the northwest as early as Thursday (tomorrow) and may get particularly accentuated over east and northeast India due to the presence of the trough. The wind strength and the depth of the trough are mutually complimentary, with one feeding the other. Since the Nor'westers have drawn first blood in the Bihar/West Bengal region, it is likely that the latter could witness continued activity over the next few days as well.

The IMD has forecast scattered to fairly widespread rain or thundershowers over the north-eastern States during the next 24 hours but may decrease thereafter.

Isolated rain or thundershower is likely over West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Orissa during the same period.

Widespread showers

Forecast until Monday hinted at the possibility of scattered to fairly widespread rain or thundershowers with isolated thunder squall over the Northeastern States. According to the US National Centres for Environmental Prediction, the week ending April 21 would see isolated rains over parts of northwest India, scattered over northeast India and the southwest coast (mainly Kerala, south-coastal Karnataka).

But the proceedings would likely get a leg-up during the week that follows (April 22-30) with showers activity being indicated from southwest Rajasthan to the rest of the northwest India, east India and northeast India.

The northeast is shown to ‘light up' yet again thanks to raised level of thunderstorm activity from Nor'westers.

The ‘rain trail' from the northeast will sneak down south-southeast to east India, east-central India and adjoining peninsular India before linking up with the weather activity along the southwest coast.

This is being mainly attributed to the arrival of strong western disturbance around April 20, which is expected to dig its heels into northwest India before moving further east.

Given this context, the heat wave in the northwest and east India might scale down during the last 10 days of the month. But this could also interfere with the heating process necessary to set the stage in the northwest for monsoon to drive in.

Meanwhile, overnight on Wednesday, heat wave conditions prevailed over many parts of Northwest India, north Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, interior Orissa, Jharkhand and isolated pockets of northeast Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, costal Andhra Pradesh and costal Orissa.

The highest maximum temperature of 45.5 deg Celsius was recorded at Hirakud in Orissa. Rain or thundershowers have occurred at many places over the Northeastern States and at a few places over Karnataka and at isolated places over Kerala during the past 24 hours.

Normal life disrupted in hill districts

Imphal, April 15 : Normal life was paralyzed in four hill districts of Manipur on Tuesday following a 24-hour bandh since last night called by the Manipur Tribal JAC against elections under Unwanted District Council Act.

At least 20 loaded trucks were stranded at Mao Gate, Senapati district while 17 tourist buses were escorted towards Imphal by the security forces.

All the inter State and the inter district buses were off the road in all the four districts, Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong.

The business establishments in all the districts were closed.

However, there were no reports of any untoward incident till the time of filing this report.

ANSAM has called a 6-day economic blockade along the two NHs and on all the State highways from the midnight of April 11 in protest against the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act, 2008 .

Manipur’s anti-tribal government

Through your esteemed paper, I wish to share some few thoughts in regard to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act and Amendment 2008 and its repercussion to the Tribal community in Manipur.
That, after much pressure from the Center Government and repeated demands voiced by the Tribals, the State Government finally lifted the iron curtain laid over the Hill Districts of Manipur. Consequently, the Manipur District Council election schedule was announced recently for the Hill districts of Manipur, with it the present SPF led State Government under the leadership of CM O.Ibobi Singh seems to have found a solace in gratifying the Tribal people. But are the Tribal really excited and benefitted with the long delayed MDC Election?
Minutely studying the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act (third amendment) 2008, we can note those deceiving and discriminative acts such as: - *Section 29(i) ClauseXIII *Section 29(1) Clause XIV *Section 29(2) (a) *Section 29(2)(b) * Section 46(3) *Section 47 and others. Again, It is to bring kind notice of the Tribal people that, the Order of Warrant of Precedent dated Imphal, 6th February, 2010 issued by the Government of Manipur, clearly defines the horrific example of repressive and bais authority of the Valley based Administrations over the Tribal people. Here, the Adhyaksha of Zilla Parishad or Up Adhyaksha or the Deputy Commissioner are placed higher even before the Chairman of the District Council. Then, Hon’ble CM, what is the meaning of grass root level administration? Again, when CM O.Ibobi can recruit thousands of IRBs, Commandos,VDFs and Govt.Services just from his Thoubal constituency alone, why is he playing a ‘sabotage-trick’ against the whole tribal rights of those ADC primary teacher’s recuritment candidates?
I represent one such discontent tribal educated youth who has no intention to condemn the Act and the election but compelled by the fact that, the discriminative Act of 1972 and Amendment of the Act 2008 mentioned above represents a ‘Mockery and Deprivation’ of the Tribal Rights by the present State Government. Moreover, the Act completely denies the genuine demands and rights of the Tribal people as it is purely to exploit the Tribals politically and financially through the money/power hungry valley based State Government. Thanks to the CM I. Ibobi Singh led Congress Government for passing the bill in the Manipur Assembly tacticfully through the self appointed Select Committee rather than Hill Areas Committee (HAC) which is empowered with responsibilities for administration in the welfare of the Tribal in Manipur under Article 371-C of the Indian constitution.
The Tribal elected MLAs including the HAC Chairman, TD Minister, Tribal Ministers must therefore resign on moral ground for betraying the faith and trust of the Tribal people in Manipur. All your complacency and hand in glove with the State Government cannot be compromised with the Tribal Rights and Determination. Remember, you are all elected to benefit your people and also open your mouth in the Manipur Assembly and not cry over the Bill passed against the interest of the Tribal people.
The present State Government thus can be clearly defined as ‘Anti-Tribal Government’ by its malicious intentions projected in the 1972 Act and its Amendment 2008. When the Municipalities in the Imphal Valley can flourish politically and financially for the past many years now, why does the present State Government still deny the rights and wishes of the Tribal people?
Peter Dave
New Hope Colony,
Senapati District H/Q

AR seize 4320 SP capsules

Tamenglong, April 14 : The 11 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Red Shield Division seized huge quantity of contra banned SP Tables from one passenger on his way from Jiribam to Imphal yesterday late at night by the permanent vehicle Check Post of 11 Assam Rifles at Khongsang.

The person was indentifying as one Narul Haq 43 son of Kutubdeen of Village, Lakhipur of District Kachar in Assam.

The 11 AR foiled an attempt of trafficking of huge consignment of 4320 tablets of SPASMO PROXYVON from Assam to Manipur and was travelling from Jiribam to Imphal when he was caught at Khongsang late night on 9 April 2010, the adjutant informed the reporter late tonight.

The individual has been arrested and handed over to Police station, Tamenglong along with the illegal consignment of drugs.

This praise worth achievement by Assam Rifles has given a huge set back to the illegal trafficking of drugs across the state borders.

The arrest person has also sent signals all across that no such acts will be tolerated in the Tamenglong region and Assam Rifles has once again lived up to the glory of its renowned name, the source said.

Centre asks FCI to transport sugar to Manipur

Shillong, Apr 13 : The Centre today asked the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to find out ways and means to ensure that sugar is lifted to Manipur regularly.

The directive came in the wake of reports that FCI did not transport sugar from Dimapur in Nagaland to Manipur through the National Highway 39 via Senapati district which according to Manipur Food Commissioner P Vaiphei, the problem was due to “extortion”.

“Sugar is not coming from Dimapur to Imphal due to extortion from FCI contractors,” Vaiphei who attended the meeting of Food Secretaries North East States at Orchid Lake Resort here told Imphal Free Press.

At the meeting, Vaiphei brought to the notice of Union Food Secretary Alka Sirohi and FCI Chairman and Managing Director Siraj Hussain that sugar which has to be transported to Manipur through Dimapur did not reach regularly.

Stating that extortion is one of the main bottlenecks, Vaiphei informed that Manipur and Nagaland governments jointly used to provide security to ensure smooth transportation of the product to Manipur.

However FCI Executive Director (NE Zonal) AK Roy accused that security was not provided regularly.

The Union Food Secretary later asked Manipur government and FCI to sort out the problem and suggested using of alternative routes through Silchar in Assam via Jiribam if the need arises.

Sirohi has also assured that more money would be extended to Manipur for construction of godowns.

Manipuri Children Trafficking- Absconding Pastor

Effective steps on to nab absconding pastor,cop tells SC

New Delihi: Concerned by the preliminary reports from the Tamil Nadu police,which rescued 76 children belonging to Assam and Manipur from homes run by missionaries,the the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the National Commission for Protection of Childrens Rights (NCPCR) to conduct a probe into the issue.
The Kanyakumari SP informed the SC that all the children belonged to the Zeme tribe in Manipur and Assam and that Rev Paul belonged to the same community.Due to poverty,parents of these children entrusted them to Rev Paul on the promise that he would provide better education and healthcare to them, the SP said.
At the time of taking the children,Rev Paul collected Rs 5,000 from each of the parents for expenses, he said.
Giving details of the manner in which these children were brought to TN,the police officer said,Rev Paul brought them from Manipur and Assam to Chennai in 2008.Initially,they were accommodated in Alice Rebecca Matriculation School,Red Hills,Chennai,then they were taken to Kerala and finally handed over to Pastor Shaji during the year 2009.
Mentioning the arrest of Pastor Shaji,the SP said,Effective steps are being taken to nab the absconding accused,Rev Paul.Only after arresting him,we can get more information about the transportation of children. He said the 76 minor children were sent back to their native places on February 11 and had since been united with their family.
However,amicus curiae Bhat drew the courts attention to another report on the rescue of 17 more Manipuri children by the police in Chennai on March 27.The Bench said there could be a possibility that these organisations were bringing children from the NE to the southern states to impart education as they must be receiving huge donations in this regard.Everything may not be legal in this, the Bench added.
But Jaising said whether it was for education,labour or sexual exploitation,illegal trafficking of children had to be stopped and no one had any business in uprooting them from their family without their consent.

Snap power blackout affects normal life

Imphal, Apr 1 : Power blackout in Imphal following joining of cease-work strike by the employees of the Electricity Department severely affected normal official works in government offices including secretariats.

In the meantime, a statement of the Manipur Electricity Employees' Union in a statement signed by its publicity secretary Soraisam Dwijamani circulated to the media informed that the cease strike has been deferred for some time following a talk with the Chief Engineer of the department today.

Due to the total blackout, normal working in government establishments including secretariat, the administrative backbone of the government paralyzed.

However, the blackout could not affect the Imphal Raj Bhavan and Chief Minister's Bungalow.

"Working in the entire block of the secretariat disturbed from around 1 pm with power blackout without warning," an employee working in one of the block of the Old Secretariat who wanted not to name said.

The blackout also affected in the working in several sections of the Manipur Police Department.

Government sent out police forces to hunt out the employees of the electricity department in the efforts to resume the power supply but till late evening normal power supply in the VIP installations could not be resumed.

The Manipur Electricity Employee's Union which had earlier served ultimatum to the Manipur government to arrive at an amicable solution to the deadlock with the striking employees yesterday announced joining the cease work strike even though government warned of stringent action under Essential Service Act.

The deadlock between the government and its employees continue as both sides remaining stick to their guns.

Government said it has no funds to provide the arrears effective from January 2006 while the Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of All Manipur Government Employees' Organisation (AMGEO) and All Manipur Trade Union Congress (AMTUC) is claiming that enough funds for payment of arrears included in the grants awarded by the 13th Finance Commission.

It has been 75 days completed since the launching of the cease-work strike of the employees banner of the JAC which was commenced from January 17 last demanding in toto implementation of the revised pay bands on the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission from January 2006 .

While announcing the suspension of the strike of the employees of the electricity department, the statement of its publicity secretary said that the planned joining the cease work strike has been deferred after a talk with the Chief Engineer N Sharat today.

The body agreed to defer considering the damages caused to the electric post and other due to the heavy hailstorms swept across the state, the statement added.

Army destroys ganja, opium, heroin

Imphal, March 30 : A total of 3,675 kgs of ganja, 1.8 kg of opium, 10 gram of Heroin worth several lakhs of rupees seized from 23 individuals during anti-narcotics campaign launched by the troops of Red Shield Division in the last 15 days in Churachandpur district were destroyed by burning today.

The burnt items were seized by the troops of 16 Maratha LI and 46 Assam Rifles under the Red Shield Division playing active role in anti-narcotics drive in Churachandpur district, said CO of 16 Maratha LI, Prasanta Chauhan.

Out of the total quantity of ganja destroyed today, 1200 kgs worth around Rs 35 lakh were seized in a search operation at New Kaprang village in Thangjing ridge by a combined team of troops of 16 Maratha LI and 46 Assam Rifles.

The item was found concealed underneath the earth inside some isolated huts on the ridge, he added.

The seized ganja was destroyed by burning in the presence of NCB officials, police and local village chiefs at Gothal headquarters of the 16 Maratha LI, he said.

The troops of this unit under Logtak Brigade have carried out destruction of large acres of standing Ganja and Poppy cultivation in the fields and burned down the stored Ganja in Thangjing ridge and Henglep sub-division where government anti-drug units could not reached due to inaccessible.

Carriers of this item moving from Jiribam have also been arrested with Ganja consignments in the operation carried out by troops as part of Op Cannabis and handed over to Churachandpur police station, Prasanta added.

The anti narcotic campaign is being carried out with the objective of discouraging the villagers to involve in illegal activity as well as to prevent the innocent youth falling prey to drug culture.

The campaign also targeted to ensure that Manipur does not turn into a haven for drug smugglers by holding meetings with village chiefs and villagers to educate the society and to wean away the population from Ganja and Poppy cultivation.

He also claimed that chiefs have promised the army authorities that they will not allow cultivation of illegal plants in their respective villages in the coming years.

However, they have urged the government to take up projects to connect their villages with a road so that the agricultural produce from these areas can be easily transported to Churachandpur and Imphal.

27 Manipuri kids rescued

NAGAPATTINAM: Officials of Social Welfare Department in the district rescued 27 Manipuri children from an ‘unrecognised’ Children’s Home near Porayar on Friday night.

The rescued children, including 9 girls, were aged between 3 and 13. According to sources, Henry, a native of Keezhaiyur near Mayiladuthurai, had gone to Manipur during 1992 and had married a Manipuri woman. He had reportedly registered a trust named ‘Bethel Development Trust’ in that State.

About seven months ago, Henry had returned back to his native with his family. He had brought with him 27 Manipuri children and had started a children’s home at Madapuram village near Porayar.

Henry had reportedly obtained clearance from the Union government to receive financial assistance from foreign countries.

He had subsequently sent an application to district Social Welfare Department for registering his home.

A team of officials from the Department, led by District Social Welfare Officer Anbazhagi and Mayiladuthuari Child Protection Officer Venkatraman, inspected the home at Madapuram on Thursday.

The team found that the home lacked basic amenities, including toilets and bathrooms. The officials also felt that as the children had been brought to a place which significantly differs in custom and culture of Manipur, they will be mentally affected.

After consulting the District Collector and SP, the officials decided to send the children to Government Home immediately.

Accordingly, the children were rescued under the direct supervision of Mayiladuthurai DSP Ramakrishnan.

Meanwhile, Henry has claimed that his intention was only to serve the children and he had not indulged in any fraudulent or illegal activities.

Conflict resolution seminar discusses ethnicity, alienation in Manipur

By L.C.K Singh
Imphal, Mar 25 (ANI): For the first time in the north east region, a seminar on ‘conflict resolution’ was held in Manipur recently.
The discussion analyzed root cause of militancy and tried to find measures for permanent solution to bring peace to the region.
The initiative of organizing the one-day seminar on ‘Conflict Resolution in Manipur’ was taken up by the Red Shield Division (57 Mountain Division) at Leimakhong in Manipur.
Besides defense personnel who were present in large number, politicians, intellectuals, academicians and social activists from various communities attended the seminar to present their perspectives on militancy and other related problems engulfing the state as a step forward to conflict resolution.
“Manipur is also a part of India. Whatever is happening in other states of the country can also happen in Manipur. So, we have to be prepared. We have to understand the situation whatever political development has to take place in the state, it has to be in the line of constitution,” said Mani Charenamai, former MP.
“Peace is a slow process. Finally, leading to a finer solution. Conflicts in Manipur are very complex because every ethnic group would like to get back their pre-British status. For Meities, Kukis or Nagas, we have to believe in peaceful co-existence,” said T T Haokip, professor, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
The seminar was divided into three sessions under the themes ‘Understanding Ethnicity and Alienation,’ ‘Role of Various Institutions in the Peace Process’ and ‘ ‘An Approach to Conflict Resolution’.
Other topics of discussed during the event were ‘Media in Internal Conflict Situations,’ ‘Role of Security Forces,’ ‘Role of Civil Society Organizations’ and ‘Inclusive Development’.
“We are trying to reduce the violence levels and if you see the statistics, those kind of violence incidence have come down,” said Lieutenant General N K Singh, General Officer in Command 3 corps.
Speakers expressed and exchanged varied opinions on the topics and a consensus was reached on the need of a lasting peace for overall development of the region. (ANI)

First gay marriage in Manipur

Imphal, March 25 (PTI) For the first time in Manipur, a gay marriage took place at a Chinganakha in Imphal West district.

Soibam Sandip married Nikhil Sharma according to Christian customs yesterday at a local auditorium, reports said.

Parents of both the Soibam and Nikhil stayed away from the marriage with only one distant relative attending it, they said.

Over 100 guests were present at the marriage ceremony.

Police foils child trafficking bid, rescue 10 children

Imphal, March 24 2010: Amidst hue and cry of different sections of the society to check child traffick in Manipur, 10 children (seven boys and three girls), who were being taken to Chennai, were rescued by police today at about 12.30 pm.

The 10 children, all below 18 years, were rescued by Sekmai police at its check post on the Imphal-Dimapur section of the NH-39 during their routine frisking and checking of the inter-state passenger buses leaving Imphal.

The children were found in an inter-state bus.

They were being taken to Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Police detained them for verification on suspicion as no guide accompanied them.

Police said that the bus they were travelling in was allowed to proceed to its destination after detaining the children, all from Churachandpur.

They were coming from Churachandpur this morning in the same inter-state bus.

They all hail from Churachandpur district, police said.

Police latter handed over the children to the officials of the state social welfare department and Child Line.

The children are from Churachandpur, said director of social welfare department, G Seityabati adding that they were being trafficked to Chennai, Tamil Nadu where many children were recently rescued from unregistered homes.

The rescued children will be handed over to their respective parents and guardians after summoning them and make them aware of the problems to be faced by the children later at the place where they are to be lodged.

The attempt to traffic the children from the state amidst hue and cry of the NGOs working for the welfare of the children and their rights and sections of the societies to combat child traffic with a comprehensive policy of the government.

As many as 74 children of Manipur had been rescued during the month of February last from different homes.

As revealed by the victim children, they were ill-treated and forced labour while staying their instead of giving education as promised by the people who carry them there.

Concerned over the high rate of trafficking of children from Manipur being frequently exposed in the around two years, government has working on proposals for constitution of an Anti-Human Trafficking Cell in Manipur.

The committee or cell will comprise related departments such as education, labour, rural development, etc., seeing that somehow or the other all these subject areas are crucial factors and there is a need for co-ordination between all these departments to check trafficking.

Impulse NGO Network, a Shillong base body, nodal agency fighting against the problem of human trafficking in the North East while stressing the need for cooperation and support between the Government and the NGOs working in the field of child welfare has on Tuesday proposed for setting up a joint committee of the Government officials and the NGOs to stop child trafficking in Manipur.

A team of the body currently camping in Imphal to assess cases of child trafficking in Manipur demanded the setting up of joint committee considering difficulties for the state and district partners of child line in addressing all such cases of child trafficking.

Ram Navami celebrated in Manipur

Imphal, Mar 24

Hundreds of people today thronged Ramji temple, Ningthem Pukhri Mapal, Imphal East, to celebrate Ram Navami.
Special prayers and yagya were organised on the temple premises. A large number of men and women observed fast since yesterday and offered special prayers at the temple. Devotional songs were presented by the devotees. Idols of Shri Ram, his consort Sita, younger brother Laxman and devotee Hanuman were brought out from the temple so that people could offer prayers. The temple premises and the nearby areas wore a festive look with people selling goods in the roads leading to the temple.

Stop harassment of Manipur journalists: Guild

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) The Editors Guild of India Wednesday expressed concern over the plight of journalists in Manipur and called for urgent remedial measures to bridge the growing gulf between the state government and security forces on one hand and the media on the other.

A two-member team of the Guild that visited the state last month discovered that the media was under pressure from insurgent groups, harassed by the state government and police, and was also under stress from “non-state underground players”.

“Unlike other states, in Manipur, the Information and Broadcasting Minister does not interact with journalists,” the report submitted by veteran journalists Sumit Chakravartty and B.G. Verghese notes.
At present the only minister to interact with the media is the sports minister, a former footballer, said the Guild.
“Besides the state, the media is under pressure from insurgent groups, especially the
splinter elements, as in Margaret Thatcher’s famous phrase, publicity is the oxygen of
terror. There is a veiled atmosphere of fear in which there is a private voice and
public utterance. This is a very difficult path to negotiate but it is a journey that must be undertaken.”
The Guild also expressed concern over murder of five journalists, gunned down by unknown people, in the last few years.
“The state government has so far failed to either identify or book the perpetrators.
Media fraternities in the state suspect the involvement of the security forces in some
of the killings. Apart from continued harassment by the Manipur police and state
government, journalists in the state are also pressured by non-state underground
players,” the report said.
The Guild has recommended the setting up of regular informal meetings between senior editors and journalists with the chief minister, official spokesman, chief secretary, the director general of police and other officers of the Unified Command jointly so as to restore confidence and bring about a rapprochement.
It has also suggested setting up a media support group of academics, former
administrators, erstwhile security personnel, respected political figures, jurists,
professionals and NGOs in Imphal and elsewhere in Manipur.
Professional bonding between the state journalists and media group all over the country through internships could impart mutual strength and solidarity to both the local and national media, the report advised.

Highway blockade called off

Imphal, Feb. 16: Supply of essential commodities resumed today along the Imphal-Dimapur highway after the Senapati District Students’ Association lifted its 15-day economic blockade.

The development took place after a government team, led by Manipur tribal development minister D.D. Thaisii, held negotiations with a delegation of the student body at the district headquarters this afternoon.

The team, comprising Thaissi, Independent MLA from the district K. Raina and inspector-general of police (law and order-III) V. Zathang, held talks with the student delegation in the office of the Naga People’s Organisation located at the district headquarters for more than two hours.

The student body imposed the economic blockade on February 1 midnight in protest against the failure of the Ibobi Singh government to repair the road.

After a visit by works minister K. Ranjit Singh, the repair work started two days into the blockade.

Despite that, the student body refused to call off the agitation, demanding that maintenance work be handed over to the Border Roads Organisation.

Tension mounted following arrest of two blockade supporters by district police last night, prompting the Ibobi Singh government to send a team to Senapati.

The police said blockade supporters had set a truck loaded with fish ablaze last evening near Karong, about 6km north of Senapati police station.

After the arson, the police arrested A. Pukani, 34, and Yarmi Ringri, 35, from the spot. However, they were released later in view of the lifting of the blockade.

Taking advantage of the lack of adequate number of security escorts, some blockade supporters stopped the truck and set it on fire. It was part of a 300-supply vehicle convoy being escorted from Mao to Imphal by a team of Manipur Rifles personnel.

The arrest of the two alleged arsonists triggered tension in the district headquarters and other parts of the district, particularly along the Senapati sector of the highway, with the student body calling a lightning bandh in the district this morning.

Bandh supporters damaged some vehicles this morning.

During the talks later today, the student body agreed to lift the strike as well as the economic blockade with immediate effect. On its part the government team promised the student body that the ongoing repair work would be completed as soon as possible.

Trauma over, trafficked kids head back home

Chennai, February 16 : The 76 Manipuri and Assamese children, rescued from Bethesda Blessing Home in Kanyakumari district on January 23, began their journey home from Tirunelveli yesterday evening even as the girls belonging to Manipur and Assam taken to Bangalore have been reportedly located by the Tamil Nadu police.

After producing them before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Tirunelveli, the 52 Manipuri and 24 Assamese children were handed over to Saranaalayam Reception Home attached to the Child Welfare Committee in Tirunelveli.

The children have been staying at Saranaalayam for the last three weeks.

As per the schedule, the children were to leave by Ananthapuri Express from Tirunelveli but due to some trouble in connecting a separate coach from Tirunelveli, the children went by two buses to Madurai.

Speaking from Madurai, the Saranaalayam director, Father S Joseph Johnson, said that the children would reach Chennai on Monday morning and would board the Guwahati Express from Chennai Egmore station on Monday night and would reach Guwahati on Thursday evening.

After handing over the Assamese children to that State CWC, the Manipur CWC team would take the Manipuri children to their home State.

A police team from Tirunelveli, headed by sub inspector Abraham and a Assam CID police team led by Inspector P Bordoloi escorted the children.

Two Saranaalayam workers and social defence staff accompanied the children.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the girls belonging to Manipur and Assam taken Paul to Bangalore have been located by the Tamil Nadu police.

The Manipuri and Assamese children at Saranaalayam told Manipur Child Welfare Committee member K Maharabi Singh that more than 16 girls were taken by Paul to Bangalore, the sources said.

Subsequently, a special Tamil Nadu police team located the place in Bangalore and identified around 23 children.

They have approached the State Child Welfare Committee to rescue the girls.

Cops canter into semis

Lamyanba Pakhang men to take on Khurai Polo Club (A) today

Manipur polo

S. Girimohan of Manipur Police (in white) attempts a strike during the match with Thangmeiband Polo Club. Telegraph picture Imphal, Feb. 16 : Manipur Police Sports Club (A) stormed into the semi-final of the 1st 57 Mountain Division Polo Tournament, defeating Thangmeiband Youth Polo Club by 4-1 goals at Imphal Pologround here today. In the last quarter-final match today, Thangmeiband Youth Polo could hardly put up any defence against the volley of strikes by the Manipur Police SC team in the first two chukkers. The policemen put up a formidable front right from the beginning. The Manipur Police team struck first as M. Jawan Singh scored in the first chukker. The riders then followed through with some magnificent strikes in the second chukker. The cops dominated the proceedings totally, giving their best in the second chukker, as I. Khaba Singh fetched the second goal. Teammate S. Bimol Singh chipped in with another goal to increase the tally to three. With the policemen taking over the game with controlled and precise strikes, the Thangmeiband Youth Polo Club found it tough to score. However, in the third chukker, they managed to score a solitary goal when Y. Binoy Singh rode through to bring some solace to the team. The Manipur Police Sports Club soon overrode its opponents as S. Girimohan Singh found the winning fourth goal to seal the fate of the Thangmeiband Youths by 4-1 goals en route to the semi-final today. In the semi-final, Lamyanba Pakhang Polo will take on Khurai Polo Club (A) while Manipur Police Sports Club (A) will clash with Khurai Polo Club (A) tomorrow.

Meet resolves implementation of 6th Pay in state would harm unorganized sector

IMPHAL, Feb 16 : The general discussion on the impact and aftermath of implementation of the 6th pay Commission was discussed today in a function organized by the All Manipur Man Power Upliftment Centre.

The function was attended by various resource persons from various intellectual circles of the state, including professors from the Manipur University at MDU Imphal.

The discussions centred around prospects of rise in prices of essential commodities in the state with the implementations of 6th pay commission in the state.

Remarkably, Prof. Chinglen of Manipur University who attended as resource person elaborated that, implementations 6th Pay Commission would invite serious economic crises in the state and such implemenation of 6th pay commission without considering the per capita income of the common public and farmers.

He further mentioned that, the people of the state need to consider that the state has limited resources and entire need of various aspects of development is dependent on the mercy of the Central government.

He said, without considering the per capita income of the common people and farmers of the state, implementation of 6th pay commission will lead to the establishment of a state for the high income groups, i.e. government employees only.

Many participants expressed their opinion on the matter and the meeting final unanimously resolved that the state government to initiate necessary measures to provide unemployment allowances for farmers and educated youths of the state who be directly impacted by the implementation of 6th pay Commission in the state.

The resolution also called for implementations of minimum wage for the working classes groups as implemented in other parts of the country corresponding to the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission.

It also demanded extension of another additional 50 days as working days for already implemented NREGS instead of 100 days as observed in the state. It also called for maintaining transparency in provisions of AAY/BPL cards, regular provision of PDS items, control of prices for essential items.

It also called for the government to bear the transportation charges for the materials related to the farmers, establishment of Worker’s Social Society Act 2008, for the upliftment of workers living under the unorganised sectors, creation of more posts in view of the educated unemployed, establishment of anti-corruption cell in every district, extending service period etc.

The discussion also further resolved to appeal the state government to bring an amicable solutions to avoid the existing paralyses of state administration caused due to cease works strike of AMTUC and ANGEO in the state.

Lui Ngai Ni celebration begins at Senapati

IMPHAL, Feb 14: Celebration of  Naga Seed Sowing festival the Lui-Ngai-Ni 2010 began today.

The traditional festival Lui Ngai-Ni this year has started from this evening at Senapati Public ground with a gala cultural shows and music extravaganza. The Lui Ngai-Ni this year will be unique as the oldest Naga Queen Apei Hinga of Maram Namdi (Maram Khullen) will grace the main celebration tomorrow at Senapati Public ground and she will also perform a traditional ritual of blessing the Naga seed-sowing festival tomorrow.

Apart from the Nagas, other communities like Kukis and Gorkhas will also present their cultural items during the celbration at Senapati.

In fact the Lui Ngai-Ni, a seed sowing festival the Naga has been recognized as a state festival for its unique feature and celbrated on 15th of February every year in the state. All preparations for the festival have been made by the state level organising committee atSenapati district head quarter, and all Naga tribes both from the Manipur ad neighbouring Nagaland will going to present their aged old traditional dances and  folk items in connection with the celebration.

It may be mentioned that such tradititional functions of indigenour tribes of the state have becoming showcased and also becoming one of the eventual celebrations to attract the tourists from both India and foreign countries.

Over 80 goods laden trucks stranded at Mao

Imphal, February 14, 2010: Over 80 goods laden trucks bound for Manipur have been stranded at Mao Gate in the Manipur-Nagaland border due to the ongoing indefinite economic blockade called by Senapati District Students Association (SDSA).

The SDSA's sponsored agitation has entered 14 days today.

The students' body has been demanding from the state government of Manipur mainly to improve the National Highway 39, the lifeline of Manipur which is in deplorable condition.

Few days ago the agitating SDSA had relaxed its economic blockade for 36 hours in view of a mega religious programme at Senapati.

Fuel pumps ran dry prior to its relaxation period.Some ten trucks have already been damaged by blockade supporters in the course of 14 days agitation.

Absconding man produced in court

Nagercoil: Shaji, who kept 76 boys from Manipur and Assam, in an unauthorised orphanage, was produced before a magistrate’s court at Kuzhithurai on Saturday.

The Kaliyakkavilai police have registered more than five cases against him.

He was absconding ever since the children were rescued from the ‘home’ recently. A special team arrested Shaji who was hiding in Palakkadu in Kerala. He was remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.

PDA gears up for ADC polls

Imphal, February 09 2010: The Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA), a political party based in Manipur hills has geared up for the forthcoming Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections in the hill districts of Manipur.

Pulling up its loin to be in fray in the district council polls, the 'general council' of the Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA) convened a meeting few days ago in Imphal and minutely deliberated on the matter.

General secretary of the PDA Thaiba Sanii disclosed NNN that in that meeting the delegates present dwelt on the extension of the VIth Schedule provision of the Constitution of India, the Constitutional Rights over lands and natural resources of the hill tribal people, the political problems relating to the insurgency in the North Eastern region with special reference to Indo-Naga peace process like the Naga 'unification' and Suspension of Operation (SoO) involving Kuki, Chin-Mizo group.

The PDA leader said that the meeting also expressed about the "lackadaisical attitude of the SPF government led by Congress that reduced the district councils in the hill areas of Manipur as mere hollow drums by the latest amendment of the headless Act and the party's desire for bringing about a logical political solution with strong political will on the part of the centre to end the half a century old political conflicts in the region".

Manipuri children narrate ‘horror home’ tales

Imphal, Feb. 9: Emmanual, the head of one of the homes in Chennai from where some children were rescued recently, had forced 13-year-old Reeta Devi (name changed) from Manipur to “massage” his body late at night and beat her up if she failed to go to his room.

Called “father” by the children, he “touched” 12-year-old Leirang Devi (name changed) while he forced the children to clean latrines and tortured them when they refused to comply with his orders.

“They forced us girls to wash clothes and cook food. We were taken to task if the food was not properly cooked. I felt uncomfortable when the father (Emmanual) touched my body. It was a horror home,” Leirang wept as she narrated her ordeal at the home.

She was one of the 16 children rescued from Reach Home Children Foundation, Mogappair of Chennai, run by Emmanual.

Altogether 19 children, 10 girls and 9 boys, were brought here yesterday after being rescued from two illegal homes in Chennai. All of them are in the age group of six and 13.

Today, they recalled their ordeal at the “horror house” as they spoke to their guardians, social welfare minister N. Loken Singh and officials of his department at the Observation and Special Home, run by the department, at Takyel in West Imphal.

John Singh (name changed), 12, said Emmanual called Reeta to his room late at night and forced her “to massage his body”.

If she failed to go, she was beaten up severely the next morning.

The children said they were sent to collect firewood in a nearby jungle.

“If we brought firewood, rice was given to us for cooking. If we did not bring it then no rice was given. We were not fed enough and when some of the children took food without permission they beat us up. No education was given to us,” Singh said.

The children said Emmanual’s son, Benny, introduced the boys to smoking while some of the girls were taught how to dance.

Some of the parents cried as they heard the “horror” tales and said it was their fault that their children had to suffer such an ordeal.

Some of the children reportedly told officials of the department and child activists that they were molested at the home, but these incidents were not disclosed by the officials.

“These things cannot be made public. We carried out medical examinations yesterday but found no evidence of sexual abuse,” a senior official of the social welfare department told reporters.

Child activists, who knew about sexual harassment at the home, expressed anger at the officials of the department for concealing the matter.

A team of Chennai police’s anti-trafficking section will arrive here soon to probe whether Reeta was sexually abused by the “father”.

She was not among the group of children brought here yesterday. Social welfare officials said guardians had brought her back before the Chennai Child Welfare Committee rescued 16 children from the home on January 21.

The children were taken to Chennai by S. Herojit from Bishnupur and Leisham Rakesh from Imphal East on the promise that they would be given free education. The two also took Rs 10,000 each from the parents.

They were arrested with two others by Chennai police but freed on bail on January 29.

The police are looking for Emmanual, his friend Christopher and Benny.

Scuffle over fees at Manipur private school

Guardians attend the meeting at Heritage Convent School in Imphal on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Feb. 8 : A scuffle broke out during a meeting of guardians and school authorities at the Heritage Convent at Uripok in Imphal West today over the payment of fees for the four months during which classes were not held.

Classes were boycotted for four months from September in the four valley districts of Manipur.

The Apunba Lup spearheaded and called for a series of agitation against the killings of passerby Rabina Devi and former militant Ch. Sanjit in an alleged fake encounter by police commandos in Imphal city on July 23 last year.

Classes resumed from January 10 after the Apunba Lup and the Rabina and Sanjit Joint Action Committees signed a truce with the Ibobi Singh government on January 8.

The Heritage Convent has classes from preparatory to Class VIII and is known as one of the reputed schools in the district.

While the guardians said no fees should be taken for the four months, the school authorities demanded that the entire amount should be paid, as they had to pay the teachers and other employees their salaries.

Three students’ organisations, the All Manipur Students Union, Manipuri Students Federation and Kangleipak Students Association, had, however, asked the schools to take only a month’s fee. The school authorities and guardians held a meeting on February 3 to thrash out the issue but failed to reach an agreement.

The second meeting was held today.

The school authorities and more than 1,000 guardians gathered on the school premises since 10am today to discuss the matter .

The guardians suddenly turned violent and went on the rampage after a lady teacher allegedly told them that the school would not allow the students to sit for examinations if the fees were not paid.

The guardians used chairs as missiles and damaged some glass windows and a speaker of the public address system. However, the situation was brought under control after a police team arrived on the scene.

The authorities and guardians settled the matter through talks after the teacher apologised.

The executive director of the school, Vikramjit Singh, said they would take only one month’s fee from the guardians.

The parents are yet to decide whether they will accept the proposal. The guardians later decided to form an association.

A spokesperson for the guardians said the proposed association would meet the authorities again to settle the fee issue and to find ways for smooth running of the school.