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.