CM inspects drainage system

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Source: Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, May 10: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today conducted an extensive tour of Imphal city and inspected various ongoing development works, including construction of drainage system at Samusang and Lamphelpat areas.

According to a release of the government, the Chief Minister inspected and reviewed the construction work progress of drainage system being undertaken under JNURM at Nambul River, Samusang area and Lamphelpat area in Imphal West.

Speaking at the work sites, the Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction at the slow work progress of the projects.

He said that the work remained as it was during his previous tours with no visible developments.

He directed the work agency not to delay the completion of this vital projects and instructed the concerned departments to speed up work so that the project is completed in time.

He also gave strong instruction for immediate dismantling of huts constructed by encroachers at Lamphelpat area.

The Chief Minster was accompanied by IFCD Minister Ngamthang Haokip, Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Nasir and concerned engineers during the inspection.

*The above news story is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. NUM has no responsibility for the sanctity and originality of the news story.

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Manipur delegation meets PM

Source: Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, May 10: A Manipur delegation today met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his office in the Parliament and submitted a memorandum Justice for Richard and Other Victims from the Northeast Region of India vis-à-vis Racial Profiling and Discrimination in Other Parts of India.

The delegation led by Manipur MP Dr T Meinya included representatives of Justice for Richard, and Manipur Students’ Association Delhi. The memorandum was signed by 25,398 signatories across the world.

The memorandum demanded fast track initiatives to deliver justice to (a) Loitam Richard (19) from Manipur who was murdered on 17th April at Bangalore in Karnataka and (b) Dana Silva M Sangma (21) from Meghalaya who committed suicide on 24th April 2012 in Delhi due to the reported humiliation by exam invigilators.

The delegates demanded the Government of India to recognise multi racial composition of India and the phenomenon of institutionalised racial discrimination as it exists distinctively amidst the myriads of socio-cultural discriminations prevalent in India.

The delegation expressed their concern over targeted violence and discrimination on the students, migrant workers (employees), job seekers, and tourists from the Northeast in other parts of India.

Assuring the delegation of action the Prime Minister Dr. Singh admitted that there had been several instances of crimes against humanity and the government had been taking up measures to control it.

He also assured maximum efforts to deliver justice and measures to prevent such incidents.

He promised to recommend to the MHA to expedite the cases.

Dr. Singh however denied racism in India and instutionalised discrimination on the peoples hailing from the Northeast. He appealed the members of the Justice for Richard to have faith in the initiatives taken up by the government.

In the afternoon representatives of JFR, MSAD, and Change.org submitted copies of memorandum respectively to the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Manipur through the concerned officials attached to Karnataka Bhavan and Manipur Bhavan.

The delegates further submitted a copy of the memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Ms. B. Bhamathi informed that the ministry has been expecting for more and speedy reports from the Karnataka Government. She instructed her office to contact the Karnataka Government to enquire about the report and to recommend for fast track proceeding towards delivering justice to the family of Richard.

Although she could not promise a time bound justice as demanded by the delegates, she called upon victims of social discrimination to come up with specific suggestions to be observed by the law enforcing agencies so that those suggestions may be considered in policy framing and strategic planning.

Meanwhile, newly elected Sagolband MLA RK Imo Singh today submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram urging for immediate arrest of the two persons against whom the Karnataka police have issued an FIR regarding the Richard case and an independent CBI inquiry into the Loitam Richard’s death.

The MLA who is in the national capital submitted the memorandum to the Union Home Minister during a meeting in his north block office at 4pm.

The Home Minister had replied that he is constant touch with the Karnataka CM and is seriously looking into the matter and said that if the state government cannot bring the investigation into a logical conclusion, he will ask the Karnataka CM to hand over the case to the CBI like in the DANA case, the MLA.

*The above news story is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. NUM has no responsibility for the sanctity and originality of the news story.

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AR gun down three UG cadres

Imphal: Discovering the movement of UG cadres along  Monghlam,  troops of 23 Assam Rifles of 10 Sector under HQ IGAR(South) launched operation in the area on 09 May 12, a release by PRO IGAR(South) said.

ARMS AND AMMUNATION RECOVERED

 BY TROOPS OF 27 SECTOR ASSAM RIFLES

According to the release, at around 02.00 am of this morning, own troops observed movement of armed terrorist from Monghlam to Chadung. On being challenged, UG cadres opened heavy volume of indiscriminate fire on own column which was immediately retaliated by AR troops and in the ensuing firefight shot dead three UGs on the spot. During the search of the area, three dead bodies of UGs were recovered. 

In the operation, one M-16 Rifles with grenade launcher and magazine, one 9 mm Carbine with magazine, one Lathode, 55 x M-16 live rounds, three Lathode live rounds,9 mm live amn three, two Lathode fire case, one carry bag, one amn pouch has been recovered from the slain UGs. Bodies of slain UGs alongwith recovered items have been handed over to Litan Police station, the release furthered.

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National Innovator Star Trophy to ECI

New Delhi: Election Commission of India has been awarded the National Innovator Star Trophy by EMPI-Indian Express for Electronic Voting Machine. The Award was given by Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission at a function on 4th May 2012 at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

 

The Award was given to ECI for ‘Transforming Electoral Processes by Implementing Electronic Voting in the World’s Largest Democracy’. It was received by Dr Alok Shukla, Deputy Election Commissioner on behalf of the Commission. 

Electronic Voting Machine has been developed with specialised hardware and software to incorporate requirements that would be friendly to diverse Indian users and meet the stringent constitutional requirements viz. tackling aspects of secrecy, authentication by contestants, avoidance of incorrect/duplicate voting, protection against manipulative interests of individuals, political parties, and election mangers at the election site and during transportation, and building in redundancies in case of failures. 

The Jury for the Award comprised of Mr Arun Maira and Shri N Vittal, Padma Bhushan. 

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Manipur's 'Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila now in Ripley's Believe It or Not

London, May 10 (Agencies): "The iron lady of Manipur", who has spent nearly 12 years fasting to protest against a law that gives special powers to the armed forces, has been featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not, reports the BBC.

Irom Sharmila Chanu, 40, has been on a hunger strike since 2 November 2000 in the north-eastern state of Manipur. Chanu's hunger strike started after soldiers of the Assam Rifles paramilitary force allegedly killed 10 young Manipuri men in November 2000.

She has been arrested many times and taken to hospital where she has been force-fed a liquid diet through her nose, since November 2000, in a bid to keep her alive.

Chanu has repeatedly rejected requests to call off her fast until the government withdraws the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces when they fight separatist insurgents or leftist radicals.

Kshetrimayum Onil, a trustee of Just Peace Foundation, a non-governmental organisation based in the state capital, Imphal, told the BBC he sent an e-mail to Ripley's site about Chanu's struggle in mid-March.

"Lucas Stram, one of the researchers from the Ripley's team, sent me a link to the cartoon page a few days back," Onil said.

Ripley's site features a cartoon on the activist and describes her as "The iron lady of Manipur". Chanu's years of fasting have made her an iconic figure in Manipur. 

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Avoid factional fight: Sonia Gandhi

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

NEW DELHI, May 9 (Agencies): Asking partymen to draw lessons from the previous polls, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said leaders must shed factional behaviour and fight as one disciplined team as the party braces to face a series of state elections in the coming months.

"We must all shed all manner of factional behaviour, and fight as one disciplined team at all levels. That will be the single-most important factor to decide whether we win or lose.

"People look to us -- but we need to show them our commitment and our unity if we are to convert this sentiment into electoral victories," Gandhi said while addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in New Delhi, which was also attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Commenting on the elections results in the five states including Uttar Pradesh, where the party could not perform as expected, Gandhi said, "While we can take satisfaction in the fact that we returned to power in Manipur for the third time and formed the government in Uttarakhand, the results in Punjab and Goa are very disappointing.

"In Uttar Pradesh, even though we did not perform as well as we had hoped to, we increased our vote share quite considerably and were seen as a serious player for the first time in 22 years. Of course there is much work to be done there as in other states."

The CPP meeting has come a few days after a high-power committee of the party led AK Antony that reviewed the party's performance in the five states, submitted its report to Gandhi.

She said with a series of state elections approaching in the coming months, the partymen "must draw upon lessons of the previous polls."

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Mothers Union Kangpokpi formed

KANGPOKPI, May 9: All communities within 50-Kangpokpi Assembly Constituency, Sadar Hills including Nepali, Naga and the Meetei communities held a meeting at Ngahmun, residence of Nemcha Kipgen, MLA, Kangpokpi A/C on May 5 and unanimously formed a union called “Mothers Union Kangpokpi Assembly Constituency” under the Motto “Love, Serve & Change”.

The members present in the meeting elected Nemcha Kipgen, MLA as advisor of the union while Themkholhing from Kangpokpi, Nengboi Lhouvum from Keithelmanbi and Tingnu Kipgen from Kangpokpi were elected as chairman, general secretary and treasurer respectively.

They have also elected four vice chairwomen namely, Ch. Ibeyaima Devi (Kpi), Hina Hima (Kalapahar), L Vikhorou (Mahika) and K Hoinu Kipgen (Kpi).

Momon Devi (Kpi), Khrisna Kumari Adhikari (Kalapahar), Saija (Phyaphou), Vungpi Guite (Kpi), NJ Hoinei Vaiphei (Kpi) and Prescilla (Makui Naga) were unanimously elected as joint secretary of the Union while Hatnu(KMC),  Chongbem Singson(Kpi), Kimneichong Haolai (Kpi) and Nengpi Kipgen (Kpi) were elected as information secretaries. They have also elected 20 executive members.

The Union vowed to love, serve the people from all community in every field and bring changes in the constituency in every work of life.

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