Month: September 2012

DIMAPUR, Sept 28: Confrontation between the Dimasas on one side and that of Zeliangrongs, Hmars and others, has resurfaced in Assam’s N.C. Hills today. Several people got injured in the alleged attack launched by the Dimasas.
According to Titus Kamei, president of Zeliangrong Youth Front-Assam, Manipur Nagaland (ZYF-AMN), Elu Ndang, general secretary of Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB-AMN) and Pamei Tingenlung, president of AZSU-AMN), many leaders of the community as well that of Hmars have been hurt seriously in the attack launched by the Dimasas today.
“The democratic agitation demonstrated by the Indigenous People Forum (IPF) by way of calling 48 hours bandh expressing their objection and discontentment against the policy of the Assam government to declare the North Cachar Hills district as Dimasa Territorial Council, was obstructed by the Dimasa people in which five Zeliangrong social leaders identitfied as Mrs. Kirangle Panme,(42) who is the president of Zeme Pui Baudi, Assam, and Mrs. Iwangle Riame (43), president of Indigenous Women Forum, Mr. Heichungbe Zeme (40), and three students namely Mr. Kibanchungbe Zeme (18) , Heireilungbe Zeme (18), Mr. Hourangbe Zeme (16) and other indigenous tribal leaders belonging to Hmar community namely, Keivom Hmar(40), president, Indigenous Students’ Forum, Mr. Sureithang Tuolor (20) were seriously injured,” alleged these Zeliangrong leaders today.
According to them, the injured persons were reportedly suffered injury when the Dimasa people armed with guns, and other deadly weapons such as sticks, daos and other deadly weapons attacked them. The injured persons run inside the police station hoping that their lives would be safe but the police turn them out with the Dimasa people dragged them out from the police station thereby nobody came for their rescuing.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ethnic-clashes-in-nc-hills/

DIMAPUR, SEPT 28 NNN : The lukewarm attitude of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to the deplorable road condition within the perimeters of the FCI food storage depot at Kevijau Colony in Dimapur has irked the Railway Goods Transporters, which has threatened to launch an indefinite strike if the road condition is not improved at the earliest.
The threat of the Railway Goods Transporters will greatly affect supply of foodgrains to Nagaland and neighbouring state Manipur as both the states are hugely dependent on FCI foodgrains.
Talking to media persons at the FCI depot, the transporters complained that despite several reminders to the FCI including a representation in July this year to repair the road within the FCI perimeter, the FCI authority has not taken any heed.
“Most of the truckers are daily bread earners transporting FCI food grains. But in this bad road condition, especially during rainy season, many of the truck break down and develop mechanical problems for which the truckers have to spend minimum Rs. 10,000 to repair their vehicles”, said Shikuto Sema, president of Railway Goods Transporters.
Visiting media persons to the FCI Food Storage Depot on Thursday noticed that a fully loaded truck was stuck in the potholes at the main entrance of the depot even as another truck was being pulled out.
Labourers engaged in FCI goods transportation also attested that the deplorable road condition has been dragging on for years and cited instances of food items falling down from the vehicles due to slanting of vehicles while negotiating potholes.
Even as the transporters disclosed that it has become dangerous for them to bring in their vehicles in such road conditions, the FCI officials simply assured them that contractors are working on to fill up the big potholes, some 2 to 2½ feet deep on temporary basis.
The Railway Goods Transporters president also disclosed that over the year, local contractors were contributing from their own pockets for repairing and maintenance of road within the FCI depot.
“This exposes the total disregard and negligence on the part of the FCI authority to the two land-locked states of Nagaland and Manipur. If they (FCI) are sincere enough, then the road can be repaired overnight”, Shikuto said.
Members of the Railway Goods Transporters who met with the FCI depot manager reminded the latter on representation submitted by the transporters in the month of July demanding the repair of the road.
Acknowledging the demands of the transporters, the FCI depot manager said that a local contractor was awarded the work to fill up the potholes and repair the road on immediate basis. The manager also said that he had appraised FCI authority on the problems faced by the transporters.
Meanwhile, the Railway Goods Transporters cautioned that if the ongoing repairing works are not found satisfactory, then the transporters would launch an indefinite strike, which would affect both Nagaland and Manipur states.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/goods-transporters-threaten-to-launch-indefinite-agitation/

Mail News Service
New Delhi, Sep 28: Manipur Students Association Delhi will observe Irawat day at the Open Air Theatre, Arts Faculty, University of Delhi (North Campus) from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pmon Sep 30. 30 September has been widely recognised and observed as IRABOT DAY in Manipur to commemorate the birthday of comrade Hijam Irabot (30 September 1896- 26 September 1951).
Comrade Irabot, who had a humble origin as a destitute orphan, was a leading figure of the social reform movement and political agitations in Manipur in the 1930s and 1940s. He was not lured by the prospect of royal prerogatives and official facilities including the prestigious post of membership to the Sadar Panchayat Court that were being offered to him for having married a princess. He resigned from a government job and fought against the various forms of oppression under feudalism and British colonial rule. He endeavoured towards the promotion of cultural identity, sports, literature and journalism. He was instrumental in the formation of reform organizations, students’ federation, peasant union, women’s organization and progressive party. By 1943 he was a confirmed communist and during his six years political exile till late 1946 he was politically active in parts of Assam. He was elected to the Manipur Assembly in 1948. Because of the extensive popular support for him, he was considered a threat to the ruling class who subsequently declared him a terrorist on 21 September 1948 before the formal inauguration of the Assembly. He went underground, carried out an armed struggle and died in the jungle in 1951.
Comrade Irabot spearheaded the movement to establish a Manipur that would be free from subjugation, oppression and exploitation. In the decades after 1951, Irabot’s revolutionary line has not been encouraged nor his ideology adequately studied or promoted; although his works in the reform movement, anti-colonial struggle and democratic movement had been widely honoured and commemorated. Irabot is being appropriated and observed by various sections of population and institutions in their own ways. It is surprising to note that apart from other reactionary forces, this year the Red Shield Division of the Indian Army has joined Irabot Day Celebration. However, there has been a lull, if not complete discontinuation, of the revolutionary initiatives that Irabot had taken up. The discontinuation is not an indication of the absence of the material premise for the revolutionary movement to carry on in Manipur. The discontinuation is largely the combined result of the deliberate refraining from adopting the ideological framework of historical materialism to comprehensively address the conditions of Manipur, widespread ideological disillusionment generated by the left wing revisionists and the extensive counter-revolutionary works carried out by the right-wing opportunists.
The subsequent emergence of several liberation organisations would fully explain that since the time of Irabot until today the colonial oppression remains. However, most of the militant organisations remained ideologically inclined towards right-wing nationalism; they have adopted a racial approach to construing nationhood that has been gradually perverted into chauvinism and the perpetuation of communalism, largely uncritical of the political economy, and indifferent to the scientific interpretation on the national question in the colonial and semi-colonial conditions. To add further complication to the situation, several militant organisations using the cloak of revolution have been carrying out forced extortion from the common people, human rights violations and individual terrorism, thereby making the people confused between what is revolutionary and reactionary activity. In the overall scenario, as a result of the absence of a uniting progressive ideology and common political line among the oppressed peoples, the ruling class could play without restraint on the sensational issues of communalism, territorial questions, various forms of repressive and terror tactics, and other divisive tactics to promote sectarianism among the population and to divert attention away from the genuine democratic questions. The political process, therefore, remains anarchical and confusing to many and the revolution is delayed.
Against this backdrop, Manipur Students’ Association Delhi is organising a programme on 30 September not only to commemorate the achievement of comrade Irabot and his political works, but also to have discussion focusing on the prevailing conditions in Manipur. We expect to have a discussion to carry forward the movement towards development, peace and unity in Manipur and beyond. We, therefore, invite you to kindly attend the programme and share your perspective. Your kind presence is highly solicited.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/irabot-day-observation-in-delhi/