Day: December 16, 2012

The post Free eye camp held appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

IMPHAL, Dec 16: A one day free eye care camp was held today at the Thangmeiband Athletic Union office jointly organized by Lion and Lioness club of Manipur and Mayai Lambi club Manipur in collaboration with the District Blindness Control Society, Imphal West and THAU Health Care and Fitness Centre. 

“The free eye camp is being organized as a part of the 1st anniversary celebration of THAU Health Care and Fitness Centre, which fall on December 22. The centre along with the Lions and Lioness club is also trying to organize medical camps of different diseases on every Sunday in the days to come,” said Dr Arunkanta, vice president, THAU and chairman of THAU Health Care and Fitness Centre.

Around 150 patients from the surrounding areas were treated in the today’s free eyes camp. 

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The post Comm meeting appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

IMPHAL, Dec 16: The meeting of the Committee on Govt. Assurances, Manipur Legislative Assembly will be held on December 17 at 11:00 am in the Committee Room of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat (old) for consideration of study tour outside States, informed a source.

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The post Japanese hospital opens office appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

IMPHAL, Dec 16: The Japanese Hospital Manipur today inaugurated its new office at Khurai Khabeishoi, Eshee Lou along the Imphal-Ukhrul road.

The inauguration was attended by Laiyengbam Bhagirot Advisor Japanese hospital Manipur (JHM), T.M Rajen Ayangba president (JHM), N Chaoba vice president All Manipur Guardian Student Organisation, Oinam Yaima, general secretary All Manipur guardian student organisation as the chief guest, president and guests of honour, respectively.

In his key note address, JHM controller M Ibomcha Singh said the hospital will be constructed in the state by the Japanese 2nd World War VIctims Memorial Hospital Trust Manipur.

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The post Book reading up, book buying down appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

The ten-day long 21st Imphal Book Fair in its 21st edition has begun at Hatta Kangjeibung and will go on till December 24th. An annual event now, the book fair organized by the State Central Library, Imphal in collaboration with the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Foundation, Kolkata is fast becoming an exercise for students and aspirants for various competitive examinations in the state to buy course books. Despite the presence of 23 book firms from outside the state and over 20 odd local firms this year, chances are that the number of book lovers thronging the fair and buying books will still be low. In fact, there has also been a visible trend of a decrease in the number of people visiting the fair and purchasing books other than text or course books while it is common to hear the popular lament that the reading culture in the state is decreasing.

The ‘lack of a reading culture’ in Manipur may well be a mere assumption without any standardized study on the reading habits of people in Manipur. There would have a to be a mapping of which age group reads what, how much and whether they buy books and if so, from where. Without such a study, it would be wrong to say that there is no reading culture in the state and that people are not buying books.

Interestingly, the NBT (National Book Trust)-NCAER (National Council of Applied Economic Research) Study on ‘Reading Habits of the Literate Youth of North-East India’ released in November this year said that 43 percent of the youth in the North Eastern states are readers. Amongst the states in the region, Assam had the lowest number of leisure book lovers (39%) while Mizoram had the highest percentage at 62%. Manipur ranked second with 52% with Nagaland at 47%. The lack of reading amongst younger children across the region was also flagged off with children preferring to watch television.

The survey did not mention specifics of book reading and book buying in the region, including figures on reading language books which would include those written in Manipuri Bengali script and others written in local dialect form using English alphabet. But older people with access to online bookshops are buying books at far cheaper rates than bookstores will every give; with free shipping thrown in. There is also the matter of language book reading that deserves some serious thought. Yet again, only a proper study would be able to zero in on the exact figures but it would be safe to say that the figures would not be much. Poorly bound language books with lackluster book covers, topped with no marketing strategy or publicity can be no match for glossy books marketed with zeal on every social media and traditional media forums.

Meanwhile the switch in the script being followed in the state also means that the few amongst the older generation who are reading books in Manipuri Bengali script and not used to reading in English, which is the common reading medium for younger people; will not be able to read in case these books are brought out in the Manipuri script. On the other hand, younger children who are learning the Manipuri script in schools now will all have to miss out on the entire literary legacy that is now in Bengali script!

There is a serious need to take due steps towards promoting books and the habit of reading for different age groups in the state. Reading clubs should be encouraged at Schools and Colleges with appropriate books for different ages and classes so that young people turn to books more than they do to the television. Publishing firms in the state need subsidies so that they are able to invest in more writers while authors would need to get out of their comfort zones and reach out to potential readers. So long as books remain limited to a certain set of people, there can be no popular demand for them. As for the ongoing Imphal Book Fair, not many people would find value in stepping out in the winter chilled dusty ambience at Hatta Kangjeibung, face parking issues, pay an entry fee and then get marginal discounts on books. A ‘meet film artist’, a ‘meet Shumang Leela Artist’ at the Imphal book fair might just get a curious crowd but would they buy books as well? An increase in the discount on books might just be what it takes, considering that customer is king.

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The post Vibrant Spirit: The missing element in Manipur`s polity appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

By Amar Yumnam
There is now a call to shun the forthcoming Orange Festival and it is not without reason. Any festival sponsored and organized by the state cannot be without reason and without a cause; it can never be festival for the sake of it. The festival should definitely have a cause and be a movement to sustain a spirit for enhancement of lives. All these cannot happen in a vacuum and should necessarily be founded on a commitment of the state to transform society and economy for taking the well-being of people on a higher pedestal. This has not happened in the case of the Orange Festival and hence the expected angst of the people whose well-being has not been taken forward at all despite the annual festivals. This has not been only in the case of this, but has rather has been the marked feature of every functioning of the state in Manipur. This does call for an introspection to identify the missing element which makes the repetition of such experiences a routine one. The social impact of this is also visible in the recent involvement and arrest of a police officer and army personnel in connection with harassment of civilians to extract money and other belongings; thankfully in this we see a remarkable improvement in the police administration of the land as exemplified by the arrest of the involved police officer in real time of the notice of the event. 

In the introspection process, I must admit that enjoying the Nupi Lal drama recently on 12 December has been a wonderfully learning experience. I am not a student of History and indeed very poor at that. Besides, I have never earlier witnessed the dramatization of the remarkable social event of Women’s War in Manipur. But this time I did. Ohh! I cried profusely! I am not qualified to comment on the historical component of the show, but I would not restrain myself from expressing the feelings on the social characters epitomised by the drama.

First, the drama conveys very strongly the existence of a very rooted nation at that point of time in history in spite of the presence of British authorities on the soil. Second, it manifests the presence of a group of people identified with the nation and thus nationalism. Third, there is ample evidence of a presence of a vibrant spirit to sustain the nationalism. Now these are not characteristics which can be evolved and established overnight. It definitely must have taken centuries to create a society with these qualities and the unstinted efforts of the forefathers and the kings (includes queens). These qualities would not die easily, and the global presence of Manipuris today in different spheres of activities and walks of life is testimony to the continued strength provided by these social qualities.

But we are now facing a genuine social problem here. In the historical period we could observe the polity-wide presence of these qualities and the benefits out of it were at the level of the masses. An individual could prove himself in the social context itself. In the language of Economics, what was experienced was the possibility of rise in the social marginal benefit without compromising the well-being of an individual. The atmosphere of social competence for each individual endeavouring to excel was sustained in a nice way. However, today the picture is altogether different. This atmosphere is fast disappearing within the social context prevalent in Manipur today. Besides the remnants of the historical qualities are to be searched at the individual levels rather than social and in the individual display of excellence in a context outside of the home society.

The question before us is why such a situation has arisen today. The spirit of nationalism and coupled by the collective commitment of the people to sustain it are divine qualities. These should continuously be nurtured and allow to evolve from one level to another for ensuring forever forward movement of society. But unfortunately two things have happened in the post 1949 scenario of Manipur. First, there is the non-evolution of an Indian state alive to the demography, culture and geography of post-1949 India. It should have been in the fitness of things for the Indian state to sustain the positive social qualities of Manipur and allow these to strengthen the generation of a powerful Indian nationalism. Instead of this, the approach of the Indian state has been to view these qualities as rather anti-Indian elements. This is the natural fall-out of the base failure of the Indian state to adopt a policy of nation-building till today, and following a policy of control, dominance and subjugation. The earlier spirit has not died completely and a new one has not emerged either. But the emerging gap provides a horrendous opportunity for social and political sharks to push for personal agenda.

Secondly, there are the lapses contained in the polity prevailing in Manipur today particularly in so far as they relate to the character of the dominant political class. There naturally have emerged individuals who can capture the gap and visualise the opportunities for enhancing private marginal benefits at the sacrifice of social marginal benefits. They can easily play the trick of following the orientation of the Indian state without in any way serving the cause of it, and in the process push for personal aggrandisement lock, stock and barrel. This group of individuals is conversant with the inherited social characters of Manipur, and adept in playing with the spirit of Manipur. The ruling political class of Manipur is now supplanted by a group of contractors equally manipulative in cashing on the prevailing circumstances.

The chaos in Manipur today and the rising decline of the youths on their expectations on the future of Manipur are natural results of the play and interplay of these two forces. But this definitely is not a sustainable route for advancement. The state should change her character and acquire new abilities founded on the endogenous qualities of the society of Manipur. Only then can we hope for peace and development.  

The post Vibrant Spirit: The missing element in Manipur`s polity appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

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