Day: April 6, 2013

Imphal, Apr 6 MNS/UNA: Spontaneous response given to the statewide bandh called against the brutal murder of the female junior research fellow of RIMS’s pathology department Saturday hit normal life in Manipur.
Registering a strong protest against the murder of the 30-year old Ningombam Satyabhama Devi of Kakwa Laishram Leikai, a junior doctor at RIMS was found murdered at an open paddy field at Loumanbi Loukon under Irilbung police station of Imphal East district.
A joint action committee formed in connection with the murder of the woman called an indefinite statewide bandh in protest against the merciless murder of the woman and pressing the state government to book the culprit(s) at the earliest.
On the first day of the bandh commenced from 6 am today, it received a widespread support from the people of all work of life as market places and business establishments remained close for the day besides streets in valley areas wore desert.
All modes of transport including long distance inter-district buses and taxi services stayed off the road.
The bandh severely hit life in the twin districts of Imphal and partially in other valley districts, Thoubal and Bishnupur. However, the bandh has less impact in hill districts as except non-arrival of passenger service and commercial transport vehicles, movement of all kinds of vehicles were not disturb. All shops and other establishments remained open, reports culled out from the district headquarters said.
In valley areas, besides witnessing a sharp reduction in the traffic volume, bandh supporters took to the streets at various places and blocked movement of vehicles.
At Kawka area where the deceased woman hailed from, a large number of people took to the streets on the Indo-Myanmar section of NH-2 and blocked movement of all kinds of vehicles from early this morning before the commencement of the bandh at 6 am.
Police had a hard time to disperse the bandh supporters as they blocked at one or other place along the highway despite repeated dispersion by the police who later resorted to firing tear gas and mob dispersion bombs.
Meanwhile, the postmortem on the dead body of the woman was performed this afternoon at JNIMS hospital morgue. Local MLA of Thongju A/C, top police officials of Imphal East and West and members of JAC were present at the morgue during the process.
The MLA calmed down the members of JAC and womenfolk who gathered at the morgue with an assurance that he would press the authority at his best level to find out the culprit(s) and bring them to justice at the earliest.
However, family with the supports of the JAC refused to accept the dead body.
The JAC was pressing the government books the culprit(s) at the earliest and award of life imprisonment or capital punishment so as to check repetition of the crime against woman in the state by setting a five-day deadline to fulfill the demands.
If government failed to fulfill the demands, the JAC threatened to launch intensified forms of agitation which any untoward incident would be the sole responsibility of the government.
To submit a memorandum containing their demands, a massive rally, participated by around 3000 people was marched towards the chief minister bungalow this late evening.
However, police on duty at the bazaar area with additional reinforcement from the police headquarters blocked the rally and dispersed them as they attempted to proceed despite police convincement that chief minister has left for New Delhi this afternoon after a brief struggle.
The Shiv Sena Manipur state strongly condemned the brutal killing of Ningombam Seityabhama alias Penao (31) Kakwa Selungba Leikai.
The govt. should take up necessary legal actions to punish the killing according to a press release of Shiv Sena.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/wide-spread-protest-against-killing-of-woman/

IMPHAL, April 6: The Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) asked today that on what basis the government of Manipur was asking the parents of the rescued children to take their wards on April 8 to their respective home.
The TSLD said today that it was being informed that the parents and guardians of the children who were rescued from Grace Home, The Father’s Children Home and pastor Jacob John’s house in Jaipur, Rajasthan in March have been asked to come to Imphal and take their wards on April 8.
“If this is the case the TSLD would like to know from the government of Manipur on what basis the children are planned to be restored off despite the assurance from the government that they will be made to stay in shelter homes for atleast for three months whereby they will be given active counseling before they are restored to their parents,” said the Delhi based Tangkhul women organisation which is instrumental in rescuing the children from Jaipur last month in collaboration with other NGOs and activists. “We would like to remind yet again that the children, have withstood a very difficult and traumatic phase in their lives and utmost care be taken while trying to restore them to their families. It is important to note that some of the children are from broken homes and some are orphans and the CWC should carefully assess what best is for each child and not hurry to shut the case as it appears to be,” the TSLD added. It then demanded that the government complete the very fundamental requirements before passing the buck to the district authorities which do not have the capacity nor the funding to serve the interest of the children.TSLD then insists that detail gynaecological test of every girl child be done and timely operation for those children who needed to be operated.
It also insists that home study be done before their restoration to ensure that they are not re-trafficked again.The TSLD further insists to ensure that every child have access to their Right to Education and not just leave them at the mercy of poverty and ignorance of the families
“Strict legal action is initiated against those who supply the children to pastor Jacob John,” the TSLD demanded.TSLD then reiterates that the government should not deal with this case in an abrupt and adhoc manner like in the past but should work on a well-planned long term rehabilitation and re-integration support

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rescued-children-to-be-sent-home/

IMPHAL, April 6 MNS/NNN: All Zeliangrong Students Union (AZSU), Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur (ZSUM) warned today that the Zeliangrong people are ready to face any eventuality to secure the release of school girl Alice Kamei from the RPF/PLA custody.
They then said that the revelation of the police after arresting two women recruiters of the RPF/PLA has proved that school girl Alice Kamei did not join the militant outfit on her own volition.
“Elangbam Rojita @ Tekpi and Elangbam Ongbi Thoinu who are as per police statement involved in the kidnapping of the minor school girl was arrested from Hiyanglam Awang Leikai along with huge amount of money amounting Rs 30,000 which alleged to have been received from RPF/PLA as payment for recruitment has revealed that the minor school girl Alice Kamei did not go willingly to the RPF/PLA fold. The claim of the RPF/PLA stating that the minor school girl had joined the underground organization on her own volition had totally contradicted by the revelation of the two women who were arrested by the Thoubal district police commando team, hence the underground RPF/PLA had no justifiable ground to detain the minor school girl in their custody for any longer. There is apprehension that the minor school girl who is now captive in the custody of RPF/PLA might be facing hardships on various ways,” AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM today.
Even after RPF/PLA had announced in the public domain that the minor school girl who is in their custody is less than 18 years but continue to remain in captivity is a total violation of international law and infringement upon the rights and liberty of a child to live freely without fear, denial of the child right’s to education also restricted and prohibited her free movement. The RPF/PLA continuing to detain the minor school girl without any justifiable reason has potential to cause unwanted consequences considering the situation where the people are ready for any eventuality, the Zeliangrong organisations cautioned today.
The AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM said with the 1st phase of public democratic agitation of 48 hours total blockade on National Highways and the 2nd phase of sit-in-protest in Imphal East district, Imphal West district, Bishnupur and Churachandpur have ended but the RPF/PLA’s adamant stand not to release Alice Kamei has signified the outfit’s immaturity, incapable to understand the people voice, absence of organizational procedures on such issue.
“The unjustified captivity of the minor school girl is suspicious to incitement of turmoil in the region. The Zeliangrong people will chalk out a specific strategy to strike and take up intense form of democratic agitation to secure release of the minor school girl from the RPF/PLA custody. The nature and mode of public democratic agitation will be taken during the next public meeting which will be held shortly. The action of Thoubal district police commando arresting two involved persons into the case is commendable by Zeliangrong people in particular and every reasoning and right thinking people in general,” the AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM added.
The Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) said it views the reported clarification from the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), a non-state armed group of Manipur, about the two adolescent indigenous girl students of Grace Reach Academy, Kakching almost a month since they were reported missing from 10th March 2013 as “safe and sound” in their camp as “willing” recruits, as a scandalous disgrace for an organisation, which is generally viewed as progressive and disciplined, and that had unilaterally acceded to the four Geneva Conventions’ Common Article 3 in 1997 by declaration during the49th session of the UN Human Rights Sub-Commission, at Geneva, and had at the same time called upon India to ratify the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II). Further, the two girls were claimed in the reported clarification to be 16 years old, which is contradictory to the age given by the school’s Principal and respective families as 14 and 15 years old. The said two adolescent girl students should be released safe and sound to their respective parents immediately on the grounds of international human rights and humanitarian principles and law.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zeliangrong-unions-demand-release-of-alice/