Month: May 2013

The post UN Special Rapporteur on VAW to request for AFSPA repeal appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

New Delhi, May 2:

Addressing the media at the UN Building at 55 Lodhi Estate in New Delhi on May 1, Ms. Rashida Manjoo the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences read out a statement based on her official country mission to India.
“During my visit, I held meetings in New Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Manipur, and gathered information from other states, including Tamil Nadu,” Rashida Manjoo said while expressing her thanks to all the women who shared their personal experiences of violence and survival. “The pain and anguish in the testimonies of loss, dispossession,
and various human rights violations, was visceral and often difficult to deal with,” she said in her report. Going on to add that even as there are numerous laws in the country including amendments, to existing laws to address various manifestations of violence against women including the Indian Penal Code which broadly includes crimes against women, she expressed her appreciation over the speedy response of the Government of India to the rape incident in New Delhi in December. Commending the legislative reforms following the Justice Verma judicial committee, she expressed regret that the amendments have not fully reflected the Verma Committee recommendations.  “It is unfortunate that the opportunity to establish a substantive and specific equality and non-discrimination rights legislative framework for women, to address de facto inequality and discrimination and to protect and prevent against all forms of violence against women, was lost,” Rashida Manjoo said.

The situation in Manipur also found mention in her address when Rashida Manjoo  said, “On the issue of conflict-related sexual violence, it is crucial to acknowledge that these violations are occurring at the hands of both state and non-state actors.” Pointing out that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has mostly resulted in impunity for human rights violations, she said that the law (AFSPA) protects the armed forces from effective prosecution in non-military courts for human rights violations committed against civilian women among others, and it allows for the overriding of due process rights. “In testimonies received, it was clear that the interpretation and implementation of this act, is eroding fundamental rights and freedoms – including freedom of movement, association and peaceful assembly, safety and security, dignity and bodily integrity rights, for women, in Jammu & Kashmir and in the North-Eastern States. Unfortunately in the interests of State security, peaceful and legitimate protests often elicit a military response, which is resulting in both a culture of fear and of resistance within these societies.” Rashida Manjoo noted.
She then went on to add, “In consultations in Manipur, I heard anguished stories from relatives of young women who have disappeared without trace or who were found dead shortly after going missing. The lack of response from the police is the norm in such cases, with the attitude being that these are mostly elopement cases. I am deeply concerned about other consequences of such disappearances of young women, including exposure to sexual abuse, exploitation or trafficking.” 

The fate of many tribal and indigenous women in the region being subjected to continued abuse, ill-treatment and acts of physical and sexual violence in her statement which went on to say, “They are denied access to healthcare and other necessary resources, due to the frequency of curfews and blockades imposed on citizens. Moreover, the chronic underdevelopment prevalent in the region, coupled with frequent economic blockades, is having an impact on the overall cost of essential items, and is exacerbating the already vulnerable situation of women and children living in the region.”

In the media interaction that followed, Rashida Manjoo took questions from the journalists. Answering this IFP reporter on her comments on not being able to meet Irom Sharmila during her Manipur visit, she said, “The State Government was not averse to the meeting but the process for meeting her could not be completed in time.”

Asked what had made her week in her visit to Manipur, she said that the sense of loss that the mother of a young woman who had undergone brutal violence and subsequent death deeply moved her. “The grief of the mother was visceral and the photos that she had shown would have moved anyone,” she said.

When another journalist wanted to know whether she would demand for the repeal of AFSPA, Rashida Manjoo said that she would “request that an act that takes away the fundamental rights of a person under the guise of national protection needs to be taken off.”

The post UN Special Rapporteur on VAW to request for AFSPA repeal appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/05/un-special-rapporteur-on-vaw-to-request-for-afspa-repeal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=un-special-rapporteur-on-vaw-to-request-for-afspa-repeal

The post My right to expression is being deprived: Irom Sharmila appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL, May 2:Irom Chanu Sharmila, who was produced before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) today said that her right and freedom to speech was being denied.

She was commenting on the Government`s answer to the request of the N Special Rapporteur on Violence against women, its causes and consequences (UNSRVAW) seeking to meet her by stating that the process of the application could not be completed on time.

“I am only a helpless prisoner and my right to expression is being curtailed. We live in a land where the condition of life is indescribable,” she replied.

“The refusal to the application for meeting me is denial of my fundamental right  to expression by the government. This is because the administrators are weak,” she said. Irom Sharmila further added that she had refused to be produced before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) for her periodic 15 day appearance as her court visit only caused inconvenience to the security personnel but achievednothing for her demand for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

When asked to comment on the report that the UNSRVAW  will be submiting to the UN and her hope on the outcome, Irom Sharmila replied that the mentality of the people in the state could not be changed by the UNSRVAW. “It is only when the mentality of the people in the state change, that the efforts by others can be pushed to convert into action,” she said before she was led from the Court premises to the waiting ambulance.

The post My right to expression is being deprived: Irom Sharmila appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/05/my-right-to-expression-is-being-deprived-irom-sharmila/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-right-to-expression-is-being-deprived-irom-sharmila

The post Storm damage around 300 houses appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

By A Staff Reporter
 
IMPHAL, May 2: The storm that took place last night has damaged many houses, trees and huts built under Sericulture projects and private farms mainly in the three valley districts of the state. According to reports, the  storm has caused damages to many houses and trees in Mayang Langjing, Akham and Ngarianbam villages under Lamsang police station in Imphal West district.
 
A poultry farm belonging to Mayang Langjing Gram Panchayat Pradhan Khangembam Sanaton Singh at Mayang Langjing Taning was blown away in the storm.  
 
A resident of Ngarianbam Kwashiphai, Ngarianbam Kwaklei’s kitchen was reportedly damaged in the storm after trees fell on the kitchen and also around 20 houses of the neighbouring four villages were blown off in the storm.
 
Huts built under Sericulture Project, school buildings and many houses at Moirang Purel, Itham and Tumukhong under Andro Assembly Constituency in Imphal East district were also damaged in the storm.
 
An additional  200 houses in Torbung and Borayangbi villages in Bishnupur district were also reportedly damaged in the storm.  

The post Storm damage around 300 houses appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/05/storm-damage-around-300-houses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=storm-damage-around-300-houses

The post Disabled artist appeals to allow appearing for interview appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL, May 2: Konthoujam Maikel Meetei, a promising artist who lost his legs in a bomb blast on December 16, 2007 has been rejected by the Director of RIMS to appear in an interview on account of late submission of his Employment Exchange card, said it was not his mistake for the late submission but of the Employment Exchange. 

It can be mentioned that Maikel had won various awards and honours including at international, national, state and zonal level painting, poster making, spot photography competitions etc.

Addressing media persons at Manipur Press Club today, Maikel narrated that following the employment notification published in a local daily for a post of Artist at Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) he submitted his card at the Employment Exchange (Disable Section) at Lamphel.

After some days when he went to inquire at the Employment Exchange, he was told to wait for the interview and that they will send the card. However, as per a notification on April 29, 2013 in a local daily regarding the post, he went to submit his bio-data and documents at RIMS and did not find his name in the list of 16 artists issued, he added.

 When he went to the Employment Exchange to ask over his name not being in the list, he alleged that he was told about there not being any quota for physically challenged persons.

 Maikel then said an official namely Hemabati at the Employment Exchange told him that if he wanted to appear in the interview so much he should negotiate to appear it by bribing and writing an application afresh if he have acquaintance at RIMS. And also he was told that he can do anything he wants against them.

When he said he will go and inform the people by addressing a press meet about their cruelty, mistakes and cheating of disability rights, he was stopped by the officials and immediately managed  to send the card which was not sent earlier to RIMS under receipt no 25037 dated 29/04/2013. However, the Director RIMS rejected it stating that it is late, he added.

He then appealed the concerned authority to let him appear for the interview.

During the press meet, Tongbram Romeo, Chairman All Manipur United Disable Organisation said every department is needs to be made aware of the Person with Disability Act. The concerned authority is appealed to make arrangement to allow Maikel to appear in the interview which is scheduled to be held on May 8, 2013.

The post Disabled artist appeals to allow appearing for interview appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/05/disabled-artist-appeals-to-allow-appearing-for-interview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=disabled-artist-appeals-to-allow-appearing-for-interview