Day: December 29, 2013

IMPHAL, December 29: Reacting to the reported involvement of SoO signatory groups in anti-social activities, state Home minister Gaikhangam who is also the state dy CM said that the government is looking for a proper location to set up a rehab centre for the Suspension of Operation signatory cadres.

Speaking to a select group of media persons today at his MPCC office, the party president said that cadres have been found involved in several activities against the ground rules of the SoO.

This might be due to lack of control over them or because they are kept at the Assam Rifles or army camps, he continued.

Once the rehab centre is set up, the cadres will be monitored by the state own security forces and will be under strict vigilance and whenever they go out of the centre, security personnel will be along with them, he elaborated.

He said as of now, the Joint Monitoring Group will be directed to conduct frequent meetings about the SoO ground rules.

Meanwhile, the chief minister and other state high ranking officials have already discussed about the allotment of land for the construction of the said rehab and identification of the location, he said.

Though the place is yet to be identified, the rehab centre is essential to restrict the cadres from indulging in untoward incidents, he opined.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/site-scouting-for-rehab-centre-to-house-soo-cadres/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=site-scouting-for-rehab-centre-to-house-soo-cadres

IMPHAL, Dec 29: Touch India Trust, a partner of Samvada Centre for Research Resources, New Delhi, held an orientation seminar at the Hotel Classic Imphal here yesterday evening with minister for Health, Family Welfare, GAD & CADA, Manipur Phungzathang Tonsing as chief guest and Parliamentary Secretary, Tribal Affairs & Hills, Information Technology, Manipur Victor Keishing as guest of honour.

The trust, according to a brochure distributed to participants, said was founded in 2003 and is a Delhi based charity “with a vision to prepare and empower India’s students and young professionals to be agents of change.”

“Touch India offers opportunities through its internship and studentship programmes in academics and research, creative arts and media, social intervention, and social entrepreneurship. It enables them to supplement their educational experience and gain skills necessary to make a critical contribution to society,” the brochure further elaborated.

Giving the key note address to the meet, Dr. Brainerd Prince, director of the Samvada Centre for Research Resource said the mission of the organization and its partners is to rediscover the rich but neglected human resources, especially in the area of reconciling communalism and multiculturalism that ancient India always possessed, and together with its partners seek to understand and resolve today’s vexing problems of social intolerance using these knowledge.

He said Touch India Trust has found immediate affinity and rapport with communities of the Northeast, and today has a strong presence in the region.

Speaking at the function, the chief guest, Phungzathang Tonsing said the multicultural society of the Northeast, Manipur not the least, needs to encourage and learn from such praiseworthy initiatives as those of the Samvada Centre and Touch India Trust.

The guest of honour, Victor Keishing said Manipur is a very diverse society which can boast of affiliations to practically all the religions of India and the world, as much as of skills and arts of any variety. Integrative knowledge and initiatives being pursued by organizations such as Samvada Centre and Touch India Trust can make immense contribution to our society, he added.

Young scholar from Manipur pursuing a degree in philosophy at Oxford University as a fellow of the Touch India Trust, Stephan Muivah, also spoke on the importance of the academic fellowships and programmes supported by the trust in the effort to understand multi-cultural societies, and therefore their vital relevance to the social and political projects of sizing up the dynamics of Manipur’s multi ethnic social milieu and envisioning a way forward.

Earlier in the day, Samvada Centre and Touch India Trust, in collaboration with the History Department of the Manipur University held an awareness seminar of the Manipur University, on the same issue of finding a progressive way forward for multi-cultural societies, the organisers said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/trust-gives-thrust-to-pursuit-of-integration-in-multicultural-societies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trust-gives-thrust-to-pursuit-of-integration-in-multicultural-societies

IMPHAL, December 29: A one-day Legal Discourse on Rights to Food was held today at the Conference Hall of the Institute of Co-operative Management, Lamphelpat.

Advocate Khaidem Mani; associated professor Economics Department, Manipur University, Chinglen Maisnam; lecturer LMS Law College Dr Chongtham Narendra Singh and Meihoubam Rakesh, Director Human Right Law network (HRLN) attended as the presidium members.

Chinglen Maisnam observed that there are several centrally sponsored schemes in the state; however, people are unable to avail the benefits from any of the schemes.

He said the state is fully dependent to the Centre for everything.

State politicians have today failed to speak out to the Centre on the needs of the people, he opined.

Due to the failure of the state politicians and government to properly express the needs of the state, all centrally sponsored schemes have failed to bring the sought benefits, he continued.

Elaborating further, he said that people are more aware of a housie game than that of food security.

Citing that in the nearby state of Tripura, the government makes it sure that PDS items reach the beneficiaries, he said that in Manipur, the items seldom reach the people.

He further continued there is not even proper godown in the state to store the essential items.

He further observed that since people are not fully aware of the importance of bank accounts, people seldom open their own personal accounts.

Every problem in the state is due to the bad governance, he opined before adding that people need to be aware of their legal rights and unitedly make efforts to understand the schemes especially the Food Security Bill and avail its benefits.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/centrally-sponsored-schemes-a-failure-in-state/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=centrally-sponsored-schemes-a-failure-in-state

IMPHAL, December 29: A reception ceremony of SM Naqyi gold medal winner Manipur University Earth Science department professor Arun Kumar was held today at the Seminar Hall of Earth Science department, Manipur University.

Professor Arun Kumar had been awarded for his sincere work for over 30 years in the field of teaching and research experience in the department of earth science, Manipur University by Geogical Society, said an official of the department.

He said that Arun Kumar had initially started his research in the field of fluvial geomorphology with application of GIS and remote sensing techniques in the watershed studies in Manipur.

He had also carried out the landslide hazard studies along the national highways in Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

He continued saying that Arun Kumar has established a number of seismic observation in Manipur and in Northeast India to monitor the ongoing seismological status as the region falls under the highest seismic zone map of India.

He also said that Arun Kumar has also created that the earthquake hazard awareness in a scientific manner in many in the NE region where the school children can witness to measure the earthquake epicentre parameters in their school earthquake laboratory.

He continued saying that Arun Kumar is presently a member of Programme Advisory committee (Seismology programming) of Minster of MoES and expert advisory committee of Hydroelectric and river valley Project of MoEF said.

Speaking at the reception ceremony, Prof Arun Kumar express happiness and delight on receiving the S M Naqvi gold medal award 2013 in the field petrology and also said that he is very lucky to be in Manipur.

He said he started his career in geomorphology and remote sensing application and started his research work in watersheds in Manipur.

He continued that he had been encouraged by the MoES and MoST to established a seismic station in the state in 1995 to monitor the earthquake activities.

He continue saying that they are the Pioneer in developing the school earthquake labs in Northeast and Himalaya region where the earthquake awareness is being given to the school children and also to measure the magnitude and location of the earthquake he said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/sm-naqvi-medal-winner-prof-arun-kumar-feted/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sm-naqvi-medal-winner-prof-arun-kumar-feted