Day: October 12, 2017

IMPHAL | Oct 12

North-East Students Society of Delhi University (NESSDU) demanded revocation of the HRD’s decision making Hindi compulsory in academic courses or introduce a Compulsory Hindi Test (CHT).

Vice president of the society and a representative of the state, V. S. Mungreishing elucidated on the issues faced by Northeastern students in the country’s capital. He said that making Hindi mandatory will be tough on the NE students studying Delhi University as they do not hail a region where Hindi is not their mother tongue.

A student of third semester in DU, Mungreishing told reporters at Manipur Press Club that “many seniors have completed their graduation but have not received their degrees as they flunked Hindi.”

“The result is a social stigma compelling our seniors to go no further than work in call centres or seek part time jobs, feeling ashamed of going back home because they do not have a degree in hand. They cannot even go for competitive exams and other well-paid jobs also,” he added.

Compulsory Hindi Test was imposed from the academic year 2013 in Delhi University for graduation students and is mandatory to get a degree.

He said that representatives of NESSDU started out to cover all NE states to give awareness to public as well as the government about hardships faced by students of NE studying in Delhi. He also said that he would meet the education minister and the chief minister to give recommendations to the central HRD department to remove the said mandate.

A recommendation was also submitted to the vice-chancellor recently but there is no response till date, he said.

The students’ society also demanded the construction of a hostel in the campus of DU especially for students of Manipur as accommodation charges are prohibitive in the campus vicinity.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 12

The results of the 5th Gram Panchayat election of the state have been declared yesterday and today, and many zilla parishads cried foul in the voting, counting and declaration of the results.

Reports of complaints from Ngaikhong Khullen ward no.8, Khurai ward no.7 and Hiyanglam GP came in today at Manipur Press Club.

Member candidate of Hiyanglam GP, ward no.5/6, Sapam Kumarjit said that unfair means have been used in the counting of ballot papers by presiding officers on duty. He alleged that during the voting day, voters were allowed to do thumb print ballot instead of using allotted stamp method by presiding officer on the late hours.

However, he said that yesterday in the counting, the RO denied thumbprint votes and “we feel that our voting rights have been denied.”

One of the counting agents, urged re-poll and not to let the five yearly rare opportunity of the people exercising their voting rights go waste. He demands re-poll alleging discrepancies and unfair means used by the election official.

Khangembam Rajchandra Singh, social worker of Ngaikhong Khullen, ward no.8 said that voting rights were denied for his zilla parishad. After voting, presiding officers told agents that 378 voted on October 7, but during counting there were only 376 ballots.

He said that applications were given to the DC and the returning officer not to declare the result until the missing two votes were sorted out. But the RO had declared the result anyway and we condemn the neglect, he added.

Another complaint is from 8/20 ward no.7 of Khurai area which also complained two votes were missing but declared result anyway (439 out of 441).

The complainants demanded re-poll and condemned the biased and irresponsible conduct of election officials in the 5th Gram Panchayat election.

IMPHAL | Oct 12

Manipur University of Culture Teachers Association (MUCTA) has warned of agitation if the funds for ten months of the Manipur University of Culture are not released within October 18.

A release said that MUC which is the first culture university in the Northeastern states of India is in a deplorable state and added that the varsity has no proper infrastructure of its own.

It said that the varsity formed under the Manipur University of Culture Act, 2015, is run in a borrowed building of others where the large number of students is being taught by few teachers for more than a year.

The teachers are facing a lot of problems and has resolved not to take classes from today onwards until the grievances of the teachers are met, it added.

Even though the paper works of issues of the university to produce in the state cabinet has been done long ago but it has not be produced till date, it said adding that no positive response has been made till date although the Art and Culture minister, chief minister and the governor of Manipur, who is also the chancellor of the university has been apprised of the problems faced by the teachers.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 12

The acting Chief Justice High Court of Manipur, N. Kotiswar Singh, has awarded a compensation of Rs.5 lakhs as compensation to the father of Ngangbam Naoba alias Phulchand Singh of Uripok Polem Leikai, Imphal West district, Manipur who was killed by the personnel of Manipur police commando 2009.

A statement issued by the Human Rights Law Networks (HRLN), said in 2009 on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, personnel of the Manipur police commando of Imphal West had intruded into the house of the deceased and apprehended him.

Thereafter he was dragged out towards the south-west corner of their homestead and killed in a stage-managed encounter.

Subsequently, L. Bedajit Singh, the then sub-inspector of police (CDO-IW) reportedly lodged a written report with the officer in-charge of Imphal police station to the effect that the petitioner’s son was a member of a proscribed organization and was allegedly killed in an encounter.

In this regard, on March 31, 2010, the mother of the deceased Ngangbam Kamalini Devi filed a writ petition before the High Court, it said.

Consequently, the High Court instituted an enquiry through the district Judge Manipur East to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the death of the petitioner’s son.

It is learnt that after having conducted an extensive enquiry, the Judge submitted its finding by ascertaining that the petitioner’s son was killed by the personnel of Manipur police commando of Imphal West on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, 2009 by firing indiscriminately from their service weapons without any admissible reason and without any attempt to arrest the deceased by following the rule of law prevailing.

The matter was finally heard today and the HC directed the state of Manipur and the Union of India to pay Rs. 5 lakhs as compensation to the petitioner within four months considering the clear cut case of violation of the human rights guaranteed under article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Meihoubam Rakesh, advocate, appeared on behalf of the petitioner and R.S. Reishang senior advocate and senior Government advocate appeared on behalf of the state of Manipur.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 12

The acting Chief Justice High Court of Manipur, N. Kotiswar Singh, has awarded a compensation of Rs.5 lakhs as compensation to the father of Ngangbam Naoba alias Phulchand Singh of Uripok Polem Leikai, Imphal West district, Manipur who was killed by the personnel of Manipur police commando 2009.

A statement issued by the Human Rights Law Networks (HRLN), said in 2009 on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, personnel of the Manipur police commando of Imphal West had intruded into the house of the deceased and apprehended him.

Thereafter he was dragged out towards the south-west corner of their homestead and killed in a stage-managed encounter.

Subsequently, L. Bedajit Singh, the then sub-inspector of police (CDO-IW) reportedly lodged a written report with the officer in-charge of Imphal police station to the effect that the petitioner’s son was a member of a proscribed organization and was allegedly killed in an encounter.

In this regard, on March 31, 2010, the mother of the deceased Ngangbam Kamalini Devi filed a writ petition before the High Court, it said.

Consequently, the High Court instituted an enquiry through the district Judge Manipur East to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the death of the petitioner’s son.

It is learnt that after having conducted an extensive enquiry, the Judge submitted its finding by ascertaining that the petitioner’s son was killed by the personnel of Manipur police commando of Imphal West on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, 2009 by firing indiscriminately from their service weapons without any admissible reason and without any attempt to arrest the deceased by following the rule of law prevailing.

The matter was finally heard today and the HC directed the state of Manipur and the Union of India to pay Rs. 5 lakhs as compensation to the petitioner within four months considering the clear cut case of violation of the human rights guaranteed under article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Meihoubam Rakesh, advocate, appeared on behalf of the petitioner and R.S. Reishang senior advocate and senior Government advocate appeared on behalf of the state of Manipur.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 12

Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution minister, Karam Shyam said the quality and value of handloom and handicraft products will be virtually impossible to be replace by any increased in technology. The minister said this as chief guest during the inaugural function of 3rd Ningol Mela 2017 today at Gandhi Memorial Hall.

He said if qualified youths cooperate with the weavers, the economy of the state can be augmented easily.

People all over the world know the state’s famous handloom and handicraft but our own people fail to take advantage of this brand value to expand their businesses on these products, he lamented.

Our people need to know the value of time and should use it cautiously or else it will be impossible to bring a good society, Shyam further added.

He said the weavers are also facing a big problem in the marketing sector. The handloom and handicraft products continue to sell mostly within the state, though the products have the potential to compete at the global level. Because of the lack of marketing strategies and infrastructures, handloom and handicraft industry continue to remain paralysed and stunted, he added.

The minister said the most important thing in business is to be honest and sincere, and people need to work together and exchange constructive ideas.

Department of handlooms and textiles needs to do a close survey aimed at uplifting the weavers and the department should give awareness to the weavers regarding the schemes available for handlooms and handicraft, Shyam added.

Deputy director (handicrafts) of the directorate of handlooms and textiles, E. Jiten who also spoke at the function, said handloom and handicraft products have great potential for export in the global market, but due to lack of awareness many quality products fail to cross the state boundary.

He further said if the government offers schemes for promoting handloom and handicraft products, it will be easy to export them in the global market. Next to agriculture, handloom and handicraft products are taking a big role in giving valuable contribution to the state’s economy and identity, Jiten added.

Chairman of the Manipur handlooms and handicrafts development corporation, S. Rajen Singh, president of handloom promoters council, Chingtam Luwang also attend the function.

The 3rd Ningol Khudol Mela 2017 opened with 75 stalls of handloom and handicraft but due to sudden rain in the city, costumers were sparse on the first day.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 12

Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution minister, Karam Shyam said the quality and value of handloom and handicraft products will be virtually impossible to be replace by any increased in technology. The minister said this as chief guest during the inaugural function of 3rd Ningol Mela 2017 today at Gandhi Memorial Hall.

He said if qualified youths cooperate with the weavers, the economy of the state can be augmented easily.

People all over the world know the state’s famous handloom and handicraft but our own people fail to take advantage of this brand value to expand their businesses on these products, he lamented.

Our people need to know the value of time and should use it cautiously or else it will be impossible to bring a good society, Shyam further added.

He said the weavers are also facing a big problem in the marketing sector. The handloom and handicraft products continue to sell mostly within the state, though the products have the potential to compete at the global level. Because of the lack of marketing strategies and infrastructures, handloom and handicraft industry continue to remain paralysed and stunted, he added.

The minister said the most important thing in business is to be honest and sincere, and people need to work together and exchange constructive ideas.

Department of handlooms and textiles needs to do a close survey aimed at uplifting the weavers and the department should give awareness to the weavers regarding the schemes available for handlooms and handicraft, Shyam added.

Deputy director (handicrafts) of the directorate of handlooms and textiles, E. Jiten who also spoke at the function, said handloom and handicraft products have great potential for export in the global market, but due to lack of awareness many quality products fail to cross the state boundary.

He further said if the government offers schemes for promoting handloom and handicraft products, it will be easy to export them in the global market. Next to agriculture, handloom and handicraft products are taking a big role in giving valuable contribution to the state’s economy and identity, Jiten added.

Chairman of the Manipur handlooms and handicrafts development corporation, S. Rajen Singh, president of handloom promoters council, Chingtam Luwang also attend the function.

The 3rd Ningol Khudol Mela 2017 opened with 75 stalls of handloom and handicraft but due to sudden rain in the city, costumers were sparse on the first day.