Category: KanglaOnline

IMPHAL, May 25: The union minister DoNER, B K Handique, will be inaugurating a programme “Developing Managerial Skill for Entrepreneurship” at IIM Shillong on July 2. The programme will be conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong through its Centre for Development of North Eastern Region (CEDNER).
An emailed statement of the ministry has stated that the ministry of DoNER has sanctioned an amount of Rs.79.15 lacs for this programme for training 60 youths from the region.  The Course will deal with developing managerial skills among the new generation of entrepreneurs of the region. The program is supported under the “Technical assistance and Capacity Building Scheme” administer by the Ministry of DoNER, added the statement.
The ministry of DoNER and the North Eastern Council has collaborated with the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong to offer a range of short term skill development programmes encompassing the different areas of Management, Entrepreneurship, Tourism, Hospitality, among many others, from this financial year onwards, it stated.
According to the statement, this partnership is a result of the initiative of Bijoy Krishna Handique, union minister of DoNER and chairman, NEC who has been actively pursuing the agenda of involving the premier institutes in the North Eastern Region like IIM, IIT and Tata Institute of Social Sciences in the process of nurturing the human resources in the NER.
According to the statement BK Handique mentioned that “We have a larger roadmap in mind to continuously train youths from the Region with a focus on increasing their employability. The institutes like IIM, IIT and TISS are well positioned to cater to the training needs of the Region in addition to their regular courses. We have requested them to develop such courses and we have been able to make considerable headway in designing some. Our Ministry and its affiliated organisations like NEC will wholly sponsor these courses. I am hopeful that this development will bring some respite to the larger problem of unemployment in Region”.
The Ministry of DoNER had earlier announced a one and a half months programme in association with IIT Guwahati to train 30 Engineers from Assam Irrigation Department on “Mitigation of River Bank Erosion”, it added.

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IMPHAL, May 28: Apollo Cancer Institutes (ACI) has launched a nationwide massive Oral Cancer Awareness month starting from May 28. The primary focus of this campaign is to make people aware about oral cancer and its prevention.

According to an emailed statement, the Apollo Cancer Institutes is organizing free oral screening camps in various cities in the north-eastern part of the country which will also include Imphal. Cancer specialists from various Apollo hospitals are participating in these camps to screen patients for any symptoms of oral cancer. Other activities like awareness ads, leaflet distribution and education program for local doctors are also being undertaken in this part of the country, the statement added.

The statement further stated that Dr Rupali Basu, chief executive officer, Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, said in a communication `Apollo Hospitals have been the frontrunners in providing the best cancer care in the country. Our hospitals are known for introducing new technologies and the team of cancer specialists are relentlessly offering their expertise and services to help our thousands of patients who need world class cancer care. We are committed to bring all treatment modalities to fight cancer in our hospitals`. She also added, `Apollo Cancer Institutes have undertaken a massive awareness drive to make people about Oral Cancer `“ Its causes, prevention and treatment. We are conducting our first oral cancer screening camp at Imphal today`.

According to the statement, Dr Litan Naha Biswas, consultant Radiation Oncology of Apollo Gleneagles Cancer Hospital, Kolkata is in Imphal to screen the patients who are attending the screening camp. He said,` we all know the best way to beat oral cancer is by detecting it early. This is especially important for those who chew tobacco, smoke cigarettes, use snuff, and/or consume alcohol`. According to him one must get himself/herself screened immediately if they have persistent skin lesion, lump or ulcer in the mouth area, lump on the neck, pain in the neck or throat, numbness in the face, frequent headaches, and difficulty in swallowing or chewing.

Oral cancer usually demands a combination of treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. That`™s why, instead of an individual doctor, the fight against oral cancer needs a small army of professionals. Like a medical oncologist, a radiation specialist and a surgical oncologist. Each an expert in his/her field and work together, it added.

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The monsoon has just set in. The state has seen a few days of intermittent but heavy downpours in the past fortnight. Sorry evidences of this are already making their appearances everywhere. The leakages on the roof of the three Khwairamband Keithels, the collapse of the stretch of the retaining wall along the Nambul River near Takyel are two very prominent ones, but there are plenty more, and ones which are much more widespread. In Imphal area alone, during the showers many areas were water-logged, and when these flood waters receded, they left many roads with their black toppings either washed off or else loosened beyond redemption and ready to fall off once heavy traffic resume on them. At the Kongba Road for instance, adjacent to the Andro Parking, a huge and deep pothole has appeared, and its girth is widening slowly but continuously in the absence of any effort by the concerned authorities to repair it. As we had noted before the onset of the rains, the innards of the road at this point was already becoming visible because of the wearing off of the thin bitumen coat over it. The rains are now devastating it, soaking and softening the compact earth and gravel foundation under the road.
Since the rains have started, the repair work now probably have to wait till the dry seasons, but the unfortunate thing is, by then the road at this point would have been cut diagonally by the expanding pothole. There are also other spots on this stretch of road which had been soaked and weakened by logged water and it is anybody’s guess that more potholes would appears at these spots sooner than later during this monsoon. The question is, why were no effort made to repair these weak spots before the onset of monsoon. A stitch in time would have definitely saved nine. Now, at the end of the monsoon, major and expensive repair work would have to be done, unless the government intends keeping the potholes for commuters to tackle as they would. This too is quite likely, for though it calls itself a welfare government, governments in Manipur has had no scruples about causing the ordinary citizens imminently avoidable harangues.
The authorities ought to have noticed too that where the black toppings of the roads are most vulnerable to peeling off during monsoon are those portions where the roads do not have parallel drainage systems running alongside them. When the rains come, the rain water having no drains to run into, take the paths of least resistance, and these, most often than not, become the roads themselves. We wonder how roads came to be built without any accompanying water drainage mechanism. It is inconceivable that the government did not know this is like buying buckets without handles to carry them. But whatever its reasons, ignorance or neglect, the brunt always get being borne by everybody. The government should also worry about the recurring repair cost this neglect is causing the public exchequer. The problem is, not many, not the least those in the government, are worried about exhausting the public exchequer unnecessary, after all, the attitude has always been, public property is nobody’s property.
There is another way the roads get spoilt and potholes appear in them. In the last couple of decades, with the increase of traffic volume on our roads, Imphal roads in particular have had to be widened several times with the result that municipal water pipelines which once upon a time ran parallel to the roads a meter away from them, have now come to buried under the roads. To provide connection to any consumer, the roads would now have to be dug up. After these connections are made, the earth filling is never firm, leaving the roads broken and ready to be destroyed by the next monsoon. The question is, when these roads were being widened, the authorities ought to have also constructed connection points to these pipelines which protruded beyond the breath of the road so that the roads can be left untouched when new connections are made. We wonder again why the government has still not realised that in the conduct of these enterprises, close coordination between its various concerned organs is vital. As of now, many of them continue to work at wasteful cross purposes. When will the citizens ever get to see a sane administration which cares for their welfare and conveniences?

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Leader Writer Leivon Jimmy
The powerful blast that was triggered on May 28 at the temporary office of the Autonomous District Council (ADC) at Khuman Lampak sports complex is not only a crime against humanity but a disregard to the sanctified sports complex, a training ground for many promising sports players bringing laurel for the state.

The mindless act has inflicted injuries to three innocent members of a family including a mother and her two minor daughters of which one is still battling for her life. Besides it has prevails a fear psychosis among the enthusiastic sports players, a symbol of Manipur`™s pride and glory.

The mentality of the people involved in triggering the blast needless to say that it would be creepy enough for a common man from the nature of the blast and most prominently where it was planted. As per reports a guy before leaving a car behind inside the campus asked the father of the victim girls about a meeting taking place at the ADC office. Knowing the presence inside the campus and nearby, the car bomb was left revealing the cold-blooded nature.

Had it not been for the general strike imposed by a civil body in connection with the visit of Nagaland`™s Chief Ministers at Senapati that has resulted in low turnout of people, the loss and tragedy could have been worst. The blast was so powerful that the fragments of the bomb were sent hundreds of meters away from the epicenter and completely wrecked the car into pieces.

In the meantime, the Government can be blamed equally for the incident for its ignorant. Even as the Chief Minister of Manipur speaking during a meet at his official bungalow ruled out security lapses. The clarification is somehow reckless comparing to the situation of stiff opposition while conducting the election of the ADC.

In addition to that the Chief Minister`™s clarification was contradictory when compared with the statement of a senior police officer was quoted by newspapers that ADC office has been enduring intense intimidation from a group.

The message was loud and clear that someone is not happy with the ADC office.

In the wake of such intimidation there was no sign or words of the presence of security forces in an around the office building. It is a well known fact to everyone how often lobbing of bomb or bomb blast, and firing incident took place in the state. The perpetrators dare to attack even in the presence of security forces and Singjamei blast at the residence of an engineer is a glaring example. What then if there is no security arrangement at all? It can be accounted to as inviting troubles or encouraging the propaganda of the opposition side.

Every section of the society should condemned the act at a strongest term for it had risk several lives. And, demoralized the spirit of promising sports persons by creating a sense of insecurity in an around the area. Demoralizing the players means a huge blow to the status it enjoys as the `Powerhouse of sport for India`.

People in this region have paid enough prices for no foul of theirs. History is the grim reminder. They have been caught in a murky conflict that has been waging and renewed generation after generation.
There is nothing but loss for the people here and has always been.

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IMPHAL, June 5: The Self Support Group and All Manipur Positive Women Network, Imphal East, Christian Net of Positive Women Manipur Branch, has strongly condemned the killing of 4 year old Thiyam Roberoy and the bomb blast at ADC office Khuman Lampak, wherein a mother and her two daughters were injured.A press conference was held in this connection at Hatta, Imphal East district. Speaking to media persons the representatives of the organizations urged the government to produce the culprit involved in the killing of the minor boy within June 10 failing which it warned to endorse any course of action taken by the JAC formed against the killing. The groups further condemned the act of a police officer who used his service pistol to threaten protestors yesterday who were staging a protest against the killing of the minor at Ningthoukhong.At the same time, the groups while condemning the blast at the ADC office which injured three women folk of a family has urged the perpetrator to avoid similar incidents in the future.Menawhile, the Poumai Students’ Union in a press release signed by its publicity secretary has decried the bomb blast which at the ADC complex, Khuman Lampak on May 28, which had left three members of a fmily injured. The release has stated that the responsible group behind the attack should come forward and claim responsibility of the incident. The Union also condoled the injured victims and their family members while mentioning that the public should joined in to condemn the barbaric act.

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After nearly two decades of the new push in India’s South East Asia foreign policy, often referred to as “Look East Policy”, which created such a lot of optimism in the region when it was first spelled out, it has hardly left any substantive mark in the Northeast. Nobody can say 18 years is not a long enough time to see at least some visible evidence of its fruits. The question that beggars an answer for those of us in the region at this moment is, what happened? There are of course some developments which can be seen as preparatory measures, as for instance the ongoing construction of the super highway which would connect Silchar to the rest of the super highway network in the country, the upgrading of airports in the northeast, in particular the Guwahati, Imphal and Agartala airports. These airports now even have modern night landing facilities. If the extended deadline is not extended again, Imphal would be in the railway map of the country by 2014. The Silchar highway and the Imphal rail line, it is anybody’s guess, will not culminate either at Silchar or Imphal, but ultimately be extended to link up with the road communication network in South East Asia. Still, even as these preparations are being made, there ought to have been also some parallel activities that ensured the optimism of the policy did not die in the region.

A lot of initiatives however have been happening elsewhere as part of the Look East Policy. Free trade treaties have been signed, multilateral business and policy summits held in various capitals of South East Asian capitals where important decisions were taken etc. Indeed, statistics show a substantial increase in the trade volume between the ASEAN and India during the period. Most of these trades however have been happening by the sea route. The point is, in all these activities, either towards policy framing process or their execution, there has been very little involvement of the Northeast region and its minds. This is unfortunate, although the fault must be shared by the intelligentsia and political executives of the Northeast. They have been simply allowing this very important issue, which are predicted to come to have very important bearing on all of their lives ultimately, to pass by without paying much attention. The guilt must also be equally if not more, borne by our so called enlightened academia. What have they been doing as this very important caravan continues to pass by the region? They should have taken the lead in correcting perspectives.

This is not to say trade under the Look East Policy must be made to happen only through the Northeast. This will not be possible as like water, trade will also normally take the route of least resistance. It must be remembered traders are looking for profit and not philanthropic social service. Hence, the sea route normally would be preferred wherever feasible, as transportation cost as well as effort needed for transportation, is much less by sea. Perhaps this is an indication that the Look East Policy must have two components. One should concentrate on trade alone, and the other to the uplift of the Northeast region through studied opening up of suitable trade potentials. In the framing of the roadmap for the latter, it is vital that the intelligentsia and political establishment of the Northeast are made major partners. As for those in the Northeast who are sceptical about the Look East Policy per se, let them reassess the matter from the standpoint that this opening up is a process which cannot be halted, not only because it is being pushed as a policy, but precisely because it is a natural process as well. Since this is something which would happen with or without our participation, it is better we participate and be in the driver’s seat of the affair so that only the right windows and doors are opened, and those which should not be opened are left unopened. Traditional trade routes had become dislocated and shut on account of another geopolitical shift of political paradigm in the wake of the decolonisation process of a large part of Asia and the drawing of new national boundaries in the mid-Twentieth Century. Natural economic region thereby became fragmented and disjointed. The second proposed component of the Look East Policy designed to have a relevance to the Northeast is precisely about reopening and revitalising these ancient trade routes and economic spheres for the benefit of the region.

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IMPHAL, June 17: Desperate evicted families of Lamphel Yaipha Leikai stayed in the Lamphel Police custody briefly after their temporary sheds and shelters were yet again evicted by the Police.

A team of the Lamphel police as a part of their continued drive of eviction today ransacked the temporary makeshift sheds and shelters this evening around 3 pm, put up at the road side between the Lamphel Employment Exchange office and office of the Chief Electoral Officer by the affected individuals of the eviction that was carried out on June 6 at Lamphel Yaipha Leikai.

About 10 individuals including two children forcefully climb on board the Police vehicle contending that they have no more shelters due to the further eviction of their only sheds and shelters.

After staying in custody of the police for a brief period the displaced residents later walk away from the police station late in the evening.

The police were compelled to take the aggrieved residents along with them till the police station following their adamant act.

The displaced residents have been putting up temporary sheds and shelters in the area since the eviction. Moreover they were left in the agitating mood for only 14 houses were affected by the eviction leaving behind some houses nearby.

In the meantime, even as the concerned MLA offered a place at the vicinity of Lamphel for relocating the displaced residents the offer however was rejected by the residents owing to the lack of security over the land and the unfavorable condition for habitation.

It has been reported that the alternative relocation is a marshy area at the same time temporary for three months only.

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IMPHAL, June 20: The National Highway 53 truck owners association has mocked the government’s target to complete the construction of the highway by 2013 while taking into account the failure of the government to start implementation of work till date.

A team of media persons along with the association conducted a survey of the condition of the NH 53 from June 18 to June 19.

While speaking to media persons during the survey the spokesperson of the association, Kh. Inaoba expressed his apprehension about the condition of the NH in case the monsson sets in fully given the present deplorable condition of the highway.

He said that the condition is worse especially from Barak to Nungdollan. The section remain muddy making it risky for vehicles mainly the trucks to pass through during the monsoon. There are high chances of getting stuck in the thick mud or slipping as the trail left on the muddy road by the heavy loaded trucks is knee deep, he added.

He further maintained the main factor for the condition was absence of proper drainage system and added that 80 percent of the road conditions are not favourable for vehicles to ply.

He also claimed that the stone piled up at the road side, to be used in the repairing of roads are of low quality.

Taking into account the ground reality of the road the spokespersons stated that the target set by the government to complete the works of developing the NH-53 by 2013 will be impossible.

Despite the hardship the truckers have been plying on the road and also added that the price of essential commodities would be low if the condition of the road is improved.

In the meantime, A. Khomei Singh, manager in charge FCI godown, Jiribam stated that the condition of the FCI godown is outdated and needs to be upgraded to do away with the woes of rice scarcity in the state.

He said that since January 11, 2011, a 22 compartment train with ten trips per week has been feeding the FCI godown which to some extent has improved the woes.

However in order to make the most of the improving situation the condition of the 2500 metric tone capacity FCI godown much be further upgraded to the required 20,000 capacity.

Besides the manger incharge suggested for the need for using better train against the current which derail often in rainy season due to its small size and, also suggested the unloading of the loads at the godown directly.

The manager also appealed the concerned authority to upgrade the man power of the godown.

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