Manipur News

JIRIBAM, November 26: Villagers of Babukhal village, Jiribam have handed over M Nilokumar Singh alias Nana, 30, son of M Tombok  Singh who allegedly hacked to death a bamboo cutter while injuring three others on November 22 near Makru in Tamenglong ditrict.

Family members have accepted the body of the victim identified as Doly Joy, 30 son of (L) Puyaram after post mortem was conducted.

It may be mentioned that Nilokumar had allegedly killed Doly Joy using a machete while three others suffered injuries on November 22 near Makru in Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district about 35 kms east of Jiribam police station along the National Highway.

Both victim and the assailant were among a group of people involved in cutting bamboos in the area.

After the villagers handed over Nilokumar Singh to the Jiribam police, the assailant was later handed over to the concerned Tousem police.

Villagers said that Nilokumar, on being questioned about his motive behind the attack, said he could not understand his violent acts and continued that there was no quarrel or fights with his co-workers.

Nilokumar had also expressed that he could have been instigated in his violent acts and that when he regain consciousness, he had himself tried to kill himself with the machete, the villagers continued.

The villagers were also anticipated that the man’s action could have been instigated by occult presence in the jungle.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/11/accused-in-slay-of-bamboo-cutter-in-police-custody/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=accused-in-slay-of-bamboo-cutter-in-police-custody

IMPHAL, November 26: A new building consisting of three rooms of the Heirok Khunou Primary School was inaugurated on November 25. The school building was constructed under Serva Shiksha Abhiyan.

AI of Heirok circle of the ZEO Thoubal Tekcham Bikomdash, founder of the school Th Ibomcha and special contractor Th Roton, Heirok part II ward member Chaothoi, social worker Th Manichandra attended the function as chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively.

During the function, Bikomdash said that properly maintained school building is necessary for imparting education to the students. Govt of India is enforcing under SSA to enrol each and every child to a school, and adding that this aim SSA is not possible without providing school buildings and teachers. The main factor for the downfall of Govt School for the many years in Manipur is the lack of building and lack of teachers.

The AI of the Heirok circle further maintained that the Govt is now whole heartedly engaging to construct new buildings for various schools that it can compete with the private schools. However, the Govt Schools will definitely improve with a sincere and joint effort of the headmasters/headmistress and also parents towards this goal.

In the past, this school had full student strength and student strength was a problem to the school management, but that was now a history, the president of the function and founder teacher of the school Th Ibotombi narrated in the function and further continued to add that Th Radheshyam Singh, the SP of the Bishnupur District was a student of the school.

Govt is providing teachers to solve the problems arising out from the shortage teacher under SSA, he said adding that the education minister M Okendro Singh also taking initiative in this regard and lauded him for the construction of the new school building.

The head mistress of the school, Thokchom Puinabati Devi told that the students of the school have been taught by eight teachers including SSA teachers. She also expressed her happiness of the initiative of local club and of SSA program through which the school could increase its number of students at the present number of 107, adding that it is a moment proud.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/11/new-school-building-inaugurated/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-school-building-inaugurated

IMPHAL, November 26: The reception of 36 children from the state who were rescued from Bangaluru was held this evening at a function which was attended by Minister of Social Welfare Ak Mirabai, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa MLA RK Anand, principal secretary Varun Mitra, director of Social Welfare, N Rupachandra and joint secretary N Rupachandra.

An official while giving a brief report on how the children were rescued said, on September 2 last, the Child Welfare Committee officials from Bangaluru informed them about the news that some children from Manipur were rescued in a drive conducted by a local CWC team and Bangaluru Police. After failing to receive a reply to its request for a detailed report on the incident, a state team went to the South Indian city and met the children originally lodged at Mission Centre and Grace Home located at the city, he said.  

After necessary verification of the children and completing the official process, they were brought back to Imphal this morning with the help of security provided by the state home department, he stated.

Mitra said the participation of civil society organizations, to complement the efforts of the state government and the concerned department, is crucial in checking child trafficking to other states on the pretext of providing of better education and employment for the innocent children, he said.

Minister Mirabai said around 300 children from the state have been brought back from various parts of the country since 2008 and identified child trafficking as a major problem being encountered by the state. Most of the unfortunate victims hailed from remote parts of hill districts, particularly Ukhrul, she said. Out of the 36 children, 11 were from Ukhrul district, 15 from Senapati, two from Bishnupur and eight from Churachandpur, she informed.

She announced that all the children will be handed over to the CWC at their respective district head quarters for their rehabilitation. They will be given free education and proper medical examinations will be done to ascertain their health conditions, she added.

She appealed to the general public to be observant of persons who entice innocent children to follow them outside Manipur by sowing hopes of good education and employment. They must make it mandatory to check the real identities of the recruiters and whether the institutions have gained recognition from the respective state governments, she said.    

As part of its preparation for prevention of child trafficking, the department is working to fill up the vacant posts at State Protection of Child Rights and ICDS.

Mirabai apologized on behalf of her department to journalists for the misbehavior by officials of Takyel Observation Centre who tried to manhandle them when they arrived there in the morning to collect news about the 36 children rescued from children homes in Bangaluru, Karnataka. The minister, while speaking during the reception function later in the evening, said the unceremonious treatment meted out to the media persons will not be repeated and she will give stern instructions to the concerned officials in this regards.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/11/child-trafficking-victims-brought-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=child-trafficking-victims-brought-home

IMPHAL, November 26: A team of the Manipur Cycle Club was flagged off for Keibul Lamjao from Hotel Imphal today as part of the ongoing Sangai Festival by Tourism Director Chitra Devi.

Around 20 cyclists left for Keibul Lamjao national park carrying the message of a greener environment and promoting cycling.

Among the cyclist was Sougaijam Bidyalaksmi, a member of MCC and who had recently concluded a northeast tour with the objective of spreading awareness on crimes against women and children. She along with the riders were accorded a warm welcome at Bishnupur bazar by chairperson of Bishnupur Municipal Council, Laishram Lolindro and other staff members.

Further at Moirang, a team led by M Shivaraj, M Sarat, K Charanjit and team of Blooming Moirang organized a reception during which the cyclists were given an opportunity to water the flowers at Ima Keithel at Moirang Bazar.

One may also note that this is the only event during this festival where one gets a tour of the home of the Sangai deer. The cyclist participating in the tour will cycle around the Loktak area for the next two days.

MCC has been participating in the festival for the last three years to drive home the message that cycle tourism is a possibility in the state and that with cycles one can travel either to the hills or in the valley with very little cost and impact. On November 30, MCC will again conduct a city tour where participants will be able to visit culturally and historically significant sites in Imphal.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/11/mcc-team-tour-keibul-lamjao-as-part-of-sangai-festival/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mcc-team-tour-keibul-lamjao-as-part-of-sangai-festival