Manipur News

THOUBAL, December 13: Enraged protesters blocked the road passing through Yairipok Singa today to protest against the disappearance of a 21-year old and a minor who had accompanied a person identified as Laishram Ojit, 30, son of Shyamjai of Yairipok Huidron Leikai.

The two missing persons are identified as Huidrom Pratap, 13, son of H Akahao and Laishram Basanta alias Lukhi, 21, son of Kullabi from the same neighbourhood. The two according to locals had accompanied Ojit on December 2 and have failed to return till date.

A team of police led by additional SP Ops Modhunimai pacified the angry protestors. Local MLA K meghachandra came and promised the protestors to arrest the miscreants involved at the earliest.

Later a public meeting was also held at Singa Lampak. Speaking to media persons, mother of Pratap said he is her only son after three daughters and is currently studying in Class IX at RSD Regional Academy, Huidrom Leikai, Yairipok.

She said Ojit had taken him towards Thoubal.

Meanwhile it may be mentioned that Ojit was arrested by Yairipok Police on December 4 and later on December 11, another person identified as Laishram Achou, 57 was also arrested from the same locality. However, there is still no clue as to the whereabouts to the two missing including the minor.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/yairipok-road-blocked-to-protest-disappearance-of-two-locals/

Imphal, December 13: The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System has resolved to pressurise the government to introduce the ILP bill in the upcoming winter session of the State Assembly, sources told IFP.

The winter session begins on December 18 and will continue till December 21.

The JCILPS held a meeting today at the JCILPS office in Nongmeibung from 1 pm attended by 36 civil bodies to discuss the issue of ILP implementation in which two important resolutions were taken.

First, the JCILPS decided to demand a copy of the logical report which was submitted by the All Political Parties committee on ILP.

Secondly, the JCILPS resolved to demand for introduction of the report on ILP implementation at the assembly for discussion in the winter session as assured by the government in August, the sources added.

It must be recalled that the committee had assured to give the copy of the logical report to JCILPS.

Sources said JCILPS will ask the opinion of the convenor of the committee, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa A/C, MLA, RK Anand, and has fixed the day after (December 14) as the deadline should the committee agree to provide a copy of the logical report.

They added that irrespective of whether the committee agrees to give a copy of the report or not, JCILPS will call a press conference on the day the committee has set as the deadline.

The ILP bill must be introduced in the Assembly and discussed for implementation for enacting a law in Manipur so that the indigenous peoples of Manipur are saved from the influx of illegal migrants, sources quoted a JCILPS representative as saying.

Recently, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had expressed his reservations on the government`™s ability to introduce the Bill on the implementation of the inner Line Permit System in the State during the upcoming winter session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/jcilps-persists-with-demands-even-as-cm-expresses-reservations-on-introducing-ilps-bill/

IMPHAL, December 13: Regional Institute of Medical Sciences director Dr Ch Arunkumar today lamented the formation of JACs whenever there is a death during treatment blaming the doctors and their subordinates of negligence without trying to find the main reason.

Dr Arunkumar was speaking at the inaugural function of the 30th All Manipur Medical Conference (AMAMECON 2014) held at the hall of the Indian Medical Association, Manipur branch Hall in Lamphel.

The conference is being organised by the State unit of the IMA.

Instead of blindly accusing the doctors for negligence, a better option would be to inquire about the main cause in such cases of deaths and then only make the charges, the director asserted.

Dr Arunkumar continued any effort towards improving the health sector in the State should start with developing the Primary Health Centres for which the IMA is working hard.

The IMA, Manipur branch president Dr Th Dhabali Singh appealed to the people to cooperate and join hands with the doctors to improve the health care sector in the State.

State Health Services Director Okram Ibomcha, who is also the Mission Director of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) said although the State`™s maternity death rate is low compared to other States, there is a need to improve the current healthcare sector in the State.

He said the issue of AIDS continues to be a big challenge and needs to be fought collectively by the people.

Indian Medical Association Dr Th Biren Singh, retd dean, academics, RIMS; Dr RK Bhananisana, retd prof and HOD of Ophthalmology, RIMS were felicitated during the function.

A souvenir of AMAMECON was also released during the function.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/rims-director-laments-culture-of-blaming-doctors-for-deaths-in-hospital/

By RK Lakhi Kant

A roadside circus show –
what an exciting and
adventurous profession,
without any of the cares
which bind family men.
A small family with two
or three children and the
rest their young friends who
joined them by learning
a few small tricks.
What freedom – to flex
the body, walk on the
tightrope, wriggle in and out
of rings, and acrobatic feats.
The mind too, disciplined to
concentrate, sending out a
message of healthy living
from the small troupe.
Looking for a place to set
up the arena for the next
show along the dusty path.
An abundant amount of
positivity to live life freely
without any frivolous cares.
To live life as an adventure,
gaining calm and strength
from an experience with the
beauty of life on a way once
traveled, especially in
the youthful years.
How much this warmth
that exudes from
the younger days.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/applause/

IMPHAL, December 13: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bihar Om Prakash Yadav today joined the party`™s State executive members during an enrolment campaign at Sekmai.

Speaking at the campaign, he said the party understands the pulse of the public.

The BJP led government in the Centre has promoted democracy to its true form and now a person from Manipur can become the Prime Minister, whereas unfortunately with the Congress it is only about promoting the Gandhi family and making one of its members the Prime Minister, the MP claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made a name before the world in such a short period of his becoming the Prime Minister, he said.

Continuing to attack Congress, he said three leaders of the party have been put behind bars while many are facing trial on corruption charges during the first three months of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

The Congress never thinks of anybody else other than themselves, he alleged adding that the Prime Minister has already introduced the Jan Dhan Yojna for the needy and poor section of the society. Through the scheme, anyone can now open a bank account with just Rs 200 and avail credit upto Rs 5000 and an insurance cover of another Rs 1 lakh for accidental death and Rs 30 thousand for natural death, he continued.

Only a poor person can understand another one, he said adding that Narendra Modi who is today known the world over as the Prime Minister of India is himself from a poor family.

Om Prakash said Modi is a true visionary and will certainly take the country towards development.

State BJP president Th Chaoba Singh who was the president of the formal function said that the mass enrolment campaign of the party was launched on November 1 by the Prime Minister and Union Home minister Rajnath Singh.

He said in the last Lok Sabha election, the party received a total of 17 crore 65 lakhs votes which was somehow short of just 3 crore 5 lakhs votes to reach absolute majority. The enrolment camp is being organised with an eye to close this gap, he added.

Meanwhile, a source informed that a team of the BJP Youth Morcha State unit had recently attended a North East meeting of the party in Guwahati.

President of the Manipur unit of the BJYM, O Malesh, vice president and in charge online membership drive, Y Gogendra alias Gopi, VP Kh Basanta and general secretary Ak Pradip who attended the meeting also organised a mass enrolment campaign at Jiribam where around 1000 members enrolled into the party, informed the source.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/bjp-mp-from-bihar-says-party-upholding-democracy-in-country/

By Malangba Bangormayum

In October this year, an acquaintance availed his LTC to go to Manipur. This was against my advice. Well-known for venturing at odd hours and to any place, with the obduracy that some senior persons develop I had my misgivings of the idea. He went ahead with his wife to Imphal. From there, they had a whirl wheel tour of Manipur. He went to Moreh first. He is a Tamilian. He had to go there. I advised against that also. Of course, two powerful blasts happened during that time. Need I add that there was blockade on Imphal-Moreh line at that time? The most interesting story that he told me of his sojourn concerns a coconut.

In Moreh he was surprised to see the biggest coconuts in his life. This is significant considering that he comes from a place where coconuts of all types are a plenty. He had to buy one. He got one for 30 Rupees. Of an inquisitive variety, he went to `Ema Market`™ to inquire about the price of coconuts there. He related with shock that smaller coconuts were sold for 80 Rupees. To this I had to explain that coconuts are an important material for many religious and cultural occasions in Manipur, and I also added that coconuts do not grow in Manipur. I shall come to this latter part of my explanation in a minute. And so on I tried to justify the price of coconuts in Imphal. I didn`™t venture into other factors along the Imphal-Moreh route that could have a contribution in the hefty price difference. Anyway he took that coconut home aboard Indian Airlines. Maybe, everyone in the land of coconut marveled and is marveling at the size of Manipuri coconut.

There is the custom that newly married couple eats the coconut that is part of the marriage ceremony. The coconut is placed on the conjoined hands of the bride and groom. No one has explained, nor have I ventured for an explanation for the coconut`™s part in our elaborate marriage ceremony but I presume that it is a symbolism for union, wholeness, togetherness. The coconut in its many layers could also have another symbolic order. These layers can be frustrating for the monkey who knows that there is something wonderful inside. In a sense, I share the frustration of the monkey in trying to find the meaning behind the coconut on the conjoined palms.

My mother said I should husk the coconut that was part of my wedding share it with my wife. Husking a coconut is no easy task. I then remembered my father relating a story of a strong-man who husked coconuts barehanded. I proceeded to the task, but with a tool. With the first stroke of instrument of choice, the coconut leaped and landed on the water that had collected in the pit that was in front of my house. The pit in question was dug up to make an underground tank, as part of my uncle`™s new three storied building. I always had this impression that coconuts float. I have seen that on T.V. They disperse from the coastal shorelines, carried by the sea waves across the oceans to distant shorelines to germinate, grow and bear fruit for the consumption of those in that distant vicinity: never to be asked where it originated. But this coconut sunk faster than a stone. This one proved to be a different nut. There was no way of retrieving it in my new `yellow`™ dress. There was no way of telling others what happened
without the elders berating me. So, my wife and I decided to keep mum on the coconut.

My mother, who has avid interest in growing things which are difficult to grow, attempted to grow coconuts. I remember at least three occasions of such attempts. The last was quite dramatic. After the previous attempts failed, she was wondering why the coconuts did not grow. At this juncture, she was given the advice that she follows a certain procedure: she should dig a pit of particular dimensions, and then it should be layered with charcoals after which a generous amount of salt should be put in. Then only should the coconut sapling be placed. I was skeptical; because, the process appeared to be conjecture of someone who in fact has not tried. My mother tried following each step meticulously. It did seem to work. The coconut did grow for some time`¦and then withered. After this attempt she gave up the idea of growing coconuts. According to how one counts, this brief persistence of the coconut to grow in the garden could be evinced as evidence that coconuts did grow in our land.

Recently, I came across a discussion on the internet. This centered on a really big coconut on the conjoined hands of a couple. Someone had uploaded it. Someone had commented on the size. Some other claimed that coconuts were grown in Manipur in `olden`™ times. If this gentleman`™s claim is correct then the explanation I gave to my Tamil friend needs correction. I shall do that when I meet him next time. I shall tell him that Manipur was once a land of coconuts. I shall try to convince him with the theory of the movement of the tectonic plates. Who knows Manipur was once surrounded by oceans? I shall add. Maybe, he will be convinced; maybe not. I can even bring out an Atlas and point out that the Earth itself is the shape of a coconut. I shall push my argument saying that we all share the Earth; therefore, we all have a claim to at least the shape of the coconut. Try, I shall.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/different-coconuts/

JIRI, December 13: Ramnagar Manipuri Chaokhat khongthang Nupi Lup had observed the 75th Nupilal Observation at Bangladesh on December 12 at 8 am.

The observation was opened with a floral tribute to the ima who participated in the Nupi Lal and the lighting up of a ceremonial lamp by additional secretary, government of Bangladesh Ashok Madhav Rai who attended as the chief guest.

The programme was also attended by chairman of Shree Mangal Upjal Parishad, Randhir Kumar Dev, Upjal executive officer, Sahid Mohammed Chaid ul Haq, professor at Manipur University, History department, Dr Jaikumar Singh, Jury Upjal vice chairman, Ranjita Sharma, Manipuri Language Research and Development Organisation president, Ak Seram and senior playback singer of Manipur, Nabachandra Sharma were the guests of honour.

After the opening song, the welcome address was presented by Ramnagar Chaokhat Khongthang Nupi Lup, advisor, Thingujam Hiran.

The programme was presided over by president of the nupi lup, Phajatombi Devi and conducted by Thokchom Nongpok Leima.

A newspaper editor Gopal Dev Choudhary, headmaster of a high school ShyamalDutta, Kamalganj Upjal chiarmanRafikumar Rahaman and Mangang Construction`™s Md Human Mutumcha spoke on the occasion.

The chief guest said, despite of the minor population in Bangladesh, the Manipuris have a highly developed culture.

However, influence from other cultures has affected the Manipuri culture and language and there is need for the government to provide some help to preserve them, the chief guest said.

He further promised that the government will construct a Manipuri Cultural Academy at Ramagar at the earliest.

Several renowned artists from the State also performed during the function.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/manipuri-diaspora-in-bangladesh-observes-nupi-lal-anniversary/

By Khura Seraton

New shirt, new trouser and a new leather slipper, everything was new. I saw Nobin on his over-used two wheeler bike, riding down the Kasturi Bridge towards Nagamapal side. No one will be mistaken to identify Nobin as one of the newly married of this season. The all new clothing speaks for itself. Besides his clothing, one of the easiest ways to identify a newly married man among the Meities is to look at his slipper. If the man is wearing a clean white slipper, nine out of ten will turn out to be newly married. May be, the white colour slipper is worn to match the all-white Pheijom, Pumyat and Kokyet. Some bridegrooms prefer to wear off-white or dull-yellow slippers instead of the white colour one. But white colour is dominant. Someone told me that the all-white Meitei bridegroom signifies the sun. Yes, the sun which is the best power supplier of the earth, the life giver, the ubiquitous sun. But I was not told what the bride signifies. May be because brides are multi-coloured, giving too many options for signification.

Nobin, riding through the busy Nagamapal Street passed by me, and was gone with the medley of vehicular sounds towards the Khuyathong side. He didn`™t notice me waving. Though I know, his mind was occupied with so many things. The Mangani Chak-kouba (a grand feast at the bride`™s parental house on the fifth day after the wedding) was just two days away. It is usual for a newly married husband to make himself busy with some more shopping even after the wedding. You never know the small requirements of the new house, of the woman who have just moved in to stay together for the rest of her life. And it is a good gesture to remind friends to attend the Chak-Kouba even though the formal invitation cards have already been dispatched along with the wedding cards. But Nobin have different preoccupation. His house is going to be dismantled soon.

Earlier Nobin`™s family as well as other families in the locality was served with a government notification. The notice informed them that they will have to shift their houses to a new location on a specific date, within a few days`™ time. That specific date is same with the date of Nobin`™s wedding. It is not that they were not aware of the eviction drive which is rampant in Imphal with the new surge of developmental works carried out by the government. The localities were earlier served with a similar notification. But the date for eviction was however extended after much pleading with the government. They pleaded that constructing new houses at a new location will take some more time, as it was rainy season. The government agreed to give some more time. Yet, uncertainties still loom large as another notification was in the offing. The latest notification arrived like a bad presage. It knocked the loudest to Nobin`™s family, when everyone was busy preparing for the wedding. They have never imagined that eviction drive would begin on the wedding day itself. As soon as the latest notification was served, Nobin`™s family members had to leave the wedding preparation aside. It must have been one of the hardest decisions to make; whether to take part in the Leiaki meeting to discuss about submitting another appeal to the authority for one more extension of eviction date, or to anyhow shift to the newly allotted location so that the marriage is not disturbed.

In the meantime, the Leikai decided to appeal for yet another extension of date. This time they have cited Nobin`™s wedding as one of the chief reasons of extending the date. But it was never easy. Should they meet the MLA, or should they meet the aspiring one, who is very influential `“ who could tame ferocious breed of earth movers like the JCB. Yes, that yellow coloured breed, which can alter a landscape within minute`™s time. I also heard that the influential one also owns quite a number of the same breed. You call it luck or anything, the influential man turned up in the Leikai when heated discussion was going on. He got down from his black Bolero vehicle; offered greetings with folded hands to the elders, shook hands with the young. He talked with the Leikai for some minutes. He made a call from his smart phone. He informed the Leikai that extension notice will be out by evening.

And that was how Nobin`™s marriage was not disturbed. I was wondering what if the phone call of that influential JCB owner had failed to extend the eviction date. Would Nobin and his family shift to the new location? Would they postpone the wedding? That day I met Nobin. He told me that on the day of Chak-Kouba a commotion nearly took place over some trivial issue, which was not at all related with the impending eviction. `Why do things have to go wrong on my important days`, he asked. I had no answer. I cannot try reasoning with him that it was just a matter of coincidence, and that things will be fine. I did not enquire Nobin about his newly wed life; about eating on new plates, about sleeping on new bed `¦ new furniture and above all about the new family member. Nobin, who signified the all-powerful sun for a single day, will have to stay away from the JCB one day.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/in-search-of-new-life/

By Tinky Ningombam

I am always bad with names. I have been plagued by this rather irritating social handicap. My nonsensical inability to recall names and associate them to faces. Though in my defense, I am sure everyone deals with this some time or the other. We often forget people who we do not meet for a very long time or people who we are not interested in. My problem extends to people who I thought were interesting. That is when I saw my problem as indeed a problem not something that I feigned for personal fancies.

We are visual creatures. It takes us less time to recall an object by sight than by name. Moreover, ever since I was a young girl, I have always been attracted to interesting visuals. In the passing years, I have discovered that I am part of that certain group of people who easily forget people`™s names. But like most of the incorrigible pampered lot, the only ones that I seem to remember are the people from the past that are most obnoxious, weird or the visually fascinating kind.

So does this mean that who-so ever that I forget are plain and boring? I don`™t know.

And people who are with me on this, will understand my plight. Ever more so when I say that this has not been very good for me, of course, especially in my social life. Many uncomfortable situations have befallen on me. One particularly embarrassing one happened just a couple of months ago.

A dear acquaintance of mine and her group of friends had met me. I, being the host, had to play the part to introduce my long-lost friend to the group and I introduced her by the wrong name. And instead of playing dumb and moving on, she corrected me and said that, that was definitely not what she was called. If ever you have to invent time machines, those are to be for times like these. To save you from the embarrassment of introducing your friend by the wrong name. I would have found it offensive if someone did that to me. Considering how self-important and highly I think of myself. That girl deserves nothing less. And even as I write this, I cannot for the life of me, remember what her name is, again.

Why do we forget names? Are there some valid explanations? Why is it so hard to keep up? Apparently there are a few explanations for these. People fail to correlate a face to a name because of one or few of the following things.

A. We forget a name because we are not interested in them. Because we think that the person is inconsequential and will not be connected to us at all in the future.

B. Because at the time of introduction, we try too hard to focus on something about the person or on something else in our mind entirely that our attention to the name becomes unimportant

C. Our short term memory is indeed very short or we suffer from a brain disorder
But I mustn`t joke. A brain disorder is no laughing matter. Because I was thinking about this. And also because I was bored and I like to surf the net for completely random things, I found and read of what is called face blindness. Something that you wouldn`t want to even dream of having. Our momentary memory lapses are nothing in comparison to this brain disorder which doesn`t allow facial recognition. My sympathies for the victims of it.

Coming back to our ordeal. How do we deal with this, you ask? How do we get past these deplorable character suicides and public embarrassments of forgetting people`™s names? There are apparently quite a few tricks to learn. All is not lost. This is not a premature attack of dementia yet. I have tried and tested some for your benefit. And it does work, much to my relief. I shall leave you with those.

– Because of the fact that most of the time, we do not remember names because we do not pay attention to that person, we can try to associate the name to a certain thing or activity or object or a facial feature.

– Repeating the name about 5 to six times when introduced helps. This makes it easier for our brain to get used to the face and the name relation. So when you are introduced to Bob, say `“ `So Bob, how was your day?` `It is lovely to have met you Bob` ` Have a good day to you too Bob` It might seem a little weird at first and he might think you are a little crazy if you use his names more than 10 times in 10 minutes. But do go on, if need be.

– Writing it down helps. But this might not be practical in some situations. It can also be a little creepy for the other person if she knows you are indeed writing the names down. Also, if you are introduced without a pen and a paper in your hand, you shouldn`™t go asking for it.

– Make a small limerick or a poem with the person`™s name. If not so creative, use rhyming words. Look at the person closely and hum it silently `Bob wants to shop`, `Bob likes to rob` `Bob is in a mob`. Just don`™t say it aloud in front of him.

– Or do what one of my friend did. Call every girl that he met as `Nanao` This might not work at your workplace but what the heck, it is definitely better than calling someone `oye`.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/elusive-names-forgetfulness-or-disinterest/

IMPHAL, December 13: A former women`™s boxing world champion Laishram Sarita Devi today appreciated the support she has received from several sports icon of the country as she awaits a final ruling of the International Boxing Association, AIBA following her protest during the medal presentation ceremony in the Incheon Asian Games earlier this year.

The boxer, facing a provisional suspension following her protest, was speaking to media persons during a brief interaction at the North East Sports Conclave 2014 at Hotel Imphal by Classic conference hall today.

She told media persons that she expects the AIBA to come out with its final ruling by next month.

Sarita at the same time lauded the decision of the government to establish a Sports University in the State and said it will immensely help the sports players of the State.

A seminar `Scopes & Potential of North East in Sports` and an interaction session on `Roadmap for Sports University in Manipur` were the main highlights of the conclave which was being organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in association with North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of DoNER Government of India and Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Manipur.

Speaking at the conclave, secretary North Eastern Council Ameising Luikham observed the need to develop and upgrade all the local sports institutions in the State to the level of regional institutions and added he will provide all possible help.

He said Manipur has a lot of potential in sports and has brought much laurels to the country however there is still lots of room for improvement.

He further appealed to the sports bodies in the State to work harder to develop sports in the State.

Parliamentary secretary M Prithiviraj said in the past a land was considered powerful only if they have much artillery, however, today the concept of a power-house has drastically changed from that perception. Today countries are considered sports`™ powerhouse if the people of the State have the potential of winning in sports and acquire several medals in a sporting event.

Former National Men Hockey captain Bharat Chetri and Anshu Jamsenpa who have summited the Mount Everest three times and boxer L Sarita Devi attended the conclave as special guests.

A NNN report said the conclave dwelled on the proposed Sports University to be set up in Manipur. It acknowledged that Manipur alone has been claiming most of the medals in national and major international sporting events compared to other States of the region.

NEC secretary Luikham assured to improve the present stadium of Manipur Mountaineering & Trekking Association (MMTA), it said.

I Hemochndra said the case of boxer L Sarita, who has been banned by AIBA, will be raised in the coming meeting of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the NNN report continued.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/sarita-appreciates-support-from-countrys-sporting-icons/