Manipur News

IMPHAL, March 25: There will be no expansion of the Ibobi led Congress ministry before the March 31, according to sources close to the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had himself told newsmen that expansion will not be possible before March 31, on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony of three senior ministers including Gaikhangam on March 16. Yet, rumors about possible expansion and the composition of the new ministry persist in certain sections of the public.

The possibility of Yumkham Erabot Singh in the Ibobi Cabinet and whether Ibobi wil part with the crucial portfolio of Finance is still a hot topic in the corridors of power and the roadside hotels.

Reliable sources in the Congress said, the compromise formula as worked out by the AICC High Command is seven representatives from Ibobi camp including himself and five from the Gaikhangam camp.

After the first expansion of his ministry, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has already two of his loyalists in the cabinet. They are Th Debendra Singh and Phungzathang Tonsing.

According to informed sources, Gaikhangam had proposed the names of Govindas Konthoujam of Bishnupur District, Victor Keishing of Ukhrul District, Ngamthang Haokip of Senapati District, Yumkham Erabot  of Imphal East district and L Nandakumar of Imphal West district.

While on the other hand the Chief Minister had proposed the names of Moirangthem Okendro Singh of Thoubal District, DK Korungthang of Chandel District, I Hemochandra of Imphal West District, Md Amin Shah of Imphal East District and AK Mirabai on women’s quota.

Sources further said, M Okendro’s name been proposed by both camps in the Congress. The party is still in the process of identifying as to who would be inducted as chairman and vice-chairman in the various government undertakings.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/no-expansion-till-marchend/

BHUBANESWAR, March 25 (agencies): Maoists Sunday released one of the two Italian hostages they had abducted March 14. The rebels said they will release the other Italian only after the government fulfills some of their demands.

After his release Claudio Colangelo said it was a frightening experience for him. He said he wants to visit India again but will be foolish to visit areas where there are Maoists. He said he wants to return to his native country Italy as soon as possible.

Appealing to the Maoists to release the second Italian immediately unharmed, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he will request the two mediators who were named by the rebels to resume talks to speed up the process.

State Home Secretary U.N. Behera said the state government will continue its efforts to secure the release of the other Italian, Bosusco Paolo, and a Biju Janata Dal legislator.

Rebel leader Sabyasachi Panda, who is named as `Sunil`, handed over Colangelo, 61, to a select group of three journalists somewhere in Kandhamal district. The Maoists released the Italian following an “appeal from people and a cross-section of society”, Panda said.

The guerrillas abducted Paolo and Colangelo from a forested area on the border of state`s Ganjam and Kandhamal district March 14.

On Saturday, the rebels kidnapped ruling BJD legislator and a popular tribal leader Jhina Hikaka, 37, in a hilly area of Koraput district.

However, Panda said he is not responsible for abduction of the BJP legislator and it has not been done by his group.

The rebel leader also said he released Colangelo because the state government halted negotiations with the Maoist-named mediators citing violence from the Maoist side.

He asserted that there was no violence in the area commanded by his group after declaration of ceasefire by him. Panda is the organising secretary of the Orissa state committee of Communist Party of India-Maoist.

The two Maoist mediators, tribal expert B.D. Sharma said social activist Dandapani Mohanty, who had withdrawn from mediation expressed his happiness over the release of Colangelo and said the government could resume dialogue for the release of the other.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday appealed to the rebels to also release the legislator immediately.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/maoists-release-one-abducted-italian/

BHUBANESWAR, March 25 (agencies): Maoists Sunday released one of the two Italian hostages they had abducted March 14. The rebels said they will release the other Italian only after the government fulfills some of their demands.

After his release Claudio Colangelo said it was a frightening experience for him. He said he wants to visit India again but will be foolish to visit areas where there are Maoists. He said he wants to return to his native country Italy as soon as possible.

Appealing to the Maoists to release the second Italian immediately unharmed, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he will request the two mediators who were named by the rebels to resume talks to speed up the process.

State Home Secretary U.N. Behera said the state government will continue its efforts to secure the release of the other Italian, Bosusco Paolo, and a Biju Janata Dal legislator.

Rebel leader Sabyasachi Panda, who is named as `Sunil`, handed over Colangelo, 61, to a select group of three journalists somewhere in Kandhamal district. The Maoists released the Italian following an “appeal from people and a cross-section of society”, Panda said.

The guerrillas abducted Paolo and Colangelo from a forested area on the border of state`s Ganjam and Kandhamal district March 14.

On Saturday, the rebels kidnapped ruling BJD legislator and a popular tribal leader Jhina Hikaka, 37, in a hilly area of Koraput district.

However, Panda said he is not responsible for abduction of the BJP legislator and it has not been done by his group.

The rebel leader also said he released Colangelo because the state government halted negotiations with the Maoist-named mediators citing violence from the Maoist side.

He asserted that there was no violence in the area commanded by his group after declaration of ceasefire by him. Panda is the organising secretary of the Orissa state committee of Communist Party of India-Maoist.

The two Maoist mediators, tribal expert B.D. Sharma said social activist Dandapani Mohanty, who had withdrawn from mediation expressed his happiness over the release of Colangelo and said the government could resume dialogue for the release of the other.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday appealed to the rebels to also release the legislator immediately.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/maoists-release-one-abducted-italian/

IMPHAL, March 25: A man, who was reportedly gunned down by a combined team of Imphal west police commandos and 18 Sikh Regiment during an encounter at Naran Konjin under Wangoi police station on March 23, was an innocent bread-earner and not a militant, his family claimed Sunday.

Md Firoz Khan, 25, son of (L) Hesamuddin of Lilong Haoreibi Makha Leikai was reported to have been shot dead in an encounter with security forces at Naran Konjin on March 23, but his family has claimed otherwise. The family has claimed that Fioz was picked up by security forces and later killed in a fake encounter.

Firoz is survived by three daughters and his six-month-old pregnant wife and that he was a daily wage earner, according to his family.

He left home on March 23 evening around 6pm along with his two friends identified as Md Abdul Rajaq, 23 of Lilong Chandakhong and Md Rasim Khan, 23 of Lilong Haoreibi Konjin Leikai in Thoubal district.

The two individuals were caught by locals yesterday afternoon from their respective houses and later the residents grilled them over the killing of Firoz, the family maintained.

According to the duo, on that day March 23, the three friends were going for a walk at Sawombung Penakhong. They started running from the area when they spotted a commando team approaching them. The team later on picked up Firozand opened fire towards the two friends while taking away Firoz from the scene, the family quoted the two friends.

Meanwhile, the body of Firoz was handed over to his family on Sunday after conducting autopsy at RIMS.

His body had received 11 bullets on his chest, his family source said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/fake-encounter-slur-on-sf/

IMPHAL, March 25 (Newmai News Network): A salesman was rescued by the security force personnel in the late afternoon of Sunday from Manipur`s southern district Churachandpur from armed men.

According to the police, one Kh. Ibungojaoba (41) was abducted by three gunmen from Churachandpur market at about 7:30 pm on Saturday.

The kidnappers then demanded Rs 1 lakh for the release of Ibungojaoba from his employer.

Ibungojaoba who hails from Khumakjam Leikei of Churachandpur works as a salesman in a butcher shop which mostly deals in chicken in Churachandpur market.

At around 5:30 pm today, following a tip-off from certain quarters, a combined team of Churachandpur police and Assam Rifles personnel rushed to Bollen village, some 6 km from Churachandpur police station and rescued the man. The security personnel also arrested two of the three abductors. Though it is yet to confirm but the police suspect that the abductors are cadres of the Kuki National Front, KNF (S) which is a party to the Suspension of Operation (SoO).

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/police-rescue-man-from-kidnappers/

IMPHAL, March 25 (Newmai News Network): A salesman was rescued by the security force personnel in the late afternoon of Sunday from Manipur`s southern district Churachandpur from armed men.

According to the police, one Kh. Ibungojaoba (41) was abducted by three gunmen from Churachandpur market at about 7:30 pm on Saturday.

The kidnappers then demanded Rs 1 lakh for the release of Ibungojaoba from his employer.

Ibungojaoba who hails from Khumakjam Leikei of Churachandpur works as a salesman in a butcher shop which mostly deals in chicken in Churachandpur market.

At around 5:30 pm today, following a tip-off from certain quarters, a combined team of Churachandpur police and Assam Rifles personnel rushed to Bollen village, some 6 km from Churachandpur police station and rescued the man. The security personnel also arrested two of the three abductors. Though it is yet to confirm but the police suspect that the abductors are cadres of the Kuki National Front, KNF (S) which is a party to the Suspension of Operation (SoO).

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/police-rescue-man-from-kidnappers/

IMPHAL, March 25: A one day consultation program on “Crisis of potable water in Manipur: Is there a way out” was held today at EEMA conference hall, Keishampat Junction, Imphal. The function was attended by many organizations, students as well as individuals from different parts of the state.

The consultation program was chaired by Kheidem Mani, senior advocate, Yambem Laba, senior journalist and Meihoubam Rakesh, director, Human Rights Law Network, Manipur as moderators.

Addressing the keynote, Meihoubam Rakesh stated that we don’t have water problem but we lack potable water, even though we have Public Health Engineering Department running with thousands of employees.

Declaring that right to water is a basic fundamental right, Meihoubam Rakesh concluded his keynote address saying that the consultation program is the first step of protest towards the government’s failure to provide potable water to the general public.

Later, during the knowledge sharing session, K. Rabei, a practicing lawyer at Guwahati High Court said that if the government is responsible for the crisis so as the people, since India is a democratic country. He also said that we should take legal action with the help of legal experts.

Further, women folk who were present have expressed their anger, saying women folk suffer more, so they will take more initiative and support the cause in every possible way. Other organization representatives, students and individuals also expressed their anger towards the failure of the Government.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/crisis-of-potable-water-is-there-a-way-out/

IMPHAL, March 25: A one day consultation program on “Crisis of potable water in Manipur: Is there a way out” was held today at EEMA conference hall, Keishampat Junction, Imphal. The function was attended by many organizations, students as well as individuals from different parts of the state.

The consultation program was chaired by Kheidem Mani, senior advocate, Yambem Laba, senior journalist and Meihoubam Rakesh, director, Human Rights Law Network, Manipur as moderators.

Addressing the keynote, Meihoubam Rakesh stated that we don’t have water problem but we lack potable water, even though we have Public Health Engineering Department running with thousands of employees.

Declaring that right to water is a basic fundamental right, Meihoubam Rakesh concluded his keynote address saying that the consultation program is the first step of protest towards the government’s failure to provide potable water to the general public.

Later, during the knowledge sharing session, K. Rabei, a practicing lawyer at Guwahati High Court said that if the government is responsible for the crisis so as the people, since India is a democratic country. He also said that we should take legal action with the help of legal experts.

Further, women folk who were present have expressed their anger, saying women folk suffer more, so they will take more initiative and support the cause in every possible way. Other organization representatives, students and individuals also expressed their anger towards the failure of the Government.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/crisis-of-potable-water-is-there-a-way-out/