Manipur News

IMPHAL, January 13: The All Manipur VDF Welfare Association held its general conference today at the Irawat Bhavan Complex auditorium hall for the welfare of the Village Defence Force personnel and formed a committee to meet the government to discuss their demands.

The conference was attended by the association`™s president N Shanta Singh, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur secretary L Sotinkumar Singh, Senior Citizen for Society secretary professor L Sadananda Singh and All Manipur Road Transport and Drivers Motor Workers Union H Kulamani as presidium members.

Speaking at the function, Sotinkumar said surviving in today`™s world with a monthly salary of below Rs 15000 is very tough and the time is ripe for all government employees to give a clarion call through democratic forms of agitation for pay hike.

Prices of all essential commodities have sky-rocketed today he said.

The government only promises and talks without any action he said adding that even the fund meant for all the Central schemes have only ended in the pockets of the ministers and officials.

Today the government is not for workers and only for businessmen and corporate houses, he continued.

It is time for all organisations to stand united and struggle to bring some changes Sotinkumar said.

AMVDFWA spokesperson Md Riyaz said the government has continued to neglect the demand submitted on September 22 in a memorandum.

The demands, he said included a separate battalion, salaries for 13 months, service security, increase in honorarium and routine provision of issued items, according to him.

In Manipur no agitation can attract the intention of the government without violence, he said.

At the end of the meeting, the association took several resolutions including setting up of a committee to meet the government regarding their demands.

The newly formed committee includes AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shamjai, AMVDFWA advisor cum chairman N Shanta, Senior Citizen for Society secretary prof L Sadananda Singh and three VDF personnel.

It was also resolved that the association will undergo various agitations in case the committee fail to bring any amicable solution with the government and to seek support from the civil organisations, NGOs, meira paibis and local youth clubs.

The general conference was attended by personnel of all nine districts of the State.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/vdf-association-forms-committee-to-discuss-demands-with-govt/

IMPHAL, January 13: Even as the State Education department has issued an order to commence classes in all the Government High Schools from January 12, Poiroukhongjil High School and Moirangpurel High school are facing problems of a lack of text books and other educational facilities.

Students and school authorities of both the schools are demanding that the government must provide facilities under the RMSA and SSA. Students of both the schools are facing various inconveniences due to lack of text books, teachers, infrastructure when the State education department is talking about lifting the state of education in the State to a global standard.

Students, teachers and the school management committee are demanding that their grievances should be addressed within January 20.They have threatened to hold an agitation in New Delhi on January 26 if the concerned authority fails to take positive steps.

A team of media persons which visited Poiroukhongjil High School found that more than 744 students are studying in the school with an additional 200 students being newly admitted. The rush of students from Andro A/C and other areas of Imphal East district have caused an admission overflow.

According to Poiroukhongjil High School Head Master, Mutum Rajendra Singh, now classes in the school are running out of capacity. The school have 25 teachers among which six are being utilised under RMSA and seven being hired under SSA, with two teachers being hired on a private basis. The ratio of the number of teachers is very less in comparison to the number of students present. According to norms, there should be one teacher for every 30 students and a class should have 40 students only. But most of the classes far exceed this norm.

The school authority couldn`t have separate sections for students due to lack of class room, cycle set, computer class and teachers. The school was ungraded to high school in 2014 and this will be the third time that its students will be appearing for the matriculation exam. Most of the new students have joined from other private schools.

Its 32 students will appear in the matriculation exam by attaching to the Azad High School but from the next year onwards, students can appear from our own school, the Head Master said.

Students of the school have urged concerned authorities to provide students their due facilities as most of the students are poor.

Meanwhile, the media team after reaching Moirangpurel High School discovered that students and teachers were given a holiday because students are yet to receive their text books. The school is unique in the sense that it provides night classes to students.

Bimol, the caretaker of the school, said the school resume its session as per the government order on January 12.

Last year, teachers couldn`™t cover the full syllabus as students were bereft of text books. This year also the same problems persist with students facing lack of uniforms, begs, text books, a well furnished computer class room and teachers.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/andro-schools-facing-infrastructure-shortages-even-after-classes-commence/

IMPHAL, January 13: Commemorating the burning of ancient Manipuri scriptures `Puya`™ of Manipur today, the International Observation Committee on Puya Meithaba (ICOP) conducted a mass rally from Thangmeiband Athletic Union (THAU) Ground till the Kangla Fort.

After a ritualistic ceremony at the fort, the main function was held at the THAU ground with people from all communities of the State gathered together.

Manipur titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba attended the observation as the chief guest, while ICOP chairman and former minister RV Minthing, vice chairman ICOP Prof Sairem Nilabir, vice chairman ICOP M Naodalenkhomba, president Tangkhul Naga Wungnaolong Sweeten Rahing, vice chairman ICOP Tokpam Thawailemba Meetei, general secretary United Manipur Muslim Women Dev. Orgn (UMMWDO) Nazma Begum, president Manipur State Shumang Leela Council (MSSLC) Ph Gunachandra, vice president Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup, MEELAL M Naokhamba, President Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL) Ch Parihal, advisor Meihourol Inat Kanba Apunba Lup (MIKAL) Maisnam Apabi, secretary All Manipur Recognised Private Schools Welfare Association (AMRPSWA) L Joy Khuman, chief of Maram Khullen Namba Maram, chief of Thoyee Village Ukhrul Ng Khating, chief of Purum Likli Rinwichoung Shongthu, secretary Longa Koireng Village Authority W Khelsong Koireng, Ningthou of Echum Kom Keirap (Pomithang) Thoiba Kom, Maram Center Village Authority T Peter
Kaba and Amaipiba of Moreh Meetei Lai Thougallup N Manihar as president and special guests respectively.

Regretting the burning of the puya, Leishemba Sanajaoba said it is a great loss.

He deliberated the scriptures were the most precious thing which has been lost.

Puya, he said included all aspects of life including both the living and non-living things.

He prayed that the burning or such sacred books should never be repeated.

Sanajaoba further lamented that the day is observed twice by different organisations due to conflicting claims and that he had to attend both functions.

It is not about the day, he said but about remembering the incident.

He said if the different organisations could observe the day unitedly, he would be very happy because observing the same incident on two different days is a sign of disunity of which the people attending are made victims.

The main objective of the day is to bring the people of the hills and the valley together and live in a peace and harmony as they used to before the burning of the scriptures, Leishemba continued.

The ancient scriptures had acted as a binding tool of the hill and valley he observed adding that now is the time to revive the peaceful and brotherly relation between the different communities once again for a better Manipur.

He later appealed to all concern to come together and observe the day together among all different communities of the State.

The `Maichou Ningsing Mana`™ was conferred to (late) Akoijam Nodiachan received by Akoijam Momon Leima while the Ching-Tam Nungshi Khudol Mana was awarded to chairman of R Suisa Trust Dr Ngohor Sai Luithui during the observation.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/titular-king-laments-disunity-in-observing-burning-of-ancient-scriptures-calls-for-unity/